Belle Vue French Day 2025
At Primary Languages Network, we love seeing how schools bring languages to life. Belle Vue Primary School in Carlisle recently held their whole-school French Day, and it was a brilliant example of how creativity, collaboration, and PLN resources can make language learning memorable. This wonderful account of the day has been written by Janet Aitchinson, MFL Lead at Belle Vue Primary School.
A Bigger and Better Celebration
Friday 27th June Belle Vue Primary School, Carlisle had a whole school French languages day. This was our second attempt and therefore we wanted it bigger and better than ever... introducing Primary Languages Network!!!
I had accessed PLN's CPD opportunities and familiarised myself with their website, resources, provided staff with training on the use of the premium packages, Video2Teach lessons and how we have adapted this into our weekly school timetable from year 3-6.
As a school we are named Belle Vue (beautiful view) and have French welcome signs and signage throughout the school starting from reception classes right through to our eldest children in year 6. This year, I emailed PLN asking how they could be involved in our French day, and they were so welcoming and productive in setting up online meetings with myself to discuss, emails, resource swapping etc.
Whole School Assembly
We started our day with a whole school assembly in our school hall where Madame Emilie (the children were rather starstruck from their Video2Teach lessons, as was I introduced herself, France as a country and life in France.
Year 5 and 6 – Bastille Day
Year 5 and 6 then stayed in the hall and Emilie hosted a lesson all about Bastille Day, this lasted half an hour.
The children watched a short video in English and French to learn about Bastille Day, the French national day. There were links to history and cultural understanding and the children then took part in a quiz before completing the follow up activity in their classrooms: make a cocarde tricolore (rosette).
The year 5 and 6 children practised saying the French motto: Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité as part of the activities also.
Year 1 and 2 – Meet Emilie
Year 1 and 2 had an online session for half an hour 'Meet Emilie' session, as formal lessons start in year 3, they had only met Emilie during the whole school assembly.
In this session the children learned some greetings, sung a greetings song, learnt colours of the French flag: blue, white and red and played the actions game to support this (show me the action when I say the colour, say the colour when I show you the action).
The children returned to their classrooms for the follow-up activity: create your own French flag.
Year 3 and 4 – School Life in France
Year 3 and 4 had their session based on school life in France. They had discussions around similarities and differences between schools in France and the UK, where they had multiple opportunities to recall classroom objects, dates in French which they had been learning during normal school hours and then their follow-on activity was French, cursive, 'curly' handwriting practice from the photos of the French school.
Fun Across the School
Around these amazing sessions hosted by PLN, the children participated in a French speaking countries scavenger hunt where they had to locate the flag of a French speaking country and match the corresponding number and letter, to then regroup and crack the code with a French message.
Also, the option of having a colour hunt around one of the playgrounds matching the French colours and coloured names.
There were alternate French lessons planned by class teachers focusing on extra-curricular activities, for example:
Reception: D&T – decorate digestives – French flag icing – paint brush – blue, white and red icing.
Reception: D&T – construct famous landmarks – Lego – playdough – wooden blocks etc.
Music: listen and join in with a French song.
English: listen to a French story.
Games: Pin the flag on the Eiffel tower.
Other KS2 activities included researching famous French people and creating fact files, baking French sablé biscuits, listening to French composers and songs and learning new music, focusing on French artists and imitating their styles/famous pieces etc.
Secondary French Taster
The year 5 and 6 also had a visit from a local secondary school French teacher that provided a little taster session for the children on secondary French, which the children thoroughly enjoyed and rose to the challenge.
Lunchtime in Style
During lunchtime the children had gingham table clothes over their dining tables, French café music playing in the background and their menus were printed in French.
The children were also encouraged to speak as much French as possible during the day including break and lunch times. Every child in school were given different French pastries for snack to try (which went down a treat!).
Finally at the end of the day the children each class teacher awarded a French boy and French girl star of the day for their efforts.
Merci!
A huge thank you to PLN for helping us make our French day so unbelievably special and for their amazing communication, organisation and commitment to helping our school. On behalf of the staff, pupils and parents of Belle Vue, Carlisle – MERCI.
What an inspiring day! Belle Vue’s French Day shows how whole-school events can make languages meaningful, fun, and unforgettable. From assemblies to scavenger hunts, pastries to French songs, the children were immersed in language and culture at every turn.
We’re grateful to Janet Aitchinson, MFL Lead at Belle Vue, for sharing this fantastic account of the day with us. At PLN, we’re proud to have supported Belle Vue in making their French Day such a success.