06 Jun Communicative Maturity in English
Dozens of our 3rd to 6th-grade students have participated in the official oral exams of Trinity College London, an international assessment that evaluates the practical use of spoken English in real-life situations. The results were outstanding: 80% achieved the highest distinction, and all students passed successfully. But beyond the numbers, we want to share the reasons behind this success and how it was achieved.
🧠 Real, Consistent, and Gradual Immersion
In recent years, Peter Pan School has expanded its English immersion project for all students, from the nursery to 6th grade. Our English Project is a hallmark of our institution, based on the daily presence of English as a habitual language both inside and outside the classroom:
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Over 75% of the school day in Early Childhood Education is conducted in English.
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Three learning areas are taught in English in Primary Education.
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English-speaking tutors and teachers with proven preparation and experience.
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Native conversation assistants at all educational stages.
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International projects and extracurricular activities where English is the vehicular language.
All these elements foster a natural and experiential learning of English in real, meaningful, and emotionally positive environments.
📈 A Shift in Assessment Model
A few years ago, we presented most of our Catalan students at the initial levels of the Trinity exams: 3rd year → Grade 1, 4th year → Grade 2, 5th year → Grade 3, and 6th year → Grade 4
However, the context has changed: our classrooms now include Catalan students alongside children from around the world, many of whom are English-speaking. This natural and daily coexistence in English has significantly boosted our students’ oral proficiency.
As a result, we now present our non-native English-speaking Catalan students at more demanding levels: 3rd year → Grade 2, 4th year → Grade 3, 5th year → Grade 4, and 6th year → Grades 5 and 6.
🎤 Mastering English and Effective Communication
Trinity exams assess more than just knowledge. They also require:
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Confidence to speak fluently with a native examiner.
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Ability to present and defend a personal topic (starting from Grade 4).
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Expressive and discursive maturity, appropriate for advanced stages.
✅ Our Commitment
We believe in rigorous, realistic, and respectful assessment aligned with each student’s process. Therefore:
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We present students at each grade when they are developmentally ready, not before.
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We focus on providing positive, successful experiences that build self-esteem.
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We use official exams as recognition of a journey experienced at school, not as a final goal.
This Trinity project is just one component of a vibrant, comprehensive, and coherent English Project that continues at our Secondary School, Els Arcs, where students can further consolidate everything they’ve learned with us.
“Learning English is not just about learning a language. It’s about learning to communicate, to think, and to live together with an open mind towards others and the world.”
— Peter Pan School