L'Ecole de Battersea

In September 2005, L'Ecole des Petits opened a second school in Battersea, this school was created to extend the age range at L'Ecole to cover from three to eleven years so as to provide a full pre-primary and primary education from maternelle to CM2.

The building is Victorian, being the former home of the Sacred Heart Primary School, run by the Salesians of Don Bosco since 1880. The building underwent a complete refurbishment and a purpose-built extension in order to provide a school with facilities in keeping with todays educational requirements. Since the opening date eight more classrooms have been added, and today the school houses 13 classrooms and 8 ancillary teaching rooms (including ICT suite, library and Art room), plus gymnasium and canteen facilities. At present 255 pupils attend L'Ecole de Battersea, from the Petite Section in Maternelle to CM2. (Ages 3-11)

The school continues with the bilingual emphasis given at L'Ecole des Petits and encourages pupils to be fluent in both French and English by the time they leave ( in spoken and written language). L'Ecole welcomes children from different countries, and its teaching reflects this international flavour (the school houses more than 30 nationalities). Family involvement is paramount, as we consider the parent-school relationship to be of huge importance for the child to become fulfilled in our setting.

L'Ecole de Battersea offers a great variety of cultural, artistic and sporting activities as personal development is considered to be as important at academic excellence. The school is "homologuée" and follows the French National Curriculum combined with certain elements of the English Curriculum. Children are involved in French and English subjects and languages every day of the week.

Pupils can join the school at age three or at age six when they leave L'Ecole des Petits Fulham or when they arrive from another school. The school also tries to accommodate, where possible, new pupils arriving during the year and at various stages of their primary education.

In Grande Section (12ème) a compulsory medical check takes place at school during the academic year. A parent will be asked to be present during this consultation.

L'Ecole de Battersea is inspected by the Inspector for French National Education in Western Northern Europe and Scandinavia (I.E) as well as by the Office for Standards Education, Children's Services and Skills (OFSTED).

L’Ecole des Petits & L’Ecole de Battersea is an independent school that offers a French bilingual education to pupils from 3 to 6 at Fulham and 3 to 11 at Battersea. We are an “Ecole Homologuée”: our school is officially recognised by the French. Department of Education (Ministère de l’Education Nationale) and has a partnership with A.E.F.E. (Agence pour l’Enseignement du Français à l’Etranger); as such is part of the French Réseau in London. We are subject to regular inspections and training from the Inspector for French
National Education, whilst retaining our independence. As a “Ecole Homologuée”, we are obliged to strictly follow the French Education system, as laid down in the programmes of L’Education Nationale Francaise.

We are unable to comply with the English Early Years Foundation Stage requirements, and in 2012 we received an Exemption from having to meet these in the areas of teaching and learning from the Department for Education. Whilst we have the same ultimate objectives, the English and French methodology of teaching and
timescales for achieving certain levels of achievement are quite different. This has been recognised and accepted by both systems, but is in no way detrimental to children’s progress.

Alongside this the school incorporates various aspects of the English system and English culture into the learning process of all the children. The school has a strong international flavour, with lessons being given in both English and French on a daily basis, and through this the children learn an awareness of both cultures. Our teachers are native speakers, so not only do they bring their linguistic knowledge to the classroom, but also their cultural awareness. This enables the school to provide the diverse and rounded education to its children that it sets out to achieve, and sets them off on the route to becoming bi-lingual and culturally aware and open minded.

At the end of CM2, our pupils have developed verbal and written bilingual skills that enable them to choose to enroll in French or English schools. As an Ecole Homologuée our children are guaranteed a place in a school within the French Réseau when entering primary school once Grande Section (for L’Ecole des Petits) or CM2 (for L’Ecole de Battersea) is completed, with most of our children taking this route.

Pupils who wish to go into the English school system will be assigned a tutor in CM2 (age 11) to assist in achieving English school requirements. An information meeting is held every year to parents from CP to CM1 to explain French and British curriculum specificities and expectations. The decision regarding this course of action is discussed in CM1. During the first years at the school, a pupil will only receive oral instructions in English with no focus on English writing or reading. Pupils are gradually introduced to reading in English once French reading has been established.

As from CE1 (Year 3), pupils start to follow an adjusted and accelerated English curriculum where they start to read and write in English. Pure language lessons are for 3 hours per week but pupils also get exposure to English through the teaching of Humanities that is taught in English (alternating with French teacher) on a termly basis. The objective is for pupils to attain a parallel level in English as in French. In addition to this, pupils who wish to renounce their right to go to a French school, subscribe to the English Preparatory Course (EPC) which is special provision for Year 5-Year 6 pupils to become familiar with the requirements to pass an 11+ examination.

The programme is broadly based on the Maths curriculum and in English, pupils work on improving their reading comprehension, creative writing skills and broadening their English vocabulary. Again, this is an adjusted and accelerated programme that provides pupils with an overview of given requirements. Normally parents are
encouraged to employ a tutor. It is important to note that Maths teaching always takes place in French unless a child does the EPC course in year 5 where Maths teaching also takes place in English.