Diderot Bilingual School welcomes children from Très Petite Section (nursery) to Grande Section (final year of preschool).

Depending on enrollment, classes may be multi-grade.

Diderot Bilingual School is a French/English bilingual school. The curriculum is structured so that students receive 50% of their instruction in French and 50% in English, starting from the first year of preschool (Petite Section). Our English-speaking teachers are native speakers.

Class sizes are smaller than those in the national education system, averaging around 20 students per class, depending on the year.

The educational project's philosophy is founded on kindness, rigor, positive assessment of children, and openness to the world.

The curricula taught adhere to the guidelines and standards of the French Ministry of National Education and the English curriculum.

It is between the ages of 3 and 5 that language learning capacity is optimal. At these ages, the ability to mimic, which is fundamental to language acquisition, is at its strongest.

While foreign language instruction is important in a bilingual school, exposure to the language outside the classroom is equally crucial: this includes trips abroad, internships during school holidays, watching TV or movies in their original language, and, when possible, speaking English at home!

Assessments

Students are assessed throughout the year, from PS to CM2.

The school year is organized into two semesters: from September to January, then from February to July. At the beginning of the year, diagnostic assessments are implemented in each class to precisely identify prior learning from the previous year.

The report cards are given to families twice a year: early February and early July.

From PS to GS, it is a progress report.

From CP to CM2, students receive a skills report card. The CM1 and CM2 skills report cards must be kept: they will be required for 6th grade enrollment.

The CP and CE1 classes take the national assessments recommended by the Ministry of National Education.

Students are assessed by competencies.

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Diderot Bilingual School promotes learning in a family-like and caring environment. Small class sizes allow for personalized and individualized support.

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Our school encourages our students to thrive through learning and sharing. Our teaching approach promotes independence, open-mindedness, and self-confidence. It is therefore natural that bilingualism is at the heart of our middle school curriculum.

Bilingualism at Diderot Bilingual School

Most of our students have one or more English-speaking parent(s) or have lived abroad. Forty-eight nationalities or countries of origin are represented at the school.

Bilingual education aims to enable

• To English-speaking students to maintain a strong connection with English culture (at Diderot Bilingual School, they follow the Key Stage corresponding to their age), while following the French National Education curriculum.
• For French-speaking students to follow a French curriculum and to open up to English culture and language.

From primary school through to secondary school, students study in French and English. Cultural immersion and trips abroad foster an open-mindedness to the world. The goal of this bilingual education is to enable them to integrate and thrive in a multicultural environment.

In class, students have:

• Instruction in French and English (50/50)
• English teachers are native speakers and trained by Cambridge Assessment International Education.

These courses are delivered in two languages and promote a personalized teaching approach as well as an education based on exchange and sharing.

Students have the opportunity to certify their English level by taking the Cambridge Checkpoint assessments.

Preparation for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE).

Our Year 9 students begin preparing for the GCSE. This qualification marks the end of general secondary education in Anglo-Saxon countries and is an essential asset for pursuing higher education abroad.

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CAMBRIDGE / Global Perspective

Cambridge Global Perspectives is a unique programme that helps students at every stage of school education develop outstanding transferable skills, including critical

thinking, research and collaboration. This stimulating skills-based programme places academic study in a practical, real-world context. In Collège, classes participate in one Challenge every half-term covering topics such as ‘What Makes Us Human?’ to ‘Can Disease Be Prevented?’.

Lessons give students the opportunity to develop the skills that they need to be successful at school and university as well as in their future careers.

The programme taps into the way today’s students enjoy learning, including pair work, group work, seminars, and individual projects. The emphasis is on developing students’ ability to think critically about a range of global issues where there is always more than one point of view.

Emphasis is placed on formative assessment and students also proceed to a Checkpoint project at the end of Key Stage 2 (CM2) and Key Stage 3 (4eme), which is externally moderated by Cambridge.

Digital Project in Middle School

Middle school students are equipped with iPad tablets that include all digital textbooks. Much more than just a device, they significantly lighten school bags and offer a modern and interactive learning environment.

A true educational tool, the tablet enriches daily lessons. It facilitates access to a multitude of digital resources and promotes the implementation of differentiated instruction, tailored to individual needs.

Through innovative educational applications, each student progresses at their own pace and benefits from personalized support, fostering autonomy, motivation, and success.

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