Curriculum

The French curriculum is taught in French and English, enriched by New Zealand’s context and teaching approaches.

Year levels at EFIA

French levelNew Zealand levelAvailability
Grande SectionYear 0 / 12026
CPYear 22026
CE1Year 32026
CE2Year 42026
CM1Year 52026
CM2Year 62027

Starting school in Year 0 and Year 1.

View the full comparison chart.

Cycle 1 · Grande Section

In the French curriculum, education is organised into five learning areas during the 1st Cycle (Grande section / Year 0/1):

  1. To mobilise language in all its dimensions
  2. To act, to express, to understand through physical activity
  3. To act, to express, to understand through artistic activities
  4. To build the first tools to structure thought
  5. To explore the world

From Cycle 2

From Cycle 2 on, the curriculum is structured around five core domains that define the major educational goals:

  1. Languages for thinking and communicating: Students are taught how to understand and express themselves while using 4 types of language:

    • French;
    • Other modern or regional languages
    • Mathematical, scientific, and technological languages;
    • Language of the arts and the body.
  2. Methods and tools for learning: Students are taught how to:

    • Learn, individually or collectively, in class or outside of class,
    • Access information and documents,
    • Use technological methods,
    • Lead individual or collective projects,
    • Organise their studies and the knowledge they have accumulated.
  3. Personal and civic development: This domain focuses on learning societal life, collective action, and citizenship through moral and civic education, respectful of personal choices and individual responsibilities. The core values and principles embedded in the Constitution are passed on.

  4. Natural and technical systems: This area is centred on the scientific and technical understanding of Earth and the Universe, aiming to develop curiosity, observation skills, and problem-solving abilities.

  5. Representations of the world and human activity: Students develop spatial awareness of geography and history by understanding societies within their respective environments. They learn to interpret human cultural expressions and gain a deeper understanding of the contemporary world.