Primary school bilingual classes

Belleville Wix Academy and Shaftesbury Park Primary School offer bilingual French/English classes for pupils.

Belleville Wix Academy

This class follows a jointly agreed bilingual French-English curriculum. It is taught 50% of the time in French, 50% in English. 

Respective national curricula expectations can be introduced at slightly different times to typical monolingual classes whilst the bilingual approach is embedded. The children sit the national tests of both education systems and typically achieve the standards expected by both by Year 6/Cours Moyen 2.

Number of students in this class: 14

If there are more applications for this class than the 14 places available, children will be admitted in the following order of priority:

1. Looked after children and those who ceased to be looked after children because they were adopted, or because they became subject to a residence order, child arrangements order or a special guardianship order
2. Children with a professionally supported exceptional medical need or exceptional social need for a place at a particular school, as decided by the trust
3. Children with a sibling on the roll of the school on the date of admission
4. Children of staff at the school. The member of staff must have been employed at the school for two or more years at the time at which the application to the school is made or be a member of staff who was recruited to fill a vacant post for which there was a demonstrable skill shortage
5. Other children in order of straight-line distance from home to school

Shaftesbury Park Primary School

Children in the bilingual class at Shaftesbury Park Primary School will follow the English curriculum and will be taught in French for a proportion of the time.

The core subjects of English, Mathematics and Science will be taught in English. Children will sit the United Kingdom national tests only.

Number of students in this class: 30

If there are more applications for this class than the 30 places available, children will be admitted in the following order of priority:

1. Looked after children and those who ceased to be looked after children because they were adopted, or because they became subject to a residence order, child arrangements order or a special guardianship order
2. Children with a professionally supported exceptional medical need or exceptional social need for a place at a particular school, as decided by the local authority
3. Children with brothers and sisters on the roll of the school on the date of admission
4. Children of staff employed directly at the school
5. Other children in order of straight line distance from home to school as measured by Wandsworth Council’s Geographical Information System

How to apply for a place

The application process for the bilingual classes depends on your circumstances:

If your child does not yet attend primary school

If you wish to choose a bilingual class as part of your primary school application, follow instructions for applying for a primary school place and ensure you complete the relevant school’s bilingual class supplementary information form.

If your child already attends the school

If your child already attends the school you only need to fill out the In-year bilingual application form (this is for current pupils only).

Return your completed application form to admissions@wandsworth.gov.uk.

If your child attends a different school

If your child currently attends a different school, you must follow these steps:

1. Include Belleville Wix Academy and/or Shaftesbury Park Primary School on your in-year online application form, in the section titled 'School preferences'
2. When asked in the form, confirm whether you are seeking only a bilingual class place, or a place in the English class, or wish to be considered for both

Unless you complete these steps, your child will not be considered for a place in the bilingual class.

Find out more about the in-year admissions and transfer applications process.

If you are unable to complete the in-year online application form and wish to apply for a bilingual class, contact the Admissions, Place Planning and Exclusions team on 020 871 7316, or email admissions@wandsworth.gov.uk.

Appeals

Applicants refused a place at Belleville Wix Academy or Shaftesbury Park Primary School will have the right to appeal to an independent panel against the decision. However, the panel cannot decide whether a successful appellant should be placed in the bilingual class or the English language class.

Parents and carers who only wish their child to be considered for the bilingual class should bear this in mind if they decide to appeal.

Schools' right to move a child

Parents and carers of children admitted to the bilingual class at either school should be aware that the Headteacher reserves the right to move a child from the bilingual class to the English language class and vice versa.

This may happen where he or she considers it to be in the child’s best interests, and subject to the class size not exceeding the admission number.