French – St John's Church of England Academy

French Curriculum

Our Intent

Our mission ‘Guided by God to be the best that we can be’ is at the core of everything we do. To enable our children to celebrate and welcome differences in our world, it is vital that they have an understanding of different languages and countries. Encouraging our children to learn about other countries and cultures will develop their respect for others and enable them to play a valuable role as a member of both national and global society, all contributing to the development of their cultural capital. With this end point in mind, we aim to inspire a love of language and of learning about other cultures through our MFL curriculum. Learning a language stimulates children’s curiosity, and helps to build their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. It is our intention that, by the end of our children’s primary education, they have an understanding of both spoken and written French, confidence to speak in French with others and recognise the importance of learning languages.

Implementation

Our MFL curriculum is designed to progressively develop skills in French. We use resources from the ‘Primary French Project’, designed by the Association for Language Learning, French Institute and the Network for Languages to deliver our lessons. Lessons ensure children acquire a wide range of vocabulary and develop an understanding of phonics and grammar within the French language, as well as gaining a good understanding of French culture. Children are taught to listen to, speak, read and write the language. Lessons build on prior learning as children progress through units, and prior learning is consistently reinforced to ensure that children retain the key knowledge required to make good progress. Lessons are active and engaging, with actions, songs and games which help children to apply the language skills and vocabulary learnt. As children progress through their French learning, we place an increased focus on sentence building, recognising word classes and grouping words according to their phonetic ‘family’. Classrooms have French displays, with a focus on key vocabulary. All children in Key Stage 2 are taught French in a weekly session, following which language is reinforced throughout the school day. Signage around school is in both French and English to further extend learning.

French Progression of Skills

French Long Term Plan

French at St. John’s

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St John's CE Academy Darlington

St John's CE Academy DarlingtonThursday, April 2nd, 2026 at 12:00pm

Due to popular demand, we are opening the Book Fair after school tonight from 3:20pm - 3:45pm.

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St John's CE Academy DarlingtonThursday, April 2nd, 2026 at 11:14am

GOODBYE AND THANKYOU

Dear Parents and Carers,

I would like to extend my sincere thanks for the unwavering support, kindness, and trust you have shown over the past few years. It has been both an honour and a privilege to serve this remarkable community and to play a part in shaping the lives of your truly wonderful children.

As I have previously mentioned, my daily commute to Darlington is considerable, so when the opportunity arose to take on a similar role at a school much closer to home, it offered the prospect of a better work life balance. This was not a decision I made lightly, but one I felt I could not reasonably decline.

Reflecting on my time at St John’s fills me with immense pride and affection. I joined the school as Assistant Head in January 2014 and had the great honour of becoming Headteacher in 2021. Following in the footsteps of Miss Large was no small task; however, from the very beginning, you welcomed me with warmth and generosity, for which I will always be deeply grateful. Working alongside such dedicated staff, supportive families, and, above all, such inspiring children has been an absolute joy.

As the saying goes, all things must come to an end. While this chapter is closing, the memories and relationships I have formed here will remain with me always.

Mrs Rossington will take on the role of Acting Headteacher for the summer term, supported by Mrs Ferris as Acting Deputy Head. Having worked closely with both colleagues over a number of years, I have every confidence that the school will continue to thrive under their care, and it will very much be business as usual. The Trust is currently undertaking the process of appointing a permanent Headteacher for September 2026.

As we approach the Easter period, I would like to wish you and your families a joyful and peaceful holiday, along with every happiness and success in the years ahead. St John’s will forever hold a very special place in my heart, and I will miss you all dearly.

With sincere affection and gratitude,

Mr Ramsay

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St John's CE Academy DarlingtonWednesday, April 1st, 2026 at 8:21am

Year 2 had great fun collecting weather data with their very own homemade equipment last week. They developed some fantastic Geography skills!

Year 2 - Collecting Weather Data

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St John's CE Academy DarlingtonTuesday, March 31st, 2026 at 8:47pm

Our amazing dancers dazzled at the Hippodrome on Monday night at the Darlington Dance Festival. They had a wonderful time performing on the big stage and impressed everyone with their talent!

Thank you to Mrs Penteney, Miss Hodgson and Miss Taylor for helping our girls shine even brighter! If you missed their performance, take a look at the video to see the fantastic routine they performed for the rest of school!