French
The learning of a foreign language provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience. Children develop communication and literacy skills, which lay the foundation for future language learning. They develop linguistic competence, extend their knowledge of how language works, and explore differences and similarities between the foreign language and their own. Learning another language raises awareness of the multi-lingual and multi-cultural world, and introduces an international dimension to children’s learning, giving them an insight into their own culture and those of others.
Children at The Croft not only learn French as part of their curriculum from Reception, but are also given the opportunity, through clubs, to learn Spanish and Mandarin as well as an introduction to Latin in Year 6. Pre-Prep children are introduced to French through nursery rhymes, songs, finger rhymes, and games, as emphasis is placed on developing listening and speaking skills. As they progress to Prep school, they follow a multimedia course called Petit Pont 1 and 2. They are given opportunities to use their knowledge, with growing confidence and competence, to understand what they hear and read, and to express themselves in speech and in writing.