OTHER LANGUAGES
The school is bilingual and has a clear international vocation, which means that English is just as much a working language as Spanish. French and German are also on our curriculum from the fourth year of Primary.
- 100% linguistic immersion in English for Years 1, 2 & 3 of Early Years
- 60% of the school day in English from Year 4 of Early Years to Year 2 of Sixth Form
- Preparation for external exams (Cambridge) in Primary, Secondary and Baccalaureate during the school day
- Our children study a second language, French or German, from Year 5 of Primary. They take external exams in these subjects (DELF or Goethe)
- Exchanges with a German school in Heidelberg (Germany)
- Cultural immersion trips to the Cambridge International School (England)
LANGUAGES IN EARLY YEARS EDUCATION
In Early Years, the bilingual programme is based on a model that we refer to in the school as the “mirror”: there is a Spanish classroom and an English classroom connected by a door, and our children move from one classroom to the other, alternating the days of Spanish and English over the course of the week. We believe that natural learning and internalisation of language work best when children associate it with a space and teacher. Work in knowledge areas during Early Years enables all areas to be studied in both languages.
LANGUAGES IN PRIMARY EDUCATION
The curriculum in English makes up 60% of the school day. From the age of 10, our children start learning a second foreign language, either German or French.
Some subjects are taught in English from Primary: science, social science, IT (coding and robotics), communication skills and English. One thing that sets our schools apart is that our children receive two more hours of English than the official curriculum provides for. This allows us to prepare for the official Cambridge exams during the school day. Drama and public speaking are also taught in English, forming part of the school’s individual curriculum. We use these subjects to work on oral, creative and critical-thinking skills.
The teachers of subjects taught in English are native speakers and bilingual, with the appropriate teaching qualifications. We also have five native conversation assistants who, together with the English teacher, work on improving the children’s accents, pronunciation and oral skills on a one-to-one basis.
Our school is recognised for offering a truly personalised education. This is also possible thanks to the fact that our class sizes do not exceed 22 children.
LANGUAGES IN SECONDARY EDUCATION AND BACCALAUREATE
Teaching in English at the Secondary stage accounts for 60% of the school day. Biology, social science, technology, arts, public speaking and English are taught entirely in English. Our children also continue with their second foreign language (German or French), which is complemented with exchanges abroad and summer camps for practising both languages.
Subjects in the Baccalaureate stage are taught in Spanish, apart from English, for which two extra hours per week are added to the timetable to prepare for the Cambridge exams. In Secondary and Baccalaureate, there is a focus on strengthening language skills.
In addition to English being taught as a subject, English is used to teach subjects such as biology, technology, geography, history and visual arts.
All these subjects are taught by qualified teaching staff, who have the required qualifications in each of the subjects and an appropriate level of English that goes beyond the requirements.
Language skills are rounded off with one hour of public speaking per week to ensure the development of oral skills and to practise presentations in English.
Preparation for the Cambridge exams is stepped up at the Baccalaureate stage when students are divided into groups according to their level in order to obtain the First Certificate, Advanced or Proficiency.
Two hours a week are devoted to a third language (French or German) in Secondary and Baccalaureate, which is selected by the students while they are still in Primary. Preparation for the external exams in French (DELF) and German (Goethe) is one of the main focuses in teaching these languages; the number of students sitting them is increasing each year and the pass rate is 100%.
NATIVE LANGUAGE ASSISTANTS
We also have Language Assistants, native staff specialised in improving our children’s English pronunciation and communication skills. We promote multilingual learning among our children; an open and global mentality that enables them to navigate international and multicultural environments successfully.
CAMBRIDGE, DELF AND GOETHË
We are an Official Examination Centre for the Cambridge (English), Goethe (German) and Delf (French) exams.
Preparation for these exams is included in the curriculum.
Cambridge Exams:
We offer all levels in the Primary and Secondary stages, and actively seek to ensure that your children achieve the highest level possible. We place great value on external evaluation, and as this is important in the worlds of education and business, we want to keep you well informed. The levels and exams that we prepare for in the classroom and the advantages they offer are listed below.
Delf : Diplôme d’études en langue française (Diploma of French language studies)
Every year, the school prepares students for the official DELF French exams. We have a 100% pass rate in the levels the students have sat the exams: A1, A2, B1 and B2.
Goethe: Goethe-Zertifikat Deutsch als Fremdsprache (Goethe-Institut Certificate in German as a foreign language)
Every year, the school prepares students of German for the official Goethe-Zertifikat German exams. We have a 100% rate in the levels the students have sat the exams in previous years: A1, A2 and B1.