THE Entente Cordiale is flourishing in Oxford where children as young as three are being taught both French and English at a pioneering nursery.

The 12 pupils at Iffley Montessori Nursery School, in Church Way, learn everything in both languages except for maths and phonetics, which are taught in English.

Nursery manager Florence Darby, who is originally from France, said: “I speak to them and tell them what they are doing in French.

“They are responding extremely well and while talking in French is obviously a little slower, they understand what I am telling them perfectly.

“A language really should be taught before the age of eight in order to get the accent correct.

“After that age, children also start to think and learn differently.”

The nursery started teaching in both languages in November, and yesterday celebrated being what is thought to be the first bilingual nursery in Oxford.

A traditional French cake, La Galette des Rois, was brought in by French chef Hervé Gatineau from Gatineau Patisserie in Summertown.

Mrs Darby said parents were keen to support the initiative and children were also learning elements of Japanese, as one of her members of staff is Japanese.

The nursery’s Christmas concert was in three languages, with elements of English, French and Japanese.

Jane Gallagher, whose daughter, Flo, three, attends the nursery, said: “It’s great that the children are learning French.

“Flo comes home singing songs in French, which she then teaches us – so the whole family now knows how to sing ‘Monsieur Pouce’.”

Remi Runsewe, who lives in Cutteslowe but is originally from Africa, has two sons, Harry, five, and Hope, three.

Harry left the nursery before the initiative began, but Ms Runsewe, whose first language is English, said Hope was already beginning to reap the benefits of a bilingual education.

She said: “It’s fabulous, he’s speaking in French at home and singing in Japanese.

“The first time I heard it, I didn’t understand what he was saying and he told me he was speaking in French.

“What better way to teach a child than start them young?”

She admitted she didn’t speak much French, but she said she had been using the phrases she did know to prompt Hope to practise the words he was learning.

She said: “The older you get the harder it is to learn languages so learning from now will be a great advantage to him.

“I was very surprised – and impressed – by how much he’s picked up already.”

Last night Oxfordshire County Council said it was unaware of any other bilingual nursery schools in the county.

fbardsley@oxfordmail.co.uk