To get a place in the International Section, you must first fill in an application form (available on the school website), and then pass the entrance test.  The tests aim to check the candidates' abilities to follow a program of study in English.  These entrance tests are organised yearly in May.  This year, they will take place on 28th and 29th May for the school year commencing in September 2018.  Please contact the school for any special requirements, such as arriving during the school year.

No.  The International Section welcomes both English-speaking and French-speaking pupils, but the latter must have a high enough level to follow the the programme of study in English.

Please find below the official objectives from the Ministry of Education for International Sections :

• « [...] to allow foreign pupils and French pupils to acquire training together, including the progressive use of a foreign language in certain subjects. » (article D. 421-131 of the Education code)

• « [...] to facilitate the integration and inclusion of foreign pupils into the French Education system and [...] to train French pupils for an in-depth study of a foreign language, in particular by using this language in certain subjects. » (article D. 421-132 of the Education code)

   

Pupils need to be able to follow eight hours of lessons in English per week.  The literature and language syllabus is based on the English National Curriculum and therefore is aimed at English-speaking pupils.  The history and geography syllabus is taught partly in English.  In literature and language lessons, pupils do not learn basic grammar like in the regular English lessons.  The groups study prose, poetry, plays, media and non-fiction.  Therefore, a high level of English is required.  To give an idea of the the minimum level, at the end of 3e, pupils need to be able to show a minimum of B2 (http://eduscol.education.fr/cid45678/cadre-europeen-commun-de-reference-cecrl.html).  This is the level expected of those leaving secondary education at baccalauréat level.

In some cases, yes.  Pupils who have joined the section have been able to demonstrate a passion for the language which has given them the motivation they need to learn the language.  Pupils such as these are very hard-working and have sufficient self-motivation to make up for any weaknesses in terms of grammar and vocabulary.  It is not an easy route to take for these pupils, given the extra workload that this section entails for them, which explains the necessity for the motivation to come from the pupil themself and not from their parents.

For pupils who don't speak French when they join the school, a specific programme of teaching French as a foreign language is offered in order to help them.

Yes and no, since the pupils who are in the International Section are sometimes put into two classes for the rest of their lessons taught in French and they leave this class only for the International Section lessons to follow their hours of teaching in English.

Teaching in English only for the International Section :

• at least 4 hours per week of English literature and language

• at least 1.5 hours per week of history and geography

Teaching in French for the whole class : French, maths, science, art, PE.

There is more work to do to some extent.  This is true for both English and French-speaking pupils.

In the English lessons, the curriculum requires work done in class as well as at home : debates, written work, presentations, grammar, and in English literature usually three novels, plays or other works are studied in the year.

In history and geograpy lessons, the work that pupils must do is the same as if they were studying the French curriculum, but with some extra effort required to learn the specific vocabulary when English is not the native language.

In 3e, pupils in the International Section take the Diplome National du Brevet avec Option Internationale.  This is an oral exam that is taken as an extra certificate in addition to the exams taken by all pupils in the school.

Pupils who wish to continue in this stream can take the entrance tests in the two lycées which offer aBritish International Section in the area, in order to later take their baccalauréat with the "Option Internationale du Baccalauréat" (O.I.B) : lycée Duby in Luynes and lycée Saint Charles in Marseille .

The school opens its doors at 8 am and the first lessons start at 8:20 am.  All lessons finish by 5:20 pm.  Examples of pupils' timetables can be found in the article published in the part "International Section - college Jacques Monod".

A school bus is organised from Aix-en-Provence with stops in other towns (Luynes, Bouc Bel Air etc) to the school.  There is another school bus service from Marignane and one from the St Charles train station in Marseille.  Local school buses are available in the town of Les Pennes Mirabeau. 

British and American International Sections at collège level : literature and language syllabus :

(site in French)
http://www.education.gouv.fr/pid25535/bulletin_officiel.html?cid_bo=73092#page

Tel : +33 (0)4.91.51.00.26
Fax : +33 (0)4.91.51.94.64
Email : ce.0132565t@ac-aix-marseille.fr