Dear Parents,
We are a group of parents, teachers and professionals, who believe that our community would greatly benefit from a new dual language primary school under the Government’s Free School Programme.
English-Chinese Free School is a new primary school to be opened in Lambeth in September 2016. It is a first UK-based English-Chinese primary school. The curriculum will be taught in both English and in Chinese language. A Free School is non-selective and non-fee paying.
It has been our dream and our life long vision to open a school that would provide a high quality education, prepare our children for the future in our global world and immensely contribute to the community as a whole.
We recognise the growing importance of Mandarin Chinese in our global society and aim to create an English-Chinese dual language school, with the goal of children speaking both languages fluently.
Why Chinese?
- China is one of the world’s oldest and richest continuous cultures.
- China is the most populous nation in the world.
- One fifth of the planet speaks Chinese.
- China is the second largest economy in the word.
Knowledge of Chinese will give our children a competitive advantage in the 21st century.
A dual language immersion programme:
Students from various language backgrounds will learn together with instructions delivered in two languages. Subjects will be taught in English and Mandarin Chinese and the programme will provide the children with intensity of exposure to become fluent in Chinese, even when children come from non-Mandarin speaking households. Pupils of all language backgrounds will benefit immensely from participating in a dual language programme.
Why dual language education?
Language learning at young age increases cognitive development. Young children have the ability to gain languages faster and with near native language skills. Research has shown that that immersion students typically develop greater cognitive skills; they demonstrate greater attention control, better memory and superior problem solving skills.
Bilingual education provides children with a broader knowledge of world culture and deeper understanding of languages in general. Knowing more languages allows for greater employment opportunities. In every field and profession there is an advantage for bilingual/multilingual children.
English-Chinese Dual Language School will be fully committed to providing it’s pupils with best education in a culturally diverse setting. It will promote hard work and discipline in a nurturing environment with a very welcomed and much needed parental involvement. It will deliver high quality education and will employ teachers with excellent subject knowledge and very high expectations.
The school will strive to maximise the achievements of its pupils through a belief that every child can succeed.
The school will run a creative curriculum based on the best elements of English and Chinese education. It will be in line with the national curriculum while using new teaching techniques including a new approach to mathematics, employing very successful Chinese methods.
English-Chinese Dual Language school will provide a broad range of extra-curricular enrichment activities that will inspire and motivate pupils and will be using variety of programmes to help pupils experience and develop an appreciation for and understanding of Chinese culture.
In addition the school will provide an extensive after-school and weekend programme, which will be open to all in the community. Classes will include Mandarin for adults and children, Business Mandarin, T’ai Chi, Chinese painting, martial arts and more.
The team establishing the school is led by the Director of the University of Westminster’s China Media Centre, Professor Hugo de Burgh, a Lambeth resident.
The school will be regularly monitored by the Directors of Studies of one of England’s leading schools, Westminster, as well as by government inspectors and head teachers experienced in both maintained and independent sectors.
Please help us make this school a reality. Please show your support by signing the petition on:
www.ipetitions.com/petition/english-chinese-free-school
Please give us your feedback on: [email protected],
or find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/englishchinesefreeschool
Kind Regards,
The English-Chinese Dual Language School Team