La Découverte - Tuia Burnside Primary School
French/English Bilingual Special Programme
Supported by FRENZ
Tuia Burnside Primary School offers a French/English bilingual programme called La Découverte for students in Years 0 to 6. La Découverte is classified as a Special Programme, therefore families don’t need to live in Tuia’s geographical zone to apply. Please click this link for Zone Information regarding La Découverte.
We are unable to hold spaces, as per Ministry of Education guidelines. However, if spaces should become available, prospective applicants of the relevant ages/year levels will be contacted and interviewed before a place is offered.
The French/English bilingual unit is an integral part of Tuia Burnside Primary School.
Teaching and learning is based on the New Zealand curriculum and is in full French immersion for approximately 60 percent of the school time.
Eligibility criteria for being part of La Découverte include:
- The child comes from a French-English bilingual background.
- One parent or caregiver is a capable French speaker and is committed to support the child's bilingual education.
- The child can express their needs, feelings and ideas in French, as appropriate to their age.
- After being accepted into La Découverte, all families are required to join FRENZ, the supporting organisation (www.frenzschool.org.nz).
Process for application:
- Complete an 'Expression of Interest' form and email it to admin@burnsideprimary.school.nz or contact the school office 03 351 9407.
- Applications close on 31st August in the prior academic year to enrolment.
- Every year, the school will publish the number of spaces that are available for the following year and will contact prospective applicants.
- If more applications are received than places available for any given year, interviews of families are organised and a points system is used for allocation of spaces. Most of the points are for the child’s French language proficiency. Siblings of students already in the program are also prioritised. Details of the point system can be found here (link to 2023 school zone information):
The programme is supported by a New Zealand NGO called ‘FRENZ’ which helps create and run French-English bilingual education units in New Zealand. The current yearly donation to FRENZ for families is $550 per year, per child. Please visit the FRENZ website [https://www.frenzschool.org.nz/] for more information.
External link