A very special attention is given to the development  of oral language skills which are key to every child’s future school success. At FISZ not all children speak French as their mother tongue but French gradually becomes the language of communication shared by all children and the vehicle of their sense of belonging. Teaching is individualised and differentiated according to each child’s particular needs therefore children who are not French speakers on first entering the school receive special attention so that their level of mastery of the French language eventually becomes comparable to that of their francophone peers. A reinforcement of Croatian language skills is scheduled for those who are Croatian speakers and an initiation to Croatian as a foreign language is offered to the others. All children receive English classes.

Preschool covers the first three years of learning so that la Maternelle is divided in three sections:

“La petite section” (3-4 year olds)

“La moyenne section” (4-5 year olds)

“La grande section” (5-6 year olds)

During this first cycle at school children learn to identify and recognise their environment then gradually widen their experiences to develop progressively. The five core areas of learning are:

• Mastering language skills in all their aspects: developing oral and written skills

• Developing behavioural, expressional and understanding skills through physical activities: children benefit from 40mn a day of sport and physical activity

• Developing behavioural, expressional and understanding skills through artistic activities: visual arts, crafts, and music

• Acquiring the first tools to structure one’s thoughts: elements of mathematics

• Exploring the world: find bearings in time and space, first scientific notions about the living world and experimental sciences