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Background
Grayshott Primary is one of six feeder schools
for Bohunt which are involved in the DfES funded Language Pathfinder
project. The other schools being Liphook Junior, Greatham Primary,
Liss Junior, Liss Infant and Liphook Infant.
The aim
of the project is to identify ways in which modern foreign language
teaching can successfully take place in primary schools.
Bohunt is a language college and two years ago began to support
the language development of the year 6 pupils in four of its feeder
schools. This was achieved by providing foreign language classes,
taught by Bohunt staff, in the feeeder schools. This approach proved
most successful in providing a range of language lessons, (French,
German and Spanish) which were enthusiastically received by the
children, but it did not address the fundamental problem of fitting
modern foreign language teaching into a full primary curriculum.
Pilot
Immersion Programme
In the summer of 2003 a pilot immersion programme was trialed in
the six feeder infant and junior schools. Language assistant staff
from Bohunt worked alongside teachers in the feeder schools providing
a range of language activities in support of the lessons. A language
development group was set up to co-ordinate the activities that
would take place. The assistants were introduced to each school
and observed the schools in action before they began their support
activities. In one school a questionnaire was sent to the children
involved in the pilot, before the programme started, and at the
end, to determine how the pilot had influenced pupils attitudes
towards learning a foreign language. The languages supported were
French and German. The work was done in years 2,3 and 4. Again the
children were most enthusiastic but this time the teaching staff
were also involved and they too were inspired by the work of the
language assistants.
Pathfinder
Project
An application was made by the pyramid schools to be considered
for inclusion in Hampshire's Language Pathfinder status bid. The
pyramid was included and Hampshire's bid was successful.
In late July 2003 two language assistants were recruited to provide
French language support across the pyramid feeder schools.
From September classes in the feeder schools will take place following
their existing national curriculum plans, modified to allow for
the inclusion of instructions and pupils' responses, in French where
possible.
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