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French
The A-level course
During the GCSE French course, pupils learn to translate their thoughts into French. A Level is very different: the French language becomes the medium through which pupils access the culture, history and literature of France and French-speaking countries. It is an absorbing and comprehensive linguistic and cultural exploration, which prepares pupils to study Languages, English Literature, History, Classics and International Relations at university. Many of our A Level pupils go on to study French at Oxford, Cambridge and other top universities. We follow the AQA syllabus.
Lower 6th (Year 12)
Our AS topics include Popular Culture, Media, Healthy Living and Relationships. Our Lower Sixth pupils prepare for two exams: a speaking exam (30% of AS), taken in January; and a listening, reading and writing exam in June (70% of AS). The exams assess both linguistic ability and knowledge of contemporary France, and pupils are expected to be able to use the language confidently and persuasively.
Upper 6th (Year 13)
At A2, the main focus is on two cultural topics, in which pupils are introduced to key cultural French texts. At present, pupils study Tartuffe by Molière and Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain, directed by Jeunet. Pupils also study the Environment and Contemporary Society, which includes themes such as immigration and integration; crime and justice and technological progress. Lessons are conducted almost entirely in French. Pupils are assessed by two final exams: a listening, reading and writing exam and an oral exam.
We alternate annually between two trips for Sixth Formers. The first is a school exchange with the Institution Saint Jude, a boarding school near Lille in Northern France, during which pupils stay with host families for a week and attend school with their partners. The second trip is a Sixth Form Cultural Trip to Paris, during which pupils enhance their A Level study by visits to Montmartre and Versailles as well as enjoying some of the city's main tourist attractions.
