The Primary French Project (PFP) provides free teaching materials and training for all who teach French at KS2.
As part of Newcastle City of Languages, we have worked with our partners at the French Embassy’s Education Office (Institut Français) to make resources and training available to teachers of French at Primary Schools in the City.
About the Primary French Project
The Primary French Project provides free teaching materials that aim to train all who teach French at KS2.
Suitable for all practitioners, including those who have no prior knowledge of the language, and also specialist linguists who are new to teaching children in KS2, the materials aim to train the teacher by providing the subject knowledge and classroom methodology that are needed in order to meet the requirements of the Programme of Study for Languages in KS2, as well as transition into KS3.
This project is a partnership of the Institut Français du Royaume-Uni, the Association for Language Learning and Network for Languages and was devised to support primary schools wishing to teach French as part of the statutory curriculum from 2014.
The teaching materials include lesson plans and PowerPoint Presentations for the interactive whiteboard. The PowerPoint presentations include all images and voice recordings necessary to model language and grammatical concepts to children.
The materials are aligned to KS2 year groups as follows:
- Niveau bleu – year 3
- Niveau blanc – year 4
- Niveau rouge – year 5
- Niveau tricolore – year 6
- For transition from KS2 to KS3, secondary teachers should use Niveau multicolore – Year 7, Secondary.
For more detailed information, please download this explanatory PowerPoint presentation in two parts:
French Language Attaché: Benoît Le Dévédec, Institut Français du Royaume-Uni
PFP resources and CPD webinars
Primary French Project (PFP) materials are free to Primary Schools and for transition level (Year 7 at Secondary).
To access these webinars and all of the PFP resources, teachers are invited to create a free account on IFprofs UK here, then join the PFP group located here.
A series of webinars have been delivered by Project Consultant Catherine Cheater, which explain the methodologies and resources at the different levels. Click on the links below to view the webinars.
- Newcastle and NE schools webinar on the Primary French Project (all levels) Nov 2020
- Niveau Bleu (Year 3) webinar
- Niveau Blanc (Year 4) webinar
- Niveau Multicolore (Year 7/Secondary) webinar
Two more free webinars are planned with Catherine Cheater for the remaining levels – click here to register for your free place:
- Niveau Rouge (Year 5) webinar 5-6.30pm 24th March 2021
- Niveau Tricolore (Year 6) 5.00-6.30pm 14th April 2021
Newcastle teachers – PFP Master Training Sessions
In addition, International Newcastle and Newcastle MFL Network for Schools are arranging a number of master training sessions on the PFP with the Institut Français, to provide on-site training aimed at local teachers, who would then be tasked with cascading training to their schools. Sarah Edgar (Co-ordinator or Newcastle’s MFL Network) will share the details through the Network and teachers interested should register their interest with her at: sarah.edgar@newcastle.gov.uk
Newcastle MFL Network for Schools and other support
The Newcastle Modern Foreign Language Network for Schools launched in January 2021 and shares information, provides support to teachers and levers in resources for language learning and teaching. It is part of the Newcastle City of Languages initiative, which links to different partners offering support for schools, as well as a growing range of online resources available for schools, wider language learning and English as an Additional Language. The resources pages are updated regularly.
Information for schools is updated on Newcastle City Council’s Services to Schools webpages for Modern Foreign Languages/International.
You can follow International Newcastle on twitter to find out all the latest opportunities linked to languages and internationalism resources for schools and key updates, events and activities are also on our website here.
School partnerships with Nancy
International Newcastle is working closely with DAREIC, the international education office in Nancy (Newcastle’s twin town in France). We are encouraging any schools with an interest in linking to a French school to apply for a partner through this very simple, supported process. All the details are online here. Partnerships can be very fulfilling for the school, teachers and pupils. They can help with languages and enrich many other curriculum areas.
Turing programme
Newcastle City Council and International Newcastle have offered support to schools to prepare applications (or a city-wide consortium application) to the new Turing programme, supporting outward international mobility for pupils from primary and secondary schools in the City. Expressions of Interest have been called for by 26th March and application deadline is noon on 7th May 2021.
Click here for the Letter to Newcastle Schools about the Turing Programme (11 March 2021)