Curriculum Intent – “Creating Global Communicators”
“You live a new life for every language you speak. If you only know one language, you only live once.” Czech proverb.
Statement of Intent:
At Khalsa Academy, we are passionate about the benefits that learning a language can bring. We strongly believe in languages as a skill for life, and that students should enjoy and find language learning rewarding. Stephen Fry, the celebrated actor, comedian and writer is a renowned polyglot, (able to speak several languages). Please click here to see why he, like us, believes passionately that languages are important.
We aim for our students to explore the Target Language culture and language, leading to an enjoyment and understanding of the value of language learning.
Students are encouraged to be independent and resilient when learning new vocabulary and structures with an emphasis on using the target language spontaneously and accurately to build confidence early on in KS3.
Vision:
Our curriculum is designed to develop long - term memory and our students’ ability to recall information and develop greater expertise in manipulating and recycling the language thus leading to mastery and better outcomes.
Through developing confident language speakers, MFL at Khalsa Academy fosters students’ curiosity and inspires them to broaden their horizons and make connections beyond the school, the city and the country.
We thrive to promote an appreciation of cultural diversity and the importance of being global communicators. Our teaching and learning approach build the foundations for students to effectively communicate in a range of situations, to share their own points of view, as well as understand and reflect on the views of others.
Languages at TKAW aim to engender a wider world view, supporting British Values in a world context, and encouraging the traditional Sikh values of lifelong learning, tolerance and appreciation of other cultures and a caring, considered and generous approach in self-development and readiness for employment and success in the future.
Curriculum Principles:
Our curriculum coverage is designed for progression over 5 years. The curriculum at KS3 has been designed so that students make rapid progress in all four skill areas. Building self-efficacy and confidence ensure students are prepared for the demands of the GCSE course. The curriculum overview shows curriculum progression setting out the knowledge, skills and understanding.
“The less is more approach” is about carefully selecting the Knowledge to be taught and planning for opportunities to regularly check that the key knowledge has been understood and remembered. Curriculum design is based on cognitive science principles. Language is embedded through the EPI (Extensive Processing Instruction) The Language Gym pedagogy of language teaching & learning, underpinned by Phonics, Grammar and Vocabulary.
KS3
Students select to study either French or Panjabi from year 7. We encourage students to continue their chosen language up to GCSE.
- Students will study selected communicative functions over the course of three terms. The curriculum is planned and delivered in sequences of lessons to answer a key question. The curriculum is based on the “Less is more” principle.
- A streamlined selection of key language patterns is taught with an emphasis on repetition, recycling, and rehearsing with most teaching and learning activities linked to sentence builders followed by activities to aid long-term recycling, recall and production.
- Each sequence includes an overview of learning, a Sentence Builder and a summary model answer to model language usage.
- Students learn phrases (ie: chunks) with the long - term aim of internalizing the TL.
- Memorisation provides the hooks on which knowledge hangs. Memorisation skill activities and strategies, phonics, and Language Learning skills are integrated and taught discreetly as part of the curriculum throughout key questions and themes. Attention is drawn to pronunciation patterns and sounds through skills - based activities.
- Listening & Reading activities are used to introduce new language patterns.
- Speaking & writing activities consolidate and strengthen the new structures, with a view to students being able to speak and write with greater spontaneity confidence and accuracy.
- Knowledge is deliberately visited and re-visited across themes, across terms and years to improve automaticity, recall and retrieval. We ensure retrieval and reviewing of previous knowledge through regular knowledge tests and Do Now activities. “Recycling” key language patterns and chunks on a regular basis (mixing the old with the new!!) is an essential part of teaching & learning to give students regular opportunities to review and recycle language across themes, terms, years.
- Students are set weekly homework - weekly knowledge tests to reinforce topical and grammatical knowledge. This involves learning and memorising vocabulary / phrases - chunks, revising key themes, or practising reading or writing skills (students are actively taught how to study and memorise for better retention and recall as part of the curriculum).
- Assessments are based on curriculum guidance, skills, content and Key Questions. Marking Points are scheduled within Key Questions to enable regular formative assessment. Regular short low stake assessments also ensure monitoring of progress (assessment points as per Academy assessment calendar). Assessment types include knowledge tests, spelling tests, translations recycling core grammar structures, activities linking spoken & written word, writing & translation tasks, Reading and listening tasks.
- Whole class feedback is regular and timely to ensure knowledge gaps are addressed. Directed improvement & reflection time is used timely in response to teacher’s feedback with specific actionable targets to ensure self-reflection and progress (developing knowledge, skills and understanding).
- Students are provided with lots of input in the target language with ample opportunities to practise the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Al students, regardless of their prior attainment, have access to an ambitious curriculum through teaching, learning and resources that model, scaffold and enable structured and independent practice.
Teaching & Learning Cycle
1. Modelling (priming phase)
Constructions, chunks & words are presented & modelled aurally usingSB. Read out L2 sentences from the SB, translate into L1 using MWB (L & R – comprehensible input).
2. Awareness Raising (priming phase) Raise the students’ awareness of target patterns – phonological, grammatical & syntactic (pop up grammar).
3. Receptive Processing (priming phase)
Students do LAM (listening as modelling) & RAM (reading as modelling) tasks containing 95-98% comprehensible input / input flooding. The aim is for students to hear multiple occurrences of the target patterns in order to strengthen their receptive learning. Spend longer on this phase until satisfied that students have developed strong receptive knowledge (interactive read aloud tasks – chunking loud).
4. Structured Production
The receptive knowledge acquired through L & R is now converted into knowledge through “pushed output”. This means using highly structured tasks which challenge students to produce orally and in writing every target lexical item multiple times. Such tasks can be gamified pair work translation tasks, picture tasks and any other tasks which elicit retrieval practice (structured drills – controlled output).
5. Expansion
2 things happen in this phase: (1) The target patterns / chunks are “unpacked” to help students make sense of them. This is a typical grammar lesson except that it occurs after students have already memorized the chunks and have become aware of the underlying grammar through exposure and use; (2) The chunks are practiced wit the old and new vocabulary / structures over & over again and over time through systematic and planned recycling (interleaving – retrieving).
6. Autonomy The language is practiced productively without scaffolding, but still in familiar contexts. This phase continues throughout the cycle through extensive recycling & interleaving to support automatization and memory recall (mini tasks – automatization).
7. Routinization
The focus here is on automaticity = working on developing fast retrieval(both in receptive and productive skills). This stage requires tasks repetition and performing tasks quicker / at speed.
8. Spontaneity
Spontaneity development is about practice in familiar contexts = requiring students to perform tasks with little or no preparation in unfamiliar contexts (rich tasks – spontaneity).
KS4
We encourage students to continue the study of the language they chose in year 7 up to GCSE.
GCSE Language learning broadens students’ horizons and encourages students to step beyond familiar cultural boundaries. Students develop new ways of seeing the world, enabling them to become compassionate and resilient Global Citizens. The GCSE themes are carefully threaded throughout KS3 teaching. The French and Panjabi courses at Khalsa Academy incorporate the latest GCSE specifications and enable students to:
- Deepen their knowledge about how language works and enrich their vocabulary so they can develop independence in a wide range of contexts
- Communicate confidently and coherently with native speakers in speech and writing, conveying what they want to say with increasing accuracy
- Express and develop thoughts and ideas spontaneously and fluently
- Listen to and understand clearly articulated, standard speech at near normal speed
- Respond to a rich range of authentic spoken and written material, adapted and abridged, as appropriate, including literary texts
- Develop awareness and understanding of the culture and identity of the countries and communities where the language is spoken
- Develop language learning skills both for immediate use and to prepare them for further language study and use in school, higher education or in employment
- GCSE Languages students will be expected to develop and use their knowledge and understanding of grammar, vocabulary and phonics. Skill based consolidation homework is set to ensure students are confident in their language learning journey.
- Students enjoy a variety of different online platforms to either carry out independent learning or complete specific homework tasks.
- All students are given a revision guide and learning / revision resources to work independently
The terminal exam requirements for GCSE are set out in two tiers: foundation and higher and these apply to four exams (equally weighted 25% of the final GCSE grade); Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. We follow the AQA specification for French GCSE (2025 exams) AQA | French | GCSE | GCSE
French
We follow the Pearson Edexcel specification for French GCSE first exam June 2026. We follow the AQA specification for Panjabi GCSE AQA | Panjabi | GCSE | GCSE