WELCOME TO OUR KINDERGARTEN

ECOLE MATERNELLE

BOURBON L’ARCHAMBAULT, FRANCE

DG Éducation et cultureProgramme pour l’éducation etla formation tout au long de la vie

Comenius

2011-1-TR1-COM06-242591

LITTLE EUROPEANS KNOW EACH OTHER

Ministère de l’Éducation nationale

Ministère des Affaires étrangères et européennes

Agence Europe Éducation Formation France

Lifelong Learning (LLP) / Comenius Programme

(French National Agency)

Where is BOURBON L’ARCHAMBAULT ?

ParisBourbon L’Archambault is a rural town of about 2600 inhabitants located in the center of France in a region called Auvergne. (280 km south of Paris ) The city has been known since ancient times for the virtues of its thermal water and is the birthplace of the Bourbon dynasty to which it gave its name.

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Slideshow of the city…

It is dominated by its 13th century castle, impregnable fortress of 15 towers until the 15th century.

Only the tower, “Qui qu’en grogne” and the three towers in the north remain today. A costumed guide introduces the visitor to eight rooms recreating life in medieval times.

The Romanesque church

Continuing the tour …

The main street : « Rue Achille Allier »

The spa with its famous therapeutic water, the exotic tiles and extraordinary murals was built in 1885.

The town hall

The SYSTEM of EDUCATION

in FRANCE

• French education system includes pre-school institutions, primary schools, middle schools and high schools.

• Attendance at French nursery school is optional, childcare being compulsory from age 6. However the ‘Maternelle’School welcomes about 23% of the 2 year-old children, 95% of the 3 year-old children and almost all the children who are 4 or 5 years old. They are free and secular schools. There are usually 3 forms corresponding to the different age levels in the kindergarten : the first one for the children from 2 to 3 called ‘Toute Petite Section / Petite Section’, the second one for 4 year-old children called ‘Moyenne Section’ and the third one for the 5 year-old children called ‘Grande Section’.

• Children at the age of 6 have to go to primary school.

ORGANIZATION

Age Public Education System

2-3 / 5 Pre-school(during 3 or 4 years )

6 / 10 Primary school(during 5 years )

11 / 14 Middle school( during 4 years )

15 / 17-18 High school( during 3 years )

After 18 University / Major College

Sharing out responsabilities

• The Ministry of National Education is responsible for pre-school education.

• The Municipality is responsible for the buildings and finances the material expenses and equipment.

• The Headmaster is a teacher in charge of children’s education, their safety, management and organization of work in the pre-school. The principal is not the superior of the other teachers at the school : the supervisor of all pre-school teachers is the Inspector of Education in the district.

• The teachers depend on the Ministry of Education and the territorial agents specialized in nursery schools (teacher’s assistant) on the town hall.

SCHEDULE in KINDERGARTEN

Two adults work generally in each class : the teacher and the assistant. The children go to school four days a week : Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. They arrive at school at 8:45 am, work until 11:45 am with a break of 25 minutes. Some of them return home for lunch but most of children eat at the canteen. After the meal, children at the age of 2, 3 or 4 have about an hour to relax, rest and even get some sleep. The afternoon begins at 1:45 pm and ends at 4:30 pm with another 25 minute break. School runs from September to July. The year is divided into three terms with brief periods of vacation. Pupils are divided into small groups to work. School activities run on the day or week : language in their mother tongue, foreign language, writing, pre-reading, drawing, painting, modelling, mathematics, science, Physical Education, music, folk dances, basic computer use,…

Example of

schedule on a day

in the final year of

kindergarten

OUR BUILDING

The kindergarten was built in 1971 and renovated eight years ago. We take care of 67 children from the age of 2 to the age of 5. The building has one floor, three classrooms, one gymnasium and two rooms for additional activities (painting and mosaïcs, ICT), a library for young children, a dormitory, a little kitchen and a big playground. There are 3 teachers, 3 teacher’s assistants, one person involved in visual arts and an another one, in ICT skills.

THE PLAYGROUND

Track, slide, climbing wall, sandbox,… It’s so funny to

play outside !

THE SCHOOL CAFETERIA

Yum, Yum, it’s good !!!

Children at the age of 2 – 3

Sweet dreamsThe classroom

Cutting and pasting activityColour stamps

ICT activity

Children at the age of 2 – 3

Counting

Reading

Swimming

Walking in balance

Children at the age of 2 – 3

Celebration of child Festivals

Children at the age of 4

Walking like a little dog Inflating a balloon

Lego construction Playing music

Children at the age of 4

Breeding phasmids

Children at the age of 5

Drawing graphics : the oblique lineMathematics : open/closed line

Children at the age of 5

Drawing

Parts to be assembled

Computer games

Wooden puzzle

Children at the age of 5

Making Pinocchio’s puppets for child festival

A trip to

a medieval

castle

Elder children participate in a riding project.

Children at the age of 5

We go on many TRIPS

Cheverny Castle

Boating on a canal

Orienteering in the forest

SCHOOL CARNIVAL

School visit of Malians

Participating in the Telethon

Other school events

Father Christmas at school

What beautiful Christmas gifts !Look ! It’s Father Christmas !

Magic show