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DESCRIPTION

The school « Le Campus » is located in Drap in 1 hectare of beautiful country side grounds with a view over the mountains of les Alpes Maritimes and 12 km from the centre of Nice. It is a private establishment, well known for the vast number of amenities, very rare in the county and France on the whole (swimming pool, horse riding centre, tennis courts, sports grounds, adventure playground in the trees, farm with animals, vegetable garden, art room, theatre and more...).

It admits children from Kindergarten (2 years old) to primary level and strives to give them a bilingual, French – English, education. (Italian is also taught from 6/7 years old).

The school programmes are conform to those laid down by the Department of National Education but are enhanced to bring out the best and to adapt to the rhythm of each child.

The qualified and motivated teachers privilege the primary subjects without undermining a varied programme which they believe to be very important in the development of an individual's know how and personality.

The Ecole Le Campus does every thing it can to ensure that its students succeed in all stages of their education and personal life.

The establishment is very often known as « L’Ecole des Champs », which is its holiday club for children.

EDUCATION

The pedagogy developed by the school is based on three major factors:

The educational environment, the emotional environment and the physical environment all of which contributes to an optimal physical environment, a permanent state of reception and an elimination of the stress so common amongst young people.

The educational environment

The school's conception of learning is based upon a certain number of principles which they can define in 10 key sentences.

• To fight against standardisation and its well-known effects.
• To respect each student’s individual speed of work and potential.
• To institute an active and participative learning system which privileges the basic subjects without neglecting multidisciplinary learning so important in structuring.
• To give pupils the opportunity to reuse the knowledge they have acquired.
• To develop the pleasure of learning.
• To encourage autonomy and methodology.
• To teach foreign languages and I.T (Information Technology) without which the future can't be envisaged.
• To contribute to a good physical and psychological development through sport.
• To widen knowledge through general culture, the discovery of the Arts and field trips.
• To encourage respect for the environment and the living world.

The emotional environment

• The emotional environment can't be dissociated from the preceding one for the quality in which the children are welcomed, a smile, an attentive regard, a few kind words can be the starting point for a rich and human learning relationship.
• It is vital to generate a climate of confidence and mutual respect between pupils and teachers whose charisma, motivation and ability to listen are essential for an optimal education.

The physical environment

• The respect of biological rhythms
• The quality of the meals
• Attractive, bright classrooms with colourful furniture
• Nature as a backdrop
• Animals as companions

RESULTS

Each class has weekly tests in all subjects that allow teachers, parents and the children to see if what has been learnt during the week has been understood. It helps to detect a problem with understanding that may then be worked on.

Students also have yearly evaluation tests:

• T.A.S. [Tests d’acquisitions scolaires] which show the child's level on a national perspective. This is done at the end of the school year for the CP to CM2 classes for French and Maths.
• Cambridge Tests test a child's English level for pupils from CE2 to CM2. The school feels it important to call upon an external examination board that introduces the children to real exam conditions. The regional examinators of Cambridge University, based in Sophia Antipolis come into the school for one day to assess the children in the following areas:
  1/ Listening
  2/ Speaking
  3/ Reading and writing:
  The papers are then sent to Cambridge University to be marked and the students who succeed receive a certificate.