Ooh la la, French
Pupils learn new
NIKI TENNANT
C’est magnifique! Pupils at Bankhead Primary School are learning the French language through the country’s love of fine food.
Every Friday P5 pupils host a French café in the school’s community wing to raise funds to buy French learning resources.
Pupils from nursery to P7 visit the café throughout the morning to enjoy croissants, pancakes, brioche buns and milkshakes.
Teacher Holly Fillingham, who leads the teaching of French in the school, encourages children of all ages to ask P5 pupils questions in French during their visits to the café – and they reply using the latest French phrases they have been learning in class. Every Friday, a class is invited to showcase examples of their France-related work, which goes on display in the French café for pupils, teachers and parent helpers from Friends of Bankhead to admire.
As well as French flag bunting, the café was decorated on Friday with the nursery pupils’ black marker etchings of the Eiffel Tower.
“Every child in the school is learning how to speak French,” explained Holly, who says that the café generates average weekly funds of £100, which are invested in French learning materials.
She added: “The French café is a good way for all of the pupils in the school to get involved in a whole-school initiative.”