Nursery & Primary School

The Early Education program is designed to

• prepare children for a happy, healthy, responsible, and successful life
• develop children’s personalities and abilities
• develop children’s learning potential
• cultivate respect for others and the environment
• teach children to respect and appreciate their own culture, identity and values and those of others
• promote a European spirit.

Early Education is a fundamental part of lifelong education and learning and its central role is to support children’s growth into ethical and responsible members of society. Teaching and learning in the early years supports and monitors children’s physical and psychological wellbeing, including social, cognitive, and emotional development and helps to prevent any difficulties that may arise by creating the best possible learning opportunities.

Teaching and learning in the early years is holistic and different areas of development are not separated. In this document as well as in daily school life children, their experiences and actions are central.

Early Education Curriculum: https://www.eursc.eu/Syllabuses/2011-01-D-15-en-4.pdf

It is important to strengthen children’s healthy sense of self-esteem with the aid of positive learning experiences and to provide opportunities for diverse interaction with other people. Children’s world of experiences shall be enriched, and they should be assisted as they seek to find new areas of interest.

You can find details of the different syllabuses by clicking on the subject heading below:

• English L1
• French L2
• Mathematics
• Ethics
• Discovery of the world
• Art education
• Music education
• Physical education
• European hours

Education in one’s mother tongue (L1) is the fundamental principle of the European Schools’ pedagogy, but multilingual teaching is also very important. The study of a first foreign language (L2) begins the first year of primary school (P1). Pupils can choose French, English or German. It is an important choice because pupils will study human sciences and non-denominational ethics in their L2 starting the third year of secondary school (S3). A third language (L3) is mandatory starting the first year of secondary school (S1). Pupils can choose one of the languages of the European Union that is not their L1 or L2, provided that at least 7 other pupils choose the same language.

From the fourth year of secondary school (S4), pupils can make the (optional) choice to study a fourth language (L4).

To learn more about language teaching in the European Schools, see the “Language Policy of the European Schools” on https://www.eursc.eu/en/Office/official-texts/basic-texts/en.

Opening of S1 FR from the start of the school year in 2022

To provide the most effective support, the European School of Paris La Défense relies on the guidelines of the Board of Governors as set out in the following documents:

• 2012-05-D-14-en-10 « Policy on the Provision of Educational Support and Inclusive Education in the European Schools»
• 2012-05-D-15-en-12 « Provision of Educational Support in the European School – Procedural document »

When classroom differentiation is not sufficient, the school provides the following different educational support structures: General support, moderate support, intensive support.

• General Support :

Any pupil may have difficulties with a specific part of a subject or may need extra help with learning strategies.

This support should preferably be provided in small groups, either in or out of the classroom, and should be of short duration.

•  Moderate Support :

Moderate Support is an extension of General Support. It is organized for pupils who need more targeted support with moderate learning difficulties or who have considerable difficulty in following the curriculum, e.g. due to language problems, concentration difficulties etc.

• Intensive Support:

Intensive Support is provided to help students develop their skills (knowledge, know-how and attitudes related to a subject).

• • Intensive Support type A is provided for pupils with special educational needs such learning, emotional, behavioural or physical needs.

An assessment of the pupil’s specific individual needs by an expert is necessary for the signature of an agreement between the director and the parents.

• • Intensive Support type B is provided in exceptional circumstances for example, in the form of intensive language support for a pupil who is unable to access the standard curriculum. The multidisciplinary report is not necessary but an agreement is signed between the director and the parents.

The transition to primary school is an important step for every student. It is the beginning of formal education in reading, writing and mathematics. In a new environment, children also start to learn a second language (parents will choose this second language during April).

During May and June, the nursery pupils go to P1 in groups of 2 or 3 to spend a whole morning there, so they can really project themselves into their future and meet the P1 teacher.

At the beginning of June, parents receive the information brochure, and a meeting is organised to explain the specificities of the primary school. At this meeting, parents are informed about the organisation of lessons, class composition, homework, lunches, breaks, etc.