Bordeaux school integrates pupils

BORDEAUX International School prides itself on being the only school of its kind in France with a French head teacher.

The school, which celebrates its 20th anniversary on April 12, focuses on helping children of many nationalities succeed in studies while integrating with the French way of life.

Head of the secondary section Tony Woodcock said: “The accent is always on involvement, integration and assimilation of French language and culture.”

The BIS has grown from its beginnings as a sixth form centre, adding a primary section before “bridging the gap” to offer education across the board to pupils aged two-and-a-half to 19.

Supported by the Mairie of Bordeaux, it is now situated in a more central location in the city.

It provides a bilingual programme for students aged two-and-a-half to 11 and secondary education taught in English towards IGCSE (International General Certificate of Education) and A Level exams.

Mr Woodcock said: “The secondary section of BIS, for students aged 12 - 19, is primarily for those who have come to France at an older age, and concentrates on the English national curriculum.”

The older students take part in placements in French organisations, and students throughout the school take part in regular visits to art galleries, museums, theatres and exhibitions in Bordeaux.

Mr Woodcock said involvement in the French community, the possibility of boarding with French host families, and examination results well above national norms were among the advantages of an education at BIS.

Ceris Isaacs has been sending her 15-year-old son Sam to the school for the past three years and is now in his GCSE year.

She said: “Sam was in the French system for three years but he was finding his studies hard.

“While he had an excellent level of spoken French he was finding written French much harder.

“I think a lot of children go to the school because of their lack of French and because education in their teenage years is particularly important.

“However it is not an English environment as there is a mix of nationalities.

“There can be cultural clashes sometimes but I also think this mix forces people to sit round the table and gain a better understanding of each other.”

Mrs Isaacs believes parents have to play their part in helping children integrate.

She said: “If you are asking your child to learn another language I think it helps for you to try and learn it too.

“I didn’t speak French before I came here however now I am doing OK.

“It is a show of support and can stop the child feeling isolated.”

Mrs Isaacs said BIS was Sam’s third French school.

She said: “We live quite a way from the school so Sam boards with a French family Monday to Friday.

“We visited three different families through the school and I let him choose the one where he felt he would be happiest and he has been with that family from when he first started.”

She added: “The classes are small, he is in a class of around six or seven and, while I think he would prefer there to be more people for the social side of things, I like the fact it means he gets a lot of individual attention.

“Since he has moved to the international school he seems to have settled in well and tells me he is happy there.”