Congratulations to the winners of La Petite Crêperie Schools’ Competition!

Pupils from North East schools have been chosen as the winners of La Petite Crêperie Competition, winning in-person workshops for their class with La Petite Crêperie and ENACT at Newcastle University’s ilab on 27th March.

A staggering 4,152 children from 43 North East schools participated in the competition, as part of Express Yourself: North East Festival of Languages, coordinated by International Newcastle.

Winners’ workshops

30 pupils from Key Stage 2 and Year 8 from the two school winners of the La Petite Crêperie competition, Richard Coates CE Primary School and Royal Grammar School, took part in individual 90-minute workshops delivered by La Petite Crêperie.

The workshop began with a presentation about La Petite Crêperie’s journey, led by Guy-Albert, during which pupils were introduced to aspects of French culture. For example, they explored different aspects of French culture and some well-known symbols associated with the country. The session was highly interactive, as pupils were encouraged to answer questions about France throughout the presentation. Those who answered correctly
received stickers, and the pupil who collected the most stickers by the end of the workshop was rewarded with an extra topping for their crêpe.

Afterwards, Guy-Albert began preparing the crêpes, showing pupils the process of how they are made. Once the crêpes were ready, each pupil had the opportunity to order their crêpe in French. Pupils practised simple phrases such as “Bonjour, je voudrais une crêpe avec…”, “S’il vous plaît” and “Merci”. A variety of toppings were available for them to choose from, including lemon and sugar, caramel, Belgian chocolate and speculoos. The children enjoyed tasting their crêpes while practising their French, making the activity both an interesting and memorable way to experience the language and culture.

It’s good to teach children from a very young age that there are many languages in the world, not just English. I think the workshop went very well, and I noticed that the pupils were very happy at the end while eating their crêpes. Experiences like crêpe tasting are also useful for children, as many of them often confuse crêpes with pancakes, so it’s beneficial for them to learn about the difference. I would sum up the event with the word ‘magnifique’, which in English means magnificent.

Guy-Albert from La Petite Crêperie

The second part of the workshop continued with a fun French lesson based on crêpes, led by Nathalie Paris. During this session, pupils learned about the history of crêpes and the ingredients used to prepare them. With the help of activity sheets, such as matching exercises and crosswords, the lesson became a more engaging and enjoyable learning experience. Pupils also interacted with their classmates through different games and interactive activities, which helped reinforce the vocabulary they had learned. The activities encouraged children to practise new words in context while developing their confidence in using French.

Feedback from pupils and staff

I’ve been working with the North East Festival of Languages for many years now, and I think events like this are very important for children because they can learn new languages while also taking part in cultural activities. The event went really well; the children learned a lot and I learned as well. If I had to sum up the event in one word, it would be ‘délicieux’, which means ‘delicious’ in English.

Paul Seedhouse, Emeritus Professor (Human Spoken Interaction) at Education, Communication and Language Sciences, Newcastle University

One of the children in our class won the competition, so we were invited to take part in this incredible workshop. I think events like this are very beneficial for pupils because they allow them to learn much more than they would in the classroom and fully experience French culture. Our pupils loved the event and we would definitely recommend this workshop to other schools so they can also experience French culture and crêpes.

Claire Huitson, Teacher at Richard Coates CE Primary School

We wanted to give our students the opportunity to take part in this Festival of Languages because, as a school, we believe it is a great opportunity for pupils to attend events outside the classroom. It is crucial for them to use the language in a different way, in a more real context, and to practise with native speakers. Experiences like this can also motivate them to continue learning the language.

Tom Harman, Teacher at Royal Grammar School

We were delighted with the response to La Petite Crêperie Competition, which was back by popular demand this year, as part of the Festival. It was wonderful to see the imagination of pupils across the region and their inspirational designs and to see how French is being applied in creative ways across curriculum subjects. Many thanks to all who took part, all the teachers who supported pupils and of course to Julian and the team at La Petite Crêperie for providing such a great competition.

Declan Baharini, Festival Co-ordinator and CEO, International Newcastle

Further information and links

La Petite Crêperie is a French street food business specializing in interactive language workshops, bringing French culture and language learning into schools and events. With over 10 years of experience engaging students through fun, hands-on French activities, we are passionate about making language learning an unforgettable experience.

La Petite Crêperie offers schools an engaging, hands-on experience in French language and culture, featuring interactive workshops that combine culinary activities, language practice, and cultural insights, along with the delicious opportunity for students to enjoy freshly made crêpes.

• Sessions for schools can be booked by emailing: lpcreperie@outlook.com
• Follow La Petite Crêperie on social media: instagram | facebook | X

Resources linked to this activity have been provided through the ENACT app, with the support of Newcastle University. There are more activities related to culture and traditions with language learning on the ENACT app.

• Click here for ENACT materials made by Julien and accessible online
• ENACT: Learn Language through Culture from Newcastle University has demonstrations of cultural activities with their associated languages which you can follow and use at home or in a group or classroom setting.
• Visit the ENACT website here and Follow on social media: twitter @enacteuropa, instagram @enacteuropa and facebook/enacteuropa
• Click here for the ENACT Around the World Club free package for NE schools 

Click here to find out about Festival events and activities featuring French, competitions and celebrations, plus French Culture Days and other resources from the Institute français.

Thank you to our partners who made this project possible: