The curriculum

La Chouette School follows the French National Curriculum set by the French governing body “l’Education Nationale’”.
Class levels are determined by children’s year of birth.

Classe levels in September 2012

  • Toute Petite Section : children born in 2010
  • Petite Section : children born in 2009
  • Moyenne Section : children born in 2008
  • Grande Section : children born in 2007

l’Education Nationale’s Curriculum

The French primary system is divided into 3 overall “cycles”: “cycle 1, cycle 2, cycle 3″
From September 2011 onwards, La Chouette School will be composed of the 4 class levels of the 1st “cycle”, that is, “pre-school” (“l’ecole maternelle”)

The Areas of Learning of the 1st ‘cycle’ are as follows:

  • Discovering Language – Discovering Writing
  • Becoming a Pupil
  • Physical Development
  • Knowledge and Understanding of the World
  • Creative Development

La Chouette School gets extra marks for the following!

  • The curriculum will be taught in French by a French native language speaker, and in English by a teacher whose mother tongue is English.
  • The school offers complete bilingual education, all the while ensuring that the child’s mother tongue is well acquired. If needed, weekly additional learning support will also be available to children.
  • To the area of ‘Knowledge and Understanding of the World’, La Chouette School will be adding an entire section on “Raising awareness about the importance of protecting our planet”.  The children will subsequently be involved in many exciting awareness-raising projects throughout the school year.
  • Lots of different activities will be on offer, ranging from sporting, to artistic (Music…), as well as cultural ( museums, shows…)

Early Years Foundation Stage comparison

Main areas covered in both the French and English curriculums:

  • S’approprier le langage Découvrir l’écrit -> Communication, Language and Literacy
  • Devenir élève-> Personal, Social and Emotional Development
  • Agir et s’exprimer avec son corps -> Physical Development
  • Découvrir le monde -> Knowledge and Understanding of the World + Problem Solving, Resoning and Numeracy
  • Percevoir, Sentir, Imaginer, Créer -> Creative Development

Please do not hesitate to contact us for further information or, you can also click on the link below to view the French National Curriculum as set by the ‘’Ministère de l’Education Nationale’’ website
More information on the Early Years Foundation Stage can be found on the Department For Education website.

Class levels between the French and English systems:

The French system:

  • Toute Petite Section (2-3 years old)
  • Petite Section (3-4 years old)
  • Moyenne Section (4-5 years old)
  • Grande Section (5-6 years old)

The English System:

  • Nursery (3 months-4 years old)
  • Reception (4-5 years old)
  • Year 1 (5-6 years old)