PLN vs. Kapow French: Which French Scheme Truly Supports Primary Schools?
As primary schools across the UK aim to meet the Modern Foreign Language (MFL) requirements of the National Curriculum, many are choosing between Primary Languages Network (PLN) and Kapow Primary French. While both provide structured schemes, their approaches to support, delivery, and engagement vary significantly.
If your school values confidence for non-specialist teachers, in-class support, and long-term success, PLN may be the clear winner. Let’s compare them side-by-side.
🎓 Curriculum Structure & Progression
PLN
✅ Year-by-year curriculum mapped to National Curriculum outcomes
✅ Clear termly planning and progression for French (as well as Spanish and German)
✅ Designed for non-specialist teachers and language leads to follow with ease
Kapow French
✅ Also aligned to the National Curriculum
⚠️ Tends to group lessons by topic rather than building a structured year-by-year progression
⚠️ Some units may need adapting for local planning
🟢 Advantage: PLN — Stronger year-group clarity and long-term progression planning.
👩🏫 Teacher Support & Lesson Delivery
PLN
✅ Video2Teach2: A real language specialist appears in the classroom to lead each lesson
✅ Teachers simply follow along, gaining confidence over time
✅ Includes CPD videos, classroom demo clips, and guidance for best practice
Kapow French
✅ Uses teacher demonstration videos and slides to help with pronunciation
⚠️ Lessons rely heavily on the teacher to deliver the content themselves
⚠️ No in-lesson video guidance, which may overwhelm non-specialists
🟢 Advantage: PLN — Ideal for teachers with no French background, making language delivery stress-free.
🎵 Student Engagement & Experience
PLN
✅ Native speaker videos, catchy songs, physical games, and class activities
✅ Mix of print and digital resources, plus “press play and teach” lessons
✅ Cultural insight videos and real classroom footage
Kapow French
✅ Visually engaging videos and slides
✅ Encourages teacher modelling and pupil participation
⚠️ Less variety in delivery methods compared to PLN
🟢 Advantage: PLN — More immersive and multisensory learning experience.
🌍 Language Scope
PLN
✅ Offers French, Spanish, and German, with consistent quality across all
✅ Perfect for schools wanting future flexibility in language choice
Kapow
✅ Offers French only at primary level
🟢 Advantage: PLN — Greater flexibility for multi-language schools.
🛠 Ease of Use & Planning
PLN
✅ Weekly lessons clearly laid out by term, topic, and skill focus
✅ Simple virtual platform (VLE) access for teachers at all levels
✅ Designed to reduce planning time and support cover teachers
Kapow French
✅ Modern interface with resource filtering by topic and year group
⚠️ Teachers may need time to fully understand and customise the sequence
🟢 Advantage: PLN — Easier for busy teachers to pick up and deliver confidently.
💸 Value for Money
PLN
✅ All-inclusive pricing: access to all languages, CPD, and classroom videos
✅ Cost-effective even for smaller schools or those with PPA delivery needs
Kapow French
✅ High-quality visuals and planning tools
⚠️ Pricing can be higher, especially when combining multiple subject areas
🟢 Advantage: PLN — Offers more support for the same or less investment.
🏁 Final Verdict
While Kapow French offers polished materials and helpful planning tools, Primary Languages Network delivers something more powerful: real classroom support, real teacher development, and real results.
For schools who want to ensure French lessons are enjoyable, accurate, and confidently delivered—PLN brings the language expert into your classroom.
Curious how it works?
Book a free demo with Primary Languages Network and discover how it can transform your school's language provision.