The value of learning a second language cannot be
underestimated. Here are just a few reasons why:
- Better all-round academic performance
- Improves pupils’ concentration
- Creates a more powerful memory
- Stronger communication skills
- Greater creativity in problem-solving
- Gives you an advantage in the jobs market
- Prepares pupils for an increasingly globalised world
Why French?
- Over 300 million people speak French around the world.
- French is the official language of the EU, the International Olympic Committee, and the International Red Cross.
- At both GCSE and A Level, French is respected as a challenging and academic subject which top universities and employers value highly.
Lower School
Upper School
Trips & Events
In Year 9, we hold an annual play evening where pupils are invited to watch a performance (entirely in French of course!) by a travelling theatre company.
In Year 11 we have in the past offered a trip to Nice during the Easter holidays. Pupils stay with host families, attend lessons in the morning and undertake cultural activities in the afternoon before returning to their host families in the evening. The timing of the trip is ideal given that the IGCSE orals take place straight after the Easter holidays!
In the Sixth Form, a variety of events and trips are arranged. In 2023, for example, we ran a joint French and Art trip to Paris. Other trips have included day trips to conferences, French theatre visits and film evenings.
Beyond School
Many of our A Level students go on to read French at university, including in recent years two of our former pupils securing a place in the same year at Cambridge.
