Telopea Park School facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Telopea Park School
Location
Barton , Australian Capital Territory Australia
Coordinates	35°18′50″S 149°8′3″E / 35.31389°S 149.13417°E / -35.31389; 149.13417
Information
Other name	French: Lycée Franco-Australien de Canberra
Type	Government international primary and secondary school
Motto	Latin: Spectans orientia solis lumina (Looking towards the rising sun)
Established	1923; 102 years ago (1923)
Grades	Year K–10
Enrolment	~1,550 (2021)
Campus type	Suburban
Colour(s)	Red, white and blue

Telopea Park School around the time it opened in 1923.

Telopea Park School is a special government school in Canberra, Australia. It is also known by its French name, Lycée Franco-Australien de Canberra. The school is named after the nearby Telopea Park.

Founded in 1923, it is the oldest school in Canberra. It is unique because it teaches students all the way from Kindergarten to Year 10. It is also a bi-national school, which means it is connected to both Australia and France.

The school has an agreement with the French Ministry of Education. This allows it to offer a bilingual program where students learn in both English and French. Telopea Park School is also part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, which is a special learning plan used by schools around the world.

Because of its long history, the school's buildings are considered important heritage sites and are protected.

School Programs

Telopea Park School is divided into two main parts: a primary school and a secondary school.

Primary School

The primary school section is for students from Kindergarten to Year 6. All students in these years are part of a bilingual program.

From Kindergarten to Year 2, about 80% of classes are taught in French. The teachers are approved by both the French and Australian education departments. From Year 3 to Year 6, classes are split evenly, with 50% in French and 50% in English.

Teachers from France usually work at the school for two or three years. They arrive and leave in the middle of the Australian school year to match the school schedule in France.

Secondary School

The secondary school is for students from Year 7 to Year 10. Students can choose between two main learning paths.

One path is the English/French Stream (EFS), where students continue to learn in French. The other path follows the standard ACT school system. Students in this stream can also complete the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program.

After Year 10, many students from Telopea Park School go to Narrabundah College. This is especially true for EFS students, as Narrabundah College is one of the only schools in Australia where they can take the final French high school exam, called the French Baccalauréat.

Learning Languages

At Telopea Park School, all students in Years 7 to 10 must learn a language other than English. This is different from many other schools in the ACT.

Students pick one language and usually study it for all four years. The languages offered are:

• Spanish
• Italian
• German
• Japanese
• Indonesian
• Mandarin (Chinese)
• French

Students spend nearly three hours a week in their language classes.

What is the English/French Stream?

The English/French Stream (EFS) is a special program for a group of students at the school. These students follow the French school curriculum instead of the standard ACT one. Most of them have come from the primary school's bilingual program.

EFS students have a different learning experience. They have fewer choices for elective classes because they must take History and Geography every term. They also learn three languages: English, French, and one other language of their choice.

The EFS program has its own principal, called a proviseure in French. To show that both the Australian and French programs are equally important, the school plays both national anthems at its assemblies.

Notable People

Many well-known people have attended or worked at Telopea Park School.

Famous Former Students

• Gough Whitlam - A former Prime Minister of Australia.
• Kofi Danning - A professional soccer player.
• Cariba Heine - An Australian actress.
• Alex Jesaulenko - A famous Australian Rules Football player.
• Caroline Le Couteur - An Australian politician.
• Matthew Le Nevez - An Australian actor.
• Patricia Piccinini - A famous artist.
• Nikolai Topor-Stanley - A professional soccer player.

Famous Former Staff

• Laurie Fisher - A former physical education teacher who became a famous rugby coach.

See also

• French Australian
• Narrabundah College