Learning support
For pupils arriving at EIFA with no proficiency in either English or French, we provide a special programme called EAL “English as an Additional Language” and FLE “Français Langue Etrangère”. These courses allow children to make rapid and sustained progress irrespective of their initial knowledge base in the second language.
Pupils will be working on attaining the necessary language skills, with a specialist teacher or teaching assistant, either individually or in small groups during French or English literature classes. We aim to promote all aspects of language simultaneously: oral expression and comprehension, as well as reading and writing skills.
The pupil remains in the EAL or FLE class until the classroom teacher and the teacher of EAL or FLE agree that the he/she has attained a sufficient level of English or French to be able to participate fully in the academic programme.
This support programme is only for pupils who do not have English or French as a first language. Our dual-immersion concept and learning-support programmes are designed for the needs of international pupils, regardless of the language spoken at home.
Special Educational Needs support
EIFA offers learning support to pupils with special educational needs (SEN). Our Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) and teaching staff work with external specialist consultants, who take care of specific educational needs such as speech and language impairment, dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism and/or ADHD.
Our staff set up special support programmes specific to the pupils’ individual needs. We are a small, family school and each child receives individual attention. Our teachers work in close collaboration with medical staff to assess learning difficulties and adjust exercises, tasks and homework accordingly. For example, children with dyslexia might be given fewer spelling words to learn and/or an extra 20% time to sit tests.
Please note that, owing to the constraints of our Grade II listed buildings, we are unable to cater for severe SEN pupils.
The classrooms are large and bright, allowing the teachers to pay individual attention to each child. The warm, friendly environment nurtures the confidence of small children, thus providing a solid beginning to their education.
The children will spend most of their day in a bilingual environment. Children who are not French-native speakers, will “absorb” the necessary vocabulary from the various learning activities.
Two adults are present in the classroom at all times: a teacher and a teaching assistant. The teacher and teaching assistant use their native languages when they address the children.
The teachers progressively stimulate the study of both languages while enhancing vocabulary. The pupils are carefully prepared in reading, handwriting and mathematical skills. The teachers stimulate the children’s awareness of all their senses so that, by the age of 6, the children are ready to explore and deepen their knowledge, are capable of clear communication and reading is a pleasurable activity. The children are also familiar with numbers, time, measuring and so forth.
In Science, the teachers explore a variety of live creatures and materials with the objective of stimulating the child’s curiosity.
The various classroom activities include a sandbox, toys, corners for role-play, books, games, puzzles and construction toys. These activities stimulate the children’s imagination and develop their knowledge of shapes and understanding of space. Moreover, they develop communication skills and the ability to work in groups.
PE classes are held twice a week. The nursery school programme also includes classes in rhythm, dance, music, art, drama and gross and fine motor skills.
All of these various activities work together towards the development and improvement of their spatial skills.
The social interaction and variety of games provide a complete educational base.
Parents are regularly updated through a journal and information relative to a specific child’s progress is obtained through timely contacts with the teachers. The programme is taught in French and in English. This allows non-Francophone and non-Anglophone children to acquire new language skills naturally.
A Great Place to Grow
