What will students be learning in French in Year 10 and 11?
Following the recent changes to the GCSE specifications, we are following the Pearson EdExcel specification (1FR1). The themes covered during the course are:
- My personal world
- Lifestyle and wellbeing
- My neighbourhood
- Media and technology
- Studying and my future
- Travel and tourism
We consolidate and build on all the language and the skills students developed at KS3 but the emphasis at GCSE is more strongly on spontaneous use of the language, as well as key phonics.
The scheme of assessment is similar to the previous specification, with equally weighted (25%) papers for the four skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing), but there are some new tasks which appear in the listening (dictation) and speaking (read aloud) exams. Listening, Reading and Writing exams take place at the end of Year 11 and the Speaking exam takes place before the start of public exams in April/May.
The listening and reading comprehensions require verbal and non-verbal answers in English and the reading paper also includes a translation into English.
The speaking exam will be 10-12 minutes plus preparation time and includes a read aloud task, role play, picture card and conversation. The writing paper contains two writing tasks and a translation into French. To ensure students are well prepared for the exams, they will need to be confident in unrehearsed use of the language, both orally and in writing, so as well as writing on a variety of topics, they will also be refining their translation and comprehension skills in lessons and for homework. A solid foundation in grammar and vocabulary will also be required.
Students learn more about French and French-speaking culture, using a range of resources including video clips, film, music, and computer resources to help bring the language to life. We have subscribed to the ActiveHub digital learning package which supports the exam, where students have access to an online textbook and other interactive activities.
Expectations of students in French
There are two lessons a week and homework is set once a week. Homework will almost always include grammar and/or vocabulary learning as this will be key to success and will also usually involve translation, comprehension, grammar practice, writing, or preparing oral work. This may be in writing or online using the Pearson online textbook and practice resources to support their learning. It is essential for students to recognise the value of regular learning homework in steadily building up their vocabulary and grammatical knowledge, particularly in this new exam. To benefit fully from the course, students are expected to take an active part in lessons, especially in speaking French at every opportunity. Written work is marked using marking codes, which enable students to work out themselves how to improve their work, thus helping them to learn more effectively. They should re-draft marked work and will usually be able to do so in lesson time.
What are the major assessments this year?
There will be formative assessments covering a range of skills at the end of most units and an end of year exam in the Summer term of Year 10, which includes a speaking exam. Year 11 students take mock examinations at two points in the year in all four skills, including a speaking exam. Ongoing vocabulary and grammar tests assess the extent to which students have assimilated new language. It is essential that students take these regular tests seriously and review both grammar and vocabulary on an ongoing basis.
What will the current performance grade be based on and what does it mean?
As we are following a new specification, no grade boundaries are available until the first exams in 2026, so we are unable to provide reliable “working at” or “predicted” grades. The reported mark for each student is an overall percentage from assessments, which is likely not to correspond to an equivalent GCSE grade. We work closely with United Learning to generate National Distribution Grades (NDGs) as an indicator of student performance across the trust.
Students will have the opportunity to review their progress at termly intervals in consultation with their teacher and to set personal targets. The grade given at the end of Year 10 will be influenced by the end of year exam but will also take into account work over the year. It is an indication of the grade the student might expect to get at the end of the course. Year 11 reports will be based on mock examinations.
What should my child do if they feel they are struggling in the subject?
It is important for students to let their teacher know of any concerns promptly, so that support and advice can be offered, before they start to fall behind. Finding something challenging at first is not necessarily a bad thing and much can be learnt by resolving such difficulties, once they have been acknowledged. Problems often relate to grammatical concepts which a student has not fully understood and this can usually be addressed by a combination of staff intervention and student practice online, where there is a wide range of support available.
How can I support my child in Year 10/11?
It is by no means essential to know French in order to support your child effectively. Simply by taking an interest, asking them to show you their work and explain it and motivating them, you can make an enormous difference to how they feel about the subject. You can also encourage them to do regular, short grammar and vocabulary revision to support their learning and test them if they want you to! Please encourage your child to use their own language in her written and oral work rather than relying on Google Translate or AI. Electronic translation tools often give strange translations and lead to errors which effective use of a good dictionary such as wordreference.com can avoid.
What kind of independent work should my child be completing?
It is a good idea for students to review their lesson notes and relevant resources as soon as possible after the lesson, to help it sink in. There are a range of additional exercises on Kerboodle which support the course, as well as excellent grammar resources on Languages Online, Seneca, Duolingo and zut.org.uk. There are also other opportunities such as the Paris residential trip in Year 11, which will provide the chance to practise spoken French in an authentic setting.
Who can I contact for further advice and information?
Please feel free to contact your child’s class teacher in the first instance, but Miss Hau as Head of MFL is also available at shau@newsteadwood.co.uk.