Students can study French from Year 7, though it is also taught in our Preparatory Department. We insist on a communicative and multi-skill approach to language teaching and learning, ensuring students are able to communicate effectively and accurately, hence an equal insistence on the teaching of grammar throughout the school.

Trips: City has links with schools in Normandy and Narbonne and also encourage Sixth Form students to organise trips to France, either on work experience or language courses. Our Year 10 trip is a traditional exchange with Coll ège Sévigné (in southern France), while our Year 9 trip is an unaccompanied immersion exchange, where students spend two weeks at our partner school (Jean-Baptiste de la Salle in Rouen) without the presence of staff.

Support: City offers a support club each week (our Club de soutien) to assist students across all year groups. Sessions are aimed at students who feel they need extra work on a specific area of language or who perhaps need help with homework.

Extension Work: We encourage students to work independently and to extend themselves. All students receive Extension Booklets which they are expected to access independently of their French teacher.

Self-assessment: Students in all year groups are encouraged to assess their progress as they move through their units of work.

Assistants: City benefits from the hard work of two French assistants who work with small groups and individuals to improve their spoken language.