Our bilingual curriculum
SIAL.school is the only bilingual and bi-curricular school in the UK to teach all subjects in English and Italian, from Nursery to Year 6.
Your child will learn not only to speak but to read and write in both languages, gain valuable knowledge of both cultures and ways of life, and have broader opportunities when it comes to choosing Secondary level education.
A bilingual and bi-curricular education
Our Nursery (EYFS) and Primary School (KS1 & KS2) have a completely bilingual and bicultural curriculum in which the standards set by the Italian Ministry of Education are integrated and complemented by the EYFS Framework and National English Curriculum.
This approach enables us to offer the best of both systems in terms of content, teaching methods and skills acquired by the children and enables our pupils to move freely into either the Italian or the British school system or get into international schools.
- Coverage of the school curriculum is divided into English and Italian.
Native speaking teachers work together on a common bilingual curriculum so that those objectives covered in Italian are later reinforced and covered in English and vice versa. - We promote and maintain not only our pupils’ bilingualism but also their biliteracy, from EYFS up to Year 6.
Our children start reading and writing in both languages at the same time. - We have designed a broad, balanced and enriched curriculum offering a full range of academic subjects.
For Early Years
Our approach is based on the Reggio Emilia Programme, one of the most exciting recent developments in the world of education.
The curriculum builds upon a balance between activities led by our teachers and by the interests of our children who are encouraged to actively influence the course and format of their learning.
Besides the projects which form the Essential Curriculum (the Body, Colours, Shapes, Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy, Introduction to Writing and Reading, Road Safety and so on) every year the school develops specific projects which arise within the class groups, such as: Cooking, Gardening, Recycling, Creativity, The Library, The Universe, are examples covered in the past few years.
For Years 1 to 6
Pupils are taught Italian, English, Maths, Science, French, History, Geography, Religious Studies, ICT, Sport, Art, Music and Drama throughout the school.
Personal, Social, Health Education, Citizenship and Philosophy for Children also form an integral part of the general curriculum.
Subjects such as P.E., Art, Drama and Music are taught by specialist teachers.
Extra-Curricular Activities
We complement our bilingual curriculum with a wide and varied programme of extra-curricular activities.
We ensure that all of our pupils find something they love and have the opportunity to unwind after a busy day at school and pursue their interests and passions.
A child-centred approach
We prioritise the children’s individual needs and abilities above the traditional expectations for their age.
Our educational philosophy and approach are strongly focused on each child’s personal development.
- Small classes capped at 16 from Reception, 20 in Nursery.
- Outstanding Teaching – differentiated and inclusive pitched at each child’s level, guided by their interests.
- Strong child to teacher and teaching assistant ratio. Average of 1:5 in EYFS and 1:8 in KS1 and KS2. Enabling personalised planning, teaching and assessment.
- Extra support in either of the two languages – we provide additional sessions with specialist Italian/English language teachers and teaching assistants for children who need it.
- The health and wellbeing of our pupils is paramount – social and emotional competence is developed and reinforced as much as academic skills. We have a full-time Wellbeing Supervisor on site.
Come and see what makes our school unique
You are welcome to come and visit our Bilingual English/Italian Nursery and Primary School or talk to the Headteacher.
Call us on 020 7603 5353 or fill out the form to book a private tour.