With this year’s cultural trips coming up soon, we are already planning ahead for the following school year. In the spring of 2019, the Year 9 class will visit Costa Rica in Central America.This tropical country, with coastlines on the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, offers enormous educational possibilities. Its protected national parks provide unique examples of biodiversity and abundant flora and fauna. Its volcanoes are among the most active on the planet, providing a fantastic backdrop for some truly beautiful natural landscapes.

Beyond the cultural aspects, the coastal areas offer fantastic beaches, giving the students ample time to relax and enjoy the tropical environment Costa Rica provides.

At La Garenne we prepare our students to take the Cambridge English exams. On top of their Literacy lessons, the students attend a weekly lesson which is differentiated for their level. At the end of the year (May, June) the students sit a reading, writing, speaking and listening exam suited to their level.

La Garenne is an official Cambridge test centre. The school receives the results in July/August and the certificates are then sent to our parents.

1) At what age do the students at La Garenne start studying and working towards passing the Cambridge English exam?
The course is for students in Year 3 to Year 9.

2) Which Cambridge English courses do La Garenne offer?
Young Learners - Starters, Movers & Flyers, Key for Schools (KET), Preliminary for Schools (PET) and First for Schools (FCE).

3) Which skills will the children be tested on?
The exams are designed to motivate children from a young age right through to their teens and beyond. They cover all four language skills - reading, writing, speaking and listening - bring learning to life.

4) How do the students prepare for the exams?
Each academic year the students progress to the next level, our new students complete a placement test which allows us to make sure that each child is placed in the correct course, this is reviewed throughout the year. We have one teacher assigned to each course and they use the official Cambridge materials and textbooks to teach and prepare the children for the exams at the end of the year. The lessons are interactive, fun and aimed at the age and level of the students in the class.

5) Will the exam qualifications be recognised by the child's future school?
The exams are linked to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) - the international standard to describe language ability. This makes it easy to see the progress each child is making in English, and for secondary schools, educational institutes and employers to recognise the child's ability when they leave La Garenne.

Finally, Cambridge English Qualifications are designed to develop real-life communication skills. This also encourages and motivates learners because the skills that they are developing are not just for the exam, but for life.

A few facts and figures about Cambridge English

• More than 5.5 million people take the Cambridge qualifications and tests every year.
• There are over 2,800 exam centres in 130 countries.
• Over 50,000 preparation centres around the world prepare learners to take the exams.
• Cambridge have been providing English language assessment since 1913.

In our lesson, we have been learning new vocabulary about the weather. These children, who are in the 'Movers' group had to work together to present a short weather report. Please click on the video to watch one of the presentations.

We strive to create an environment that engages learners, fosters creativity and resilience, cultivates empathy and encourages creativity. Research shows that learning happens best when it is done in a way that is practical, relevant, and engaging - rather than theoretical and decontextualised - and that learning happens everywhere, anytime.

Today, the Year 5 students were weighing in grams and then converting the weights into fractions of kg, grams and kilograms, and kilograms as decimals. They then worked in small groups to investigate the distance of each planet from the sun. They used the scale 10,000,000km in real life represented by 1cm in our models.

This weekend we welcomed back the students after the holidays and got straight to work on Monday morning. All three Junior classes began new IMYC units, beginning with the Entry Points, which set the scene for the Big Ideas that will be guiding their learning for the next five weeks.

• Year 7 will be following the Big Idea of Risk: ‘Progress involves exposing ourselves to and considering the impact or forms of danger, harm, uncertainty or opportunity’.

• The studies for Year 8 will be guided by the concept of Competition: ‘Trying to beat others has good and bad consequences’.

• Interpretation is the Big Idea that will provide the link between the academic subjects for Year 9: ‘Only a very few things are true for all people’.

The accompanying photographs show the Entry Point for Year 7, involving a series of enlightening and thought-provoking outdoor activities centred on risk.

Today saw the first term of 2017-2018 come to an end. The exams are over, the end-of-term reports have been sent and all the members of the La Garenne community are looking forward to a well-earned holiday.

This morning we held the Academic Exhibition. The parents were invited to the Academia building and each class was able to showcase the work that they have been doing throughout the term. The accompanying pictures show some of the presentations and demonstrations that were available for the visitors to see.

The morning was concluded with the Christmas Show, performed with great enthusiasm by the younger students. Our sincere thanks go to all of the teachers and students who were involved in this production, which was very much appreciated by the parents.

During the afternoon, Parent/Teacher meetings were held in Academia during which the parents were able to meet with the teachers of their children. Direct discussions of this type are extremely valuable in developing the productive partnerships that exist between the school and the parents. The meetings allow for detailed discussions on matters arising from the reports. They also enable the teachers and school leaders to put in place strategies that guarantee the effective development and progress of each individual student, in unison with the parents.

After the meetings, the students and their parents left snowy Villars for the winter holidays – being sure not to forget their holiday homework and reading list, of course!

May I take this opportunity to wish the whole community of La Garenne a very happy Festive Season!