Maternelle et primaire mercredi
Entrance criteria for the English primary section
By Jenny Bennitt, Head of Primary
Applicants for SIS primary section should be fluent English speakers. Most of our current pupils either have one or both parents who are Anglophone or have spent some time at school in an Anglophone country.
For entry to Grande Section (P1) we will be looking at oral fluency and aural comprehension, the ability to distinguish sounds and general motor skills. Children will be asked to describe a picture and join in sound related activities. The test lasts 30mins.
Entry to CP (P2) is similar but pupils are expected to be familiar with the English sound system, to read and understand a very short simple text and to be able to attempt to write a short simple sentence. There is one P2 class for children who are fluent speakers but who have not yet started to read and or write. The test lasts 30mins.
Entry to CE1, CE2, CM1 and CM2 is by means of a test which includes reading comprehension and writing a story. There is also an important oral component which looks at the child’s fluency of expression, vocabulary and understanding. The tests time ranges from 1 hour for CE1 / P3 through to 2 hours for CM2 / P6.
The best way to prepare your child for the test is to spend the maximum amount of time talking to him in English. The ability to express ideas clearly in English is one of our main criteria in accepting a child.
For P1 and P2, play lots of language games such as ‘I spy’ as well as reading aloud regularly and sharing stories and books. Children need to be fluent in the language and ready to start working on sounds and reading.
For the older classes, practice in writing short texts in English will help but do spend time talking through ideas before putting pen to paper. Talking in English in general is the best way to help your child. It goes without saying that children should be encouraged to read widely in English.
The SIS primary is a Wednesday morning programme. Pupils attend their local French school and come to SIS for three hours on a Wednesday morning for English class.
Dernière modification le 08-06-10 par
