French Classes
French at the British Junior Academy of Brussels is taught by French native speakers and pupils are fully immersed into the French language within the classroom. The key objective is to develop bi-lingual students who are able to read and write independently and speak with confidence and fluency.
Pupils are allocated to one of two teaching groups upon entry depending upon their language skills. There is planned differentiation according to ability levels for advanced learners and bi-lingual pupils. The teacher to pupil ratio is usually 1:8 / 10.
At Years 1 & 2 (Key Stage 1) pupils will be taught all sounds, phonics and blends to allow them to read independently and begin writing by the end of Year 2. The lessons are based on a French reading scheme used to teach children how to read in Belgian schools “La planète des alpha”.
At Years 3, 4, 5 & 6, (Key Stage 2) pupils are introduced to French grammar, conjugation, spellings and specific vocabulary, using the method “Les Clés du Français” again as used in Belgian schools. Children will learn to read and write independently in French and develop strong speaking and listening skills. Pupils have 1 hour of French lessons daily, equal to the English literacy lesson. Parents who are considering transferring their children to French speaking schools at the end of Year 6 will be required to support in-school provision in order that pupils achieve the appropriate bi-lingual level.
© 2011-2012, British Junior Academy of Brussels. Accredited member of the Council of British International Schools.
