French is child's play for these 9-year-olds

IT seems an unlikely place for the start of an education revolution but tiny Corse Lawn, an isolated spot in the far reaches of Worcestershire, is putting itself on the European map.

Every child who starts, aged four, at the village primary school - Eldersfield Lawn - learns both German and French from the age

of nine.

But rather than getting in the way of learning the more basic skills such as reading and writing English, it adds to their understanding.

"It complements it," says headteacher Paul Kilgallon. "In German and French we have to talk about grammar - discuss nouns and their position in sentences, that sort of thing - and that strengthens children's understanding in literacy."

This week, Eldersfield Lawn welcomed teachers from partner schools in Poland and Sweden to share teaching tips and discuss the exciting progress of their innovative joint website, www.atasteoflanguages.net which is to record the voices of children around Europe in an interactive multilingual dictionary.

Mr Kilgallon is a passionate advocate of starting them early when it comes to teaching children another lingo.

"Young children speak foreign languages without any embarrassment and they absorb them so quickly through games and nursery rhymes," he says.

"This means that, by the time our current seven-year-olds are 11, their language level has built up.

"It's wonderful to see how they're inspired by languages which older children sometimes aren't.

"Then, by the time they are teenagers and hit puberty, they are not embarrassed to speak out in class like they often are when learning from scratch."

Geographically the school is really out on a limb but it has found itself at the heart of Worcestershire's language resurgence.

As one of the feeder schools for Hanley Castle High, which is bidding for specialist language college status - like that enjoyed by Worcester's Christopher Whitehead - it is benefiting from special funding to teach foreign languages.

Jacqui Tilt, head of German at Hanley Castle High School, is one of the county's five advanced skills teachers who go into primary schools one day a week to teach foreign languages.

"There's a ridiculous irony that schools no longer have to make a language compulsory at 14 but the Government wants to increase language learning in primary schools," she says.

"It's so vital, particularly in these rural areas, that we broaden children's horizons.

"Hopefully, if we can raise standards, pupils will continue taking languages."

She says the belief that foreign language learning is redundant because other countries speak English is a prejudice that needs to be overcome at an early age.

"The idea that everybody speaks English so we don't have to try shows how far we've fallen behind other countries and that's a clear disadvantage," she says.

If Hanley Castle High does get language status it hopes to fast- track a group of Year 9 pupils to take their language GCSEs a year early, but it will be essential that children start learning before they get there.

At another of Hanley Castle's feeder schools, Upton-upon-Severn CE Primary, learning French has, since September, started in the reception class.

Last week, the Year 5 class produced an assembly entirely in French.

Acting headteacher Alison Marsh says both children and parents have enthusiastically welcomed the opportunity. "It gives them a good start before the go on to high school," she says.

"They have the confidence to greet people, read menus and sing songs in a different language and that's an invaluable skill."

Back at Eldersfield Lawn, three 10-year-olds Holly Reed, Hannah Twist and Harriet Eaglestone, are in their classroom discussing what they have just learnt in their latest French lesson.

"It's so much fun. It's easier than maths," says Hannah.

Holly adds: "I want to travel the world when I'm older so it's very important to learn a foreign language."

And Harriet understands the importance even now: "If I go on holiday abroad, I want to be able to ask for things and also know how to say thank you because that's important."

BLACKBOARD

Exam board's bid to catch hi-tech cheats

AN exam board is a launching a pilot project to use hi-tech scanning to pick up plagiarism in GCSE and A-level coursework.

Markers are to use new software to spot essays copied from the internet.

A report said there was "blatant copying" in coursework that had been marked internally by schools.

How easy is it for crafty students to find their essays on the web?

I thought of a typical essay question, "Explain the role Henry VIII played in the Reformation", and typed it into the Google search engine together with the words "GCSE essay coursework".

The search came up with many websites such as coursework.info essaybank.com and exampleessays.com Clicking on the first one, I was taken to an essay called Henry VIII's Key Reasons For The Reformation. It was an extract of about 1,000 words, with the full essay available after signing in at £9.99 a month - or in exchange for three pieces of your own coursework.

It all took about 30 seconds, and with a little more time it is not hard to find an essay for free.

Conditions of the site say: "You shall not pass off any coursework as your own work. To do so may breach regulations set out by educational institutions."

How many students read the small print and will the exam boards manage to catch the hi-tech cheats?

Bullies must be punished

THE Prime Minister has said all school bullies must be punished, saying he was shocked that teachers in one area had been told not to.

As part of anti-bullying week, at least one council has advised teachers "not to blame pupils who bully other pupils."

It comes after the Worcester News reported that a mother was unhappy that a boy who bullied her daughter at the city's Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College was not dealt with severely enough, a claim denied by the school.

Tony Blair said: "Bullying should be punished.

"Children who bully must be made to understand the harm they have been doing."

Extra offices

EXTRA office space is to be created at The King's School, Worcester, after planners agreed for a 'sympathetic' modern extension to an historic building.

Plans have been approved for a glass and cladding extension to the rear of grade II listed Hostel House, formerly a boarding house.