• Slideshow - The core values of Downend School are simple; they are focused on a sense of belonging, a belief that all students have it within themselves to be effective learners and that we can extend this learning beyond the reach of school and into the future
  • Slideshow - The core values of Downend School are simple; they are focused on a sense of belonging, a belief that all students have it within themselves to be effective learners and that we can extend this learning beyond the reach of school and into the future
  • Slideshow - The core values of Downend School are simple; they are focused on a sense of belonging, a belief that all students have it within themselves to be effective learners and that we can extend this learning beyond the reach of school and into the future
  • Slideshow - The core values of Downend School are simple; they are focused on a sense of belonging, a belief that all students have it within themselves to be effective learners and that we can extend this learning beyond the reach of school and into the future
  • Slideshow - The core values of Downend School are simple; they are focused on a sense of belonging, a belief that all students have it within themselves to be effective learners and that we can extend this learning beyond the reach of school and into the future
  • Slideshow - The core values of Downend School are simple; they are focused on a sense of belonging, a belief that all students have it within themselves to be effective learners and that we can extend this learning beyond the reach of school and into the future
  • Slideshow - The core values of Downend School are simple; they are focused on a sense of belonging, a belief that all students have it within themselves to be effective learners and that we can extend this learning beyond the reach of school and into the future
  • Slideshow - The core values of Downend School are simple; they are focused on a sense of belonging, a belief that all students have it within themselves to be effective learners and that we can extend this learning beyond the reach of school and into the future
  • Slideshow - The core values of Downend School are simple; they are focused on a sense of belonging, a belief that all students have it within themselves to be effective learners and that we can extend this learning beyond the reach of school and into the future
  • Slideshow - The core values of Downend School are simple; they are focused on a sense of belonging, a belief that all students have it within themselves to be effective learners and that we can extend this learning beyond the reach of school and into the future
  • Slideshow - The core values of Downend School are simple; they are focused on a sense of belonging, a belief that all students have it within themselves to be effective learners and that we can extend this learning beyond the reach of school and into the future

French

Key Stage 3

Back To Top

Year 7

1 Introducing yourself. Numbers, where you live. School items. Ages. Birthday. Asking questions. Colours. Genders of nouns; adjectival agreements.
2 Talking about your family and pets. Describing yourself and others. Verb avoir, possessive adjectives. –er verbs.
3 Talking about where people live. Describing your home and bedroom. Talking about what you do in the evening. Telling the time. The French language across the world. Using simple perpositions; using the pronoun on.
4 Asking about places in a town. Asking for directions. Where you are and where you are going. Expressing opinions. Ordering drinks and snacks. Learning about Paris. Understandin gthe difference between tu and vous; using the preposition à.
5 Daily routine unsing reflexive verbs. Talking about your school subjects. Giving opinions and reasons using connectives. Talking about your school timetable. Talking about what you do after school. Understanding a longer text. Using the verb faire.
6 Free time. Talking about sports and games. Talking about musical instruments. Saying what you like to do. Using on peut + infinitive. Going on holiday. Using aller + infinitive.

Year 8

1 Talking about families. Using –er verbs. Talking about jobs people do. Using masculine and feminine nouns. Talking about where people live. Using depuis. Weather. Using the connectives quand and si. Describing a typical day.
2 Talking about last weekend. The perfect tense. Talking about yesterday evening. Talking about TV programmes you have watched. Giving opinions in the past. Talking about where you went and events in the past. Extending and linking sentences.
3 Making and reacting to invitations. Using the verb vouloir. Making excuses Using te verbs pouvoir and devoir. Talking about clothes. Adjectival agreement. Shops and shopping Using comparative adjectives. Understanding a longer text incliding mixed tenses.
4 Talking about food. Talking about French meals. The partitive article. Preparing for a party. Using il faut + the infinitive. Shopping for food. Eating at a restaurant. Taking part in short dialogues.
5 Talking about countries and languages. Using the prepositions à and en. Talking about Holidays. Asking questions using question words. Talking about a past holiday.
6 ICT linked cross-curricular cultural projects on France and French speaking countries. Talking about your friends. Talking about pocket money. Using present, past and future. Hopes and wishes.

Year 9

1 Discussing what is on television. Using direct object pronouns. Talking about films. The perfect tense. Describing your routine. Reflexive verbs. Talking about what you read. Describing what you saw or read. Using present, past and future tenses.
2 Planning what you will do. The future tense with on. Talking aobut the future and future careers. Using quand with the future. Connectives in complex sentences. Why languages are important in general. Why it is important to gain a qualification in languages.
3 Talking about illness. Expressions with avoir. Describing injuries. Healthy living. Using negatives. Understanding and giving advice on health. Using imperatives.
4 Talking about what you used to do. Te imperfect tense with je. Talking about sports you used to do. Using qui and que. A whodunnit!
5 Learning about a region of France. Using adjectives. Travel arrangements. Using different tenses in sentences. Arranging hotel accommodation. Using the conditional. A visit to an attraction. A visit to a sporting event.
6 Schools in different countries. Using possessive adjectives. Young people and work. Using indirect object pronouns. Discussing world issues. Understanding modal verbs in the conditional. Religion in France. Giving opinions on a topical issue. Human rights activists.

Key Stage 4

Back To Top

Students at Key Stage 4 follow the modular GCSE examination, enabling them to sit half of their GCSE examinations prior to their final examinations in Year 11. GCSE French is useful for holidays and travelling abroad, and many job advertisements give preferences to candidates holding a language qualification. For an increasing number of Universities, a qualification in languages is an entry requirement for most courses. Students of Modern Foreign Languages are better at English. In 2007, 64% of students gained at least a grade C in French.

Module 1

Self, family and friends. Interests and hobbies. The weather. Home and local environment. Daily routing. School and future plans.

Students produce a short prepared speech on the above topics. They record their speech in a separate room.

Module 2

Travel, transport and finding the way. Tourism. Accommodation, campsites and hotels. Ordering food. Making a complaint. Changing money. At the chemist’s and doctor’s. Making appointments. Lost property. Accidents.

Students sit a listening and reading examination.

Module 3

Students produce 2 pieces of written coursework on topics such as home life, a festival or special occasion, keeping fit, healthy lifestyle, work experience, parttime jobs, television, a day out, shopping and pocket money.

Module 4

Character and personal relationships. Environment. Education issues. Careers and future plans. Choices and responsabilities.

Students sit examinations in listening, reading, speaking and writing, which count for 50% of their final grade.

 

Y10 Written Coursework 2009

Click here to download

Extra-Curricular Activities

Back To Top

French Exchange

Year 8, 9 and 10 students at Downend School welcomed a group of 36 French students from 24th of March to the 4th of April as part of a French Exchange. The French Exchange between Downend School and their partner school in the Champagne region of France began last year and involved a first visit to France by pioneering Downend students whose numbers have more than doubled this year. It was a successful cultural experience that forged bonds between English and French students of similar ages, vastly improving motivation and raising linguistic achievement. During their stay the French students visited many local places of interest such as Wookey Hole, Bath , Cheddar, Bristol Blue Glass and Berkeley Castle and were enthused by what the area has to offer. Further excursions and social events were organised by their English hosts. The success of the experience was visible not only through students' comments, requests for pen-friends and tears at the end of the visit, but by the fact that on arrival, students greeted one another with hand shakes and on departure, had adopted the French greeting of kissing on both cheeks. A group of year 10 and 9 students, amongst which some parents, will be returning the French visit this August as a preview to Downend's School's visit to France next June, which will include excursions to Champagne cellars, Paris and Eurodisney. Year 9 student Thoko Chibowa described the exchange as being 'one of the best school activities ever'. Families of the students involved also had a positive experience; one family of a year 8 student stated that 'the whole family have had a great time speaking French and English and found the experience really rewarding'.

We look forward to our return visit in June 2009, where we plan to visit Provins, Paris and Eurodisney alongside social activities with our French counterparts. Students in Years 8 and 9 who wish to take part in the exchange can do so by contacting Ms C. Love to be matched up with a French pen-friend.

  • French Exchange 2009
    French Exchange 2009
  • French Exchange 2008
    French Exchange 2008
  • French Exchange 2007
    French Exchange 2007
logos