Presentation
Highgate School has implemented a new and exciting initiative in 2017: a French-Australian bilingual and binational program has been introduced in February. This initiative began with one Reception class and one Year 1 and will continue to grow to be an R-7 program.
This program has the support of Department for Education and Childhood Development of South Australia and the French Ministry of Education via the French Embassy in Canberra.
As the program rolls up in subsequent years, we envisage that there will be one French-Australian bilingual class in each year level.
Students participating in the program will learn from a combined Australian/French curriculum incorporating both countries’ national curricula.
Our school is the first school in South Australian to implement a harmonised French and Australian curriculum.
The bilingual/binational program will flow within a stream from Highgate School to Unley High School in 2023.
In the Early Years, across the week students will be taught 80% of the time in French and 20% of the time in English. From Year 3, learning will be divided across both languages 50:50.
En 2017, l’école primaire d’Highgate a développé un nouveau projet passionnant : en février, un programme bilingue et binational franco-australien a été lancé. Cette initiative a débuté avec l’ouverture d’une classe de grande section de maternelle et d’une classe de CP et continuera jusqu’au deploiement du programme de la grande section à la 5ème.
Ce programme reçoit le soutien du Département de l’Éducation et de la Petite Enfance d’Australie-Méridionale ainsi que du soutien du Ministère de l’Éducation nationale représenté par l’ambassade de France à Canberra.
Au fur et à mesure que le programme se développera, il est prévu l’ouverture d’une nouvelle classe bilingue franco-australienne chaque année.
Les élèves participant au programme suivront un programme d’enseignement harmonisé reprenant les éléments des programmes officiels français et d’Australie-Méridionale.
Le programme bilingue et binational s’étendra sur la totalité du cursus scolaire de l’école primaire d’Highgate à l’école secondaire d’Unley (Unley High School) en 2023.
Jusqu’en CE1, au cours d’une semaine l’enseignement se fera en français 80% du temps et en anglais pour le reste de la semaine. A partir du CE2, l’enseignement sera divisé 50% en français et 50% en anglais.
Comparison of the French and Australian Schooling Levels
Age in Years | France | Australia |
PRESCHOOL IN AUSTRALIA | ||
3 / 4 | PS | |
4 / 5 | MS | Kindy (must be 4 yrs old before 1st May) |
PRIMARY SCHOOL IN AUSTRALIA | ||
5 / 6 | GS | Reception (must be 5 yrs old before 1st May) |
6 / 7 | CP | Year 1 |
7 / 8 | CE1 | Year 2 |
8 / 9 | CE2 | Year 3 |
9 / 10 | CM1 | Year 4 |
10 / 11 | CM2 | Year 5 |
11 / 12 | 6ème | Year 6 |
12 / 13 | 5ème | Year 7 (moving to High School in 2022) |
HIGH SCHOOL IN AUSTRALIA | ||
13 / 14 | 4ème | Year 8 |
14 / 15 | 3ème | Year 9 |
15 / 16 | Seconde | Year 10 |
16 / 17 | Première | Year 11 |
17 / 18 | Terminale | Year 12 |
RECEPTION / Grande section de maternelle
FRENCH 80% French, Mathematics History and Geography Sciences, Visual Arts |
ENGLISH 20% English,Technologies Performing Arts, PE |
YEAR 1 / CP
FRENCH 80% French, Mathematics History and Geography Sciences, Visual Arts |
ENGLISH 20% English,Technologies Performing Arts, PE |
YEAR 2 / CE1
FRENCH 80% French, Mathematics History and Geography Sciences, Visual Arts |
ENGLISH 20% English,Technologies Performing Arts, PE |
YEAR 3,4 / CE2,M1 (Semester 1)
FRENCH 50% French, Mathematics, Health Humanities and Social Sciences |
ENGLISH 50% English, Technologies, Sciences Performing Arts, PE, Visual Arts Mathematics Civics and Citizenship |
YEAR 3,4 / CE2,M1 (Semester 2)
FRENCH 50% French, Mathematics Sciences, Health Visual Arts |
ENGLISH 50% English, Technologies Performing Arts, PE Mathematics Civics and Citizenship Humanities and Social Sciences |
Learning in French / Apprentissages en langue française | |
Learning in English / Apprentissages en langue anglaise |
Last edited: 16/2/2021

