Welcome to the Petite Ecole d'Edimbourg!
Our Lessons
Teachers organize their lessons around one or more themes, using activities such as:
- language
- culture
- music
- physical activity
- craft
Our Classes
Current classes are organised into nine levels. Each level has its own curriculum split over three terms.
Aim
From age 3*, to build confidence and encourage children to speak comfortably in French
Method
Spoken French is improved through games, nursery rhymes, role play and songs. Written language is developed through drawing and craft. Themes include the weather, the human body, animals, work and transport.
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*children must be toilet-trained
Aim
To recognise French words, read a simple text and write short sentences. To build overall confidence in speaking, reading and writing in French.
Method
Oral activities are fostered through games, poems and drama; reading and writing through texts and written exercises.
Themes drawn from geography, history and science develop children’s spoken and written French as well as helping them discover French culture and traditions.
Niveaux 3, 4 et 5
Main idea
Year of transition and revision of the concepts acquired in order to start the preparation for DELF junior / Highers / Advanced Highers.
Our approach
Always in a playful spirit, the activities are declined under different themes which will allow the child to consolidate his mastery of oral and written expression and understanding while deepening his knowledge of French culture and the French-speaking world through:
- the discovery of the humanities
- the discovery of literature and the arts
- writing and artistic expression workshops
- educational outings (theater play in French, museum, etc.)
WHAT IS THE DELF JUNIOR?
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In short, the DELF Junior qualification (https://www.ciep.fr/en/delf-junior) is based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, used across the world to determine the level of proficiency of students in a European language. It is required by French universities for the admission of foreign students or Francophone students who have been schooled abroad. It will also allow your children to take a degree with a component in French in any European Universities, including British Universities, and to participate in Erasmus programmes. It is recognised by employers and administrative authorities in the event, for example, of visa applications and many more bureaucratic procedures.
For more information, visit the official website:https://www.fle.fr/Les-tests-et-certifications-de-FLE
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STUDYING FOR THE DELF JUNIOR WITH US
In 2017, La Petite Ecole d’Edimbourg embarked upon a new adventure and ran for the first time the DELF Junior A2 class for children aged 12 and beyond enrolled in P7 and S1. In 2018, we decided to open the DELF Junior B1 class for our 13/14-year-old pupils, followed by the DELF Junior B2 class in 2019.
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WHY PREPARING THE DELF JUNIOR AT LA PETITE ECOLE D’EDIMBOURG
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It is adapted to our children’s bilingual profile, the DELF Junior
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It is officially recognised by the French Ministry of Education and across the world.
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It focuses on specific areas of language learning :
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Oral and written skills
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Oral and written comprehension
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Consolidation of knowledge about French and Francophone culture
COMMITMENT FROM OURSELVES, PUPILS AND PARENTS
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The demands of the B1 and B2 coursesare set at a much higher level than the A2 course. Preparing the B1 and B2 courses will therefore require motivation and commitment from both pupils and parents to ensure our children consolidate their skills and optimise their comfort zone through regular immersion in the French language.
However, the aim is not to pressurise our children, but to ensure a smooth transition between each level of study. If more time was needed, we would be happy to accommodate this with a further year of study with us. We would review each child’s profile in January in consultation with you. The examination is not compulsory. However, experience has shown that generally the pupils feel motivated to take the test!
Our objective is to make sure that our bilingual children draw pleasure from their studies in a Francophone environment that is adapted to their linguistic needs and areas of cultural and intellectual interest and is also socially rewarding for them.
La Petite École encourages dialogue in French between the child and his parents at home, in order to reinforce what has been learned in the classroom.
The child organizes his work in a notebook of life with his exercises and other activities done in class. We invite parents to consult the notebook after each session or the teacher will write down the homework (optional) for the following week.