Teaching students in their dominant or first language is a key feature of the Nursery and Primary School programs. Students are therefore admitted to the language section that corresponds to their dominant language (also see Introduction to the School/ Language Instruction and Language Sections). At the European School Luxembourg II there are eight language sections.
There is a single Adjunct Director for both the Nursery and Primary Schools together.
Our Nursery School makes use of a building designed to accommodate up to 400 students starting from the age of four. Children begin their first year of Nursery School in the autumn of the calendar year in which they turn four. Because the Nursery School program lasts for two years, the classes will have mixed ages, including younger students in their first year and older students in their second year.
Our Primary School is situated in a separate building designed to accommodate up to 1050 students starting from the age of six. Students begin their first year of Primary School in the autumn of the calendar year in which they turn six. There are five years of Primary School, grades P1 to P5, within each of our eight language sections.
The “Early Education” curriculum is planned with certain goals in mind:
What students learn in their “Early Education” years provides a fundamental base for learning and development that continues all through life. This key component of lifelong education guides students as they develop into independent and ethically responsible members of our community. “Early Education” aims to provide optimal conditions to support the whole child including physical, psychological, social, cognitive, and emotional development.
For these first early years, teaching follows a holistic method where subjects and disciplines are not differentiated. As in our daily lives, an active approach that is experimental and experiential is at the center of the learning process.
Self-esteem is a healthy and powerful motivator in children. Positive learning experiences and a wide range of interactions with different people help to foster this confidence. The experiential world of the child needs to be enriched with stimulating opportunities allowing them to explore and develop new interests.
In Primary School, emphasis is placed on learning the student’s first language, gaining skills in mathematics, and progressing in their first foreign language. The curriculum also includes art, music, physical education, science discovery, and social studies. Additionally, students participate in “European Hours” when they join with students of other nationalities and work together on a variety of activities.
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Integrated Timetable for Primary School
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The European School Luxembourg II is situated on an impressive campus with the modern buildings and infrastructure needed to provide a complete education for our students. Our campus accommodates the three school cycles: Nursery, Primary, and Secondary.
The Nursery and Primary Schools make use of buildings and spaces purposely designed to create a learning environment appropriate for students 4-11 years old:
At various points during their school-age years, students will experience transition periods when they take a step up and join the next level of education. This means moving from one school cycle to the next, from the world of the younger children to the world of the older ones.
Our campus is fortunate to be able to accommodate students at all stages of their education from daycare through the baccalaureate. We follow the students as they progress step by step through their school experience, and we create added support during these transition periods. We respect that each student adjusts at their own pace, but still encourage them to discover the new world they are entering.
Children at the crèche (daycare center) and garderie (older childcare program) are under the responsibility of the European Institutions: European Parliament for the crèche, European Commission for the garderie. These programs are independent from the European School Luxembourg II and access is determined by specific regulations.
To help the children in the garderie feel ready for Nursery School, they are taken on visits to the Nursery School in June before they eventually begin school in the autumn. They can start to recognize the building and classrooms along with some of the teachers and can feel more comfortable in their new environment.
The transition from Nursery to Primary school involves a number of introductory visits and activities designed for the older Nursery School students. Towards the end of the school year, the teachers of the graduating Nursery School classes and the Primary School teachers cooperate to help ease the transition. They arrange :