French

In the French department we are proud to be asked to work with boys who come to us from a range of backgrounds, from the near-native speaker to the young man who is rather less assured in his grasp of the language. Everyone has a place here; a willingness to try hard is all we ask for.

There are regular opportunities to visit France and try out the increasingly confident skills. In recent years, there have been successful Fourth Form trips to Brussels, to Strasbourg (including a memorable day across the border in Germany) and, in 2008 both France and Belgium.

What has given most pleasure in recent years? It could be the brilliant results of the boys who take GCSE early – they are achieving at the level of their competence and it is good to see them racing ahead. However, I was particularly struck by one respondent in a staff appraisal who, in answer to the question, “What do you enjoy about the subject” was able to reply “I didn’t used to enjoy French but Mr X makes it bearable!”

Richard Oates BA MLitt
Head of French