Taste of Italy as private school goes bilingual

Youngsters aged from three to five are learning subjects such as geography and history in Italian, while the sciences and maths are being taught in English.

Research shows that being taught in two languages stimulates pupils' learning, and speaking a foreign language regularly from an early age gives them the best chance of becoming fluent. The bilingual classes will continue as the children get older, and if they prove successful will be continued into the upper school.

The pupils, whose parents have been given the option over whether children learn in the bilingual classes or not, will eventually have the chance to attain Italian and Scottish qualifications.

St Aloysius' College in Glasgow has a large Italian population, with 15 per cent of pupils having Italian as their first language, while the rest learn it from an early age.

The school's former pupils include The Thick Of It writer Armando Iannucci.

The Italian Consulate in Scotland has provided two teachers to help those at the school who are fluent in Italian. The agreement, signed by Italian ambassador Alain Economides on a visit to Edinburgh last week, is unique in Scotland.

Professor Kerry Kilborn, who specialises in psycholinguistic studies, said:

"It's a tremendous thing. If children speak another language at an early age and maintain it they have a better learning outcome in the long run.

"The biggest advantage would be the ability to be bilingual, which will open all sorts of doors for these children."

Headmaster John Stoer said: "St Aloysius' College is delighted to take part in this exciting development, which will be of great educational benefit to our pupils."

St Aloysius' College was founded in 1859 by Jesuits to educate Roman Catholics in the city as there was no Catholic state schools at the time.

It has consistently been one of the best-performing schools in Scotland and last month topped the exam league tables in Glasgow.