French could be said to be the backbone of the great variety of languages which flourish at JAGS; it is the path along which most girls first come to the principles of language learning, including grammar. Many girls entering Year 7 have already learned French to varying levels and using differing methods. No girl should worry, however, that she will be at a disadvantage if she has not done French before; language learning is essentially cumulative and will always involve revisiting basic structures and consolidation. The main aim of the department is always to enable each individual girl to achieve her full potential.

Halfway through Year 7 girls choose their second modern language from German, Italian, Russian and Spanish which they will start in Year 8. Although the school insists on at least one modern language at GCSE, this does not have to be French. Everyone benefits from this greater freedom of choice and in this way French is set within the context of the other European languages, remaining a very popular choice at both GCSE and A level. Five years ago, a fast track GCSE course was successfully introduced in Year 9. The scheme has proved particularly popular considering the number of students continuing their studies of French by choosing the French AS option in Key Stage 4.

We aim to make French enjoyable by every means at our disposal! While a good command of grammar, accuracy and vocabulary is central to a girl’s ability to manipulate the language in order to express what she wants to say, creativity and imagination are also emphasised. Girls are encouraged to write poetry and imaginative prose and to enter writing in French for the school magazine and for outside competitions. Every year, girls gain prizes in the annual Song and Poetry competition.

Each year we are very pleased to welcome the European Theatre Company’s professional live production in French and various guest speakers. We have recently enjoyed productions of ‘Le Petit Prince’ and ‘Cendrine Bio’ in Key Stage 3, and welcomed guest speakers on la Nouvelle Vague and various other cultural topics for the sixth-formers. Many of those extra-curricular activities are organised in collaboration with partner and/or neighbouring schools.

Movies and songs play an important support role at all levels: it brings France, la Francophonie and French culture directly into the classroom, providing another dimension and stimulating discussion in French.

The French department offers numerous trips including a three-day trip to Boulogne in Year 7 with the collaboration of the geography department, an exchange with the lycée de Sèvres in Year 9,  a language-course  for a week in Montpellier in Year 10 and 11 and a cultural visit to Paris in Year 12. We also recommend language summer schools and work experience programmes in which girls can participate in the summer between AS and A2.

The A Level French course allows students to take their command of language to a new level as they examine topical issues such as health, media, popular culture and family in Year 12 or immigration, environment, social and ethical issues in Year 13, and learn how to discuss them in French.  French literature and other cultural aspects are studied in more depth in Year 13, which provide our pupils with both a source of intellectual challenge and much enjoyment. In our experience, JAGS girls enjoy cultural topics and we believe that studying outstanding examples of French writing, from Sartre, Camus and Voltaire through to Truffaut and La Nouvelle Vague is thought-provoking and teaches critical analysis.  It also lifts the course into a dimension additional to the socio-political topics studied in the language units. 

We are also delighted that several of our A Level students each year choose to continue their French studies at university and many of them spend their gap year doing the Sorbonne language course, enjoying work experience or doing the skiing season in a Francophone country.