What is the French Immersion Excellence Program?
The French Immersion Excellence Program provides an opportunity for students to reach a high level of proficiency in a widely used second language. The program is part of a dual focused educational approach in which French, as the additional language, is used for the learning and teaching of both content and language (CLIL). Students study their core learning areas completely in the French language. Learning and teaching, classes, workbooks, homework and exams are all in French.
The French Immersion program has been running since 1991 with a history of giving highly motivated students an opportunity to extend themselves to do their personal best.
Goals of the program are to:
- Attain academic excellence and language proficiency through studying the same national curriculum as mainstream students but in the French language.
- Provide a learning environment so that students can thrive in the second language and be part of very high quality class of enthusiastic learners.
- Offer opportunities to participate in a range of extra-curricular opportunities including camps, excursions and cultural experiences.
- Develop French proficiency that leads to the opportunity to study Advanced French and Extension French in the senior years. Subjects that offer potential ATAR adjustments.
- Challenge students to enrich their career and cultural opportunities in areas where speaking another language is an advantage.
Duration
French Immersion is a 3-year program. Successful applicants will remain in this program until the end of Year 9. In Year 10 and 11 students may study Advanced French, and then continue to French Extension in Year 12.
Subjects
French Immersion is a class of 30 and students will study:
- Mathematics, Science, HPE and Humanities in French
- French language extension for their language elective
- One elective from Arts and one from Technology for each semester.
Cost:
Standard general student levy and subject fees apply, plus an additional charge for the resources produced in French.
Who can apply?
The French Immersion Program is available to both local area catchment and out-of-catchment students. Students interested in applying for entry into this Program of Excellence must indicate this option on their enrolment application to be considered.
Students do not need to have previous experience in French language to apply for the program. Most Immersion students have never studied French before and an intensive French course starts the program and prepares students to thrive in the French Immersion classroom.
Application process
The entry point for French Immersion is Year 7. Students wishing to complete an application for this program will complete an enrolment application including the Program of Excellence forms part 1 and part 2. Applications for entry in 2025 close on Friday 24 May 2024.
Applicants will be short listed for an interview with the Head of Languages.
How are students selected?
Students are selected on the merits and strength of their application data as requested in the application and enrolment process. The school makes decisions based on our interpretations of the submitted data to select the students who present as being the most suitable for this program. The top 30 applicants will be offered positions on the program. If an offer is turned down, the position is offered to the next person on the waiting list (i.e. 31th best applicant) until the class is filled.