All pupils study French in the Lower School to IGCSE level, including in the Fifth Form (Year 9). The course is taught in proficiency groups and teaching builds on pupils’ previous learning. 

The CIE IGCSE French specification is rigorous in its assessment and allows pupils to develop all four language skills  (speaking, reading, listening and writing). Roughly two thirds of the Lower Shell (Year 10) sit the IGCSE a year early. They then have the option to take the  DELF (Diplôme d’Etudes en Langue Française), which is a standalone international qualification examined at the end of the Upper Shell (Year 11).    

There is a long-standing Upper Shell exchange with the prestigious Lycée Janson de Sailly in Paris. It is an ideal opportunity to discover French culture, the schooling system and Paris first-hand. Staying with a host family and having an exchange partner allow for complete immersion in the language and culture, the value of which one can never overestimate. In the Sixth form (Year 12), pupils are strongly encouraged to spend time working in a francophone environment.  

The Maurice de Pange Lecture Series is a platform for scholars to come and talk about their area of expertise. The French Society is entirely pupil-led and meets once a term. It also hosts debating events in French. Pupils have been extremely successful in the Joutes Oratoires debating competition and have regularly qualified for (and won) the National Finals at the Institut Français. Since 2019, Sixth Form (Year 12) pupils have been taking part in the Public Speaking Competition organised by Lycée français Charles de Gaulle. 

A very high number of applicants each year take up places at top universities to read French or a subject combination involving French, whether it is with another modern language or with subjects as varied as Law, History or Philosophy. French is a fantastic asset for a graduate as it widens one’s opportunities and perfects one’s employability in fields as varied as journalism, diplomacy, business, research and science. French can be a crucial component in a US application as part of the liberal arts approach; it is also prized by highly competitive university courses, such as PPE and Law, which can favour an international outlook.