International School in the South of France

Bordeaux International School:
Conveniently located in the centre of historic Bordeaux in South-Western France on the Atlantic Coast, approximately 495 km / 308 miles south-west of Paris, Bordeaux International School provides high-quality, full-time bilingual (French / English) education programs for international pupils from the age of 2½ to 19 years. We offer home-stay / boarding facilities with French families in the local area for our secondary school students. Secondary education is taught in English and prepares students for IGCSEs, AS and A2 Level examinations. The programs are adapted to meet the needs of American students requiring entry qualifications to colleges in the United States.

Bilingual (French / English) Secondary School Boarding Program:
Full-time bilingual (French / English) secondary school education programs for international pupils from the age of 12 to 19 years:

- Secondary education is taught in English and prepares students for IGCSE and AS and A2 Level examinations in a range of subjects with the Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate.
- The programs are adapted to meet the needs of American students requiring entry qualifications to colleges in the US.
- Homestay with a local French family

Upper Middle School Program (12 – 13 years) - Preparing For Secondary School:
The International Upper Middle School is a two-year phase in a student's education at Bordeaux International School, where they prepare for the examinations in the years ahead. The curriculum is based on a combination of the English and French National Curricula especially adapted to allow students to experience the benefit of both systems and of living in France.

In these years, all subjects are taught by subject specialists in either principally English or French by bilingual teachers. For languages, the class is divided so that students are taught their first language (either English or French) separately. Similarly, for their second language. In Mathematics, the same system is adopted as in the Lower Middle School, in that students are taught the subject in both languages, enabling them to prepare for either French or English exams in the future. Although the methodology employed in problem solving in the English and French system is different, the content of the two systems is equivalent and students will be encouraged to examine problem solving from both points of view.

Secondary School Program:
The staff (60% British, 40% other nationalities) are all fully qualified and experienced. The student population is approximately 30% British and 70% French and other nationalities in the Primary Section and 40% British, 20% French, 10% American and 30% other nationalities in the Secondary section.

Approximately a third of the students in the Secondary section live at too great a distance from Bordeaux to commute daily, so these stay with French ‘host families’ in Bordeaux during the week, and return to their homes at the weekends. The school timetable is adapted to their needs, starting at 10.00 on Mondays, and finishing at 14.30 on Fridays. Besides providing accommodation, an important advantage of living with a  French family is that it allow students to practise and improve their French through everyday communication.

In the secondary school, classes are taught mainly in English and students are therefore only accepted if their competence in English is satisfactory. BIS is a registered centre for examinations with Cambridge (UCLES) and the school prepares students for IGCSEs, AS and A2 Level  in a range of subjects. The programs are adapted to meet the needs of American students requiring entry qualifications to colleges in the United States. Emphasis is placed on acquiring competence in the French language both through small classes within the school and involvement in educational, sporting and cultural facilities offered by the city outside the school.

* Homestay / Host Family Arrangements:
Living with a local family in Bordeaux is an ideal arrangement for Secondary School pupils whose parents live a long way from the school.  It is also the most effective way to gain fluency and to absorb the French language and culture. The pupils become part of the family and are soon chatting at the breakfast table, going shopping, visiting relatives and helping at meal times.

Accommodation is full board either on a weekly or full-time basis. All host families are personally vetted and selected, some of whom have been hosting pupils for several years, and with whom the school has built up very close relationships.

We aim to match pupils to host families as far as possible, for example with children of similar ages, hobbies and interests. We always consult the parents and introduce both families before the pupil moves in. It is vital that the pupil is happy in their host family and we devote a lot of care to this aspect.