Playgroup, Strasbourg

The Playgroup, created in 1976, is a bilingual English-French kindergarten and welcomes children aged from 30 months to six years. This structure is based on active teaching methods and the mix of English- and French-speakers provides a unique setting in which the children can familiarise themselves with each other’s language and culture. With an excellent child/teacher ratio (12:1 on mornings and never more than 15:1 for afternoons), the Playgroup can take the children on a wide variety of outings (gymtonic, book library and toy library, theatre, concerts, exhibit, etc.) and provides an after-school care. Each class has an English-speaking teacher and a French-speaking teacher, who teach in their respective mother tongue. The children are immersed in a bilingual environment which allows them to develop at their own rhythm whilst familiarising themselves with a foreign language and culture and acquiring the behavioural skills and knowledge they need in preparation for primary school.