We offer a broad, vibrant and ambitious foreign languages curriculum that will inspire and excite our pupils using a wide variety of topics and themes. Children will progressively acquire and use a growing bank of vocabulary, language skills and grammatical knowledge. Our intention is that children develop a genuine interest and positive curiosity about foreign languages, working towards becoming life-long language learners.
Language learning helps children to understand the diversity of our world, it contributes to the reinforcement of knowledge, skills and understanding developed in other subjects. Over 15 languages are spoken at Chepstow House by children and staff.
French is taught once a week from reception to year 6. Children are encouraged to use language-learning sites such as Linguascope and Language Angels at home to discover other languages, including Italian, German, Spanish, Arabic, and Chinese.
In addition to the language lessons, pupils have opportunities to expand their knowledge of French culture. Older pupils go to the French Institute to see a French film as part of the annual South Ken Kids Festival. We have established links with a local French school, ‘La Petite Ecole Française’ where children have a chance to see a French learning environment and exchange with French speaking children. The year 6 residential trip to Normandy, France, provides children with experience of life in France.
Building on the wealth of so many different languages spoken at Chepstow House, the French teacher and the EAL Teaching Assistant select Language Ambassadors. Proudly wearing their Language Ambassador badges, these children encourage others to feel proud of using and sharing their ‘home’ language and contribute to promote language learning through various initiatives.
Madame robinne, a native french speaker, started teaching french in primary schools in 2005, after working in paris and london as a specialist insurance broker. She joined chepstow house school when it opened in january 2010 and developed the dynamic and ambitious french curriculum from reception to year 6, as the school expanded.
