Bordeaux International School

Bordeaux International School
Location
Bordeaux
France
Information
Type Private international school
Established 1988
Gender Coeducational
Age 3 to 18
Language French, English
Website www.bordeaux-school.com

Bordeaux International School, also known as BIS, is a private (fee-paying) international school situated in the heart of the city of Bordeaux, France and has been in existence for over 25 years. The school offers a bilingual English/French education for children from the ages of three to fourteen, and for students aged fifteen to eighteen, a programme taught in English leading to IGCSE and Advanced level examinations with the University of Cambridge. Throughout the school there is an accent on learning French and with students from over twenty different nationalities, the school offers the opportunity to flourish in a truly international environment. BIS is a fully accredited member of the Council of International Schools (CIS), recognised by the French Ministry of Education, and a registered examination centre with The University of Cambridge Local Examination Syndicate (UCLES).

Organisation

The school educates in four stages:

About the school

Its facilities and location

Conveniently located close to the centre of historic Bordeaux, the school is purpose-built around a secure, enclosed and partially covered courtyard, which provides a space for pupils across the school to socialise with each other. The Primary and Secondary sections of the school are housed in individual self-contained buildings, adjacent to the school hall. The facilities include a science laboratory, private study areas, an expanding library for all ages with materials in French, English and Spanish, and a virtual media centre. Students also have access to a nearby Olympic-size swimming pool, gymnasium and sports fields. The school’s central location makes it easily accessible: an important consideration given the school’s international make-up. There are excellent train, bus and tram links, as well as the international airport less than 15 kilometres away.

Teachers from around the world

Teachers are fully qualified in specialist subject areas and have many years of experience teaching in their own country. The multinational staff includes French, English and Spanish native speakers. All teachers teach in their mother tongue and are fluent in a second language.

Teaching method and flexibility

A unique feature of the school is that classes are kept to a maximum of 12-14 pupils. This ensures individual attention and scope for personal development in differentiated teaching groups. To encourage enquiring minds, lessons are interactive. Frequently, there are discussions around a particular topic, with pupils learning to formulate their own opinions while the teacher maintains focus on the subject. Timetables are organised so that pupils sometimes pursue activities in ability groups rather than strictly by age groups. Children learn at different speeds and have different aptitudes. By occasionally mixing age groups, pupils can interact with others of similar ability, even though they might be years apart. This develops self-confidence, self-discipline, autonomy and social skills.

Communication and parental involvement

BIS encourages parents to become involved with the school and their child’s education at every opportunity and always welcome new members to the Parent and Teacher Association (PTA). Regular communication with parents is initiate: • NEWSLETTER: a monthly newsletter for all parents is produce. It contains news, updates on developments, announcements, articles on school trips and broader educational topics. • PARENT - TEACHER MEETINGS & INFORMAL MEETINGS: A parent-teacher meeting is held at the beginning of the school year to welcome parents, present the teaching staff, teaching methods and curriculum programmes. Individual parents’ meetings are held at the end of each term for parents to meet each of their child’s teachers to discuss their reports and progress. There are regular Open Days for parents to view wall displays and work books. • END-OF-TERM REPORTS: There is continuous assessment throughout the school year for all the children to measure understanding and progress. BIS provides a comprehensive report on each pupil three times a year (at the end of each term) detailing their progress with their school work, general behaviour at school and, where appropriate in the Secondary Section, interaction with their host family. • SCHOOL ENT & BLOG: ENT (Espace Numérique de Travail) is an e-learning environment which gives each student/parent and each teacher access to a personal workspace and specific information which help to advance school work (lesson objectives, supplementary documents, extension material, homework). It provides regular information on students' progress, grades, absences and term reports. The website includes a blog where pupils publish project work, write-ups of school trips, photographs and general displays. • WEEKLY EMAILS: In the Secondary section, every week, parents and students receive a personal email from the Head of the Senior School, giving information on their child's progress.

Host families

Students from the secondary department can enjoy the school partnerships to live in a host family especially if they are located far from the school. It is also the best way for foreigners to improve quickly their French and discover the local culture. All the host families are chosen and controlled to offer students the opportunity to live with children in the same age and sharing the same hobbits.

Contacts

Website: http://www.bordeaux-school.com/

Address: 252 rue Judaïque, 33000 Bordeaux

Phone number: 05.57.87.02.11

External links