French
Learning French is a rewarding experience for our students. It is well known that becoming conversant in another language helps to train the brain and keep it healthier for longer. It strengthens students in important academic disciplines and improves their grammatical knowledge as well as their listening and oral skills. Language skills are increasingly in demand in the workplace, as nationally fewer and fewer people are taking languages. CRGS students with a language will be in high demand, and it opens a wider range of university options for them. Students also gain a wider appreciation of other cultures, as well as a useful tool for travelling abroad.
All students study French from Year 7 through to AQA GCSE. Students enjoy success at GCSE, and French is a popular course for many students at AQA A-level. The experienced teaching staff includes native speakers and lessons are usually taught in French. Grammar is also rigorously tested and as a result, students, by A level, are able to speak and write with flair, fluency, maturity and have excellent comprehension. The Department has extensive resources, including interactive on-line textbooks, magazines, interactive whiteboards and other audio-visual equipment.
Beyond the Curriculum
We have a varied enrichment program throughout the year including trips, exchanges, sixth form conferences, an international cinema club and a Bastille Day celebration. Year 7 students visit northern France for a day in June, and Year 9 spend three days in Paris or Normandy/Paris in July. Sixth form students are also given the opportunity to take part in an exchange with a school in Geneva, where they have the oppurtunity to visit the UN. Students are also welcome on the water sports adventure holiday in the south of France which often runs during the summer.
