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Years7,8and9

AcademicInformation

2018–2019

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Years7,8and9–AcademicOverviewEnabling each individual student to achieve academic success and develop apassionforlife-longlearninganddiscoveryarekeyobjectivesatLaGarenne.Theboardingenvironmentensuresthestabilityandstructurenecessaryforeachchildtothriveanddevelop.Paralleltothis,theacademiclifeoftheschoolprovideseachindividual student with stimulating and challenging programmes of study. Thesmallclasssizesfavourapersonalisedapproachtoteaching,basedoninquiryandinvestigativelearning.ForYears7,8and9,thecurriculumisunderpinnedbytheobjectivesofUKEnglishKey Stage3programme,particularly in theCore Subjects - English,MathematicsandScience.Asan internationalschool,weaimtoprepareourstudents for theiracademicfuturesintheworldofinternationaleducationandforlifebeyondschool.Withthisinmind,sinceSeptember2017thestudentsinYears7,8and9havebeenfollowing the InternationalMiddleYears Curriculum (IMYC). This internationallyrecognised curriculum provides the perfect platform for further studywhen thestudents move on to senior school. The IMYC is a rigorous, concept-basedprogramme, which has been specifically designed around the unique learningneeds and brain functions of adolescents. The students are challenged andsupportedintheirlearning,inthedevelopmentoftheirownpersonaldispositionsandinternationalmindedness.FurtherdetailsontheIMYCcanbefoundat:http://www.greatlearning.com/imycorbyfollowingthelinkattheendofthissection.In the IMYCprogramme, students are taught by specialist teachers in all subjectareas.Whiletheirlearningisstructuredandguidedaccordingtoindividualneeds,thestudentsareencouragedtotakeincreasingresponsibilityoftheirownlearningas they move up the school. The curriculum promotes the consolidation anddevelopmentofEnglishskillsinallsubjectareas,sothatwhenthestudentsmoveon from La Garenne, they are well equipped to tackle challenging academicprogrammesleadingtoexternalexaminations.AllthestudentsalsostudyFrenchatlevelsrangingfrombeginnerstofirst-languagespeakers.The students’ study time is structured in such a way as to provide them withindividualguidanceasrequired.Atthesametime,theyaregiventheopportunityto structure their won study time to some degree, so that they develop theirabilitiesasindependentlearners

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TheAcademicProgrammeInYears7,8and9,thecurriculumisunderpinnedbytheobjectivesoftheEnglishKeyStage3programmeand is taughtviatheconcept-basedInternationalMiddleYears Curriculum (IMYC). This is a natural extension from the InternationalPrimaryCurriculum(IPC)onwhichalargepartoftheprimaryprogrammeisbasedatLaGarenne.Thisallowsustoeffectivelyarticulatethecurriculumbetweentheprimaryand secondary sectionsof the school, andprovide the studentswithinacontinuityofapproachtoteachingandlearning.Thesubjectsandthenumberof45-minuteperiodstaughtineachclassareshowninthetablebelow.Thenumberofperiodsperweekmaychangefromtermtoterm.Inparticular,thismayvaryduringthesecondtermduetothefactthatthesportsprogrammeisbasedonskiingandtheweeklystructurechangesalittle.Specialistteachersdeliverallsubjects.Subject Year7 Year8 Year9

English(includingCambridge) 9 9 9ESLSupport(asrequired) 7 7 7Mathematics 6 6 6FrenchasaForeignLanguage 4 4 4AdvancedFrench(optional) 4 4 4ScienceandTechnology 5 5 5History 2 2 2Geography 2 2 2PhilosophyandBeliefs 1 1 1Art 2 2 2Music 2 2 2PSHE 1 1 1Sports 4 4 4IntroductiontoBusinessStudies 1 EconomicSustainability 1GlobalCitizenship 1 1 While the subjects taught remain largely the same across the three years ofKeyStage 3, the depth and challenge increases as the studentsmove up through theschool.Year9providesafirmgroundingforstudentsmovingintothenextstageoftheiracademiccareerwhen they leaveLaGarenne.With increasinglydemandingworkandthepossibilitytotakeextensionclassesinkeysubjectareas,thestudentsarestretchedacademically.

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TheInternationalMiddleYearsCurriculum(IMYC)The InternationalMiddleYearsCurriculum favours theway that11-14yearoldslearn. It is a challenging, engaging, internationally-minded, concept-focusedcurriculumdesignedspecifically fortheunique learningneedsof11-14yearoldsinKeyStage3/lowersecondaryclasses.

Linkingallsubjectlearningtoaconceptualtheme

Each IMYC unit of work follows a conceptual theme known as the Big Idea.Neuroscientistssaythebrainlearns‘associatively’,alwayslookingforpatternsandlinkingtopreviouslearning.Inprimaryschools,teachersoftenfindtheselinksforstudentsandregularlymentionlinksbetweendiscreetsubjects’learning.

The organisation of secondary school teaching and learning is often withindepartments, resulting in students suddenly having the responsibility of findingtheirownlinksintheir learning.TheaimoftheIMYCistohelpstudentsdevelopthe habit of identifying links in their learning for themselves through linking alllearningwiththeBigIdea.TheIMYClinkstheknowledge,skillsandunderstandingofeachsubjecttothemostappropriateBigIdea.

Respondingtothespecificdevelopmentalneedsof11-14yearolds

The adolescent brain is undergoing major changes, mainly maturation of theprefrontal cortexand specialisation.This involves ‘pruning’ connectionsbetweenbrain cells and changed behaviours. Research shows that we typically seeincreasedrisktaking,increasedsensationseeking,andgreaterpeeraffiliation.

TheInternationalMiddleYearsCurriculumhasbeendesignedtorespondtothesespecificneedsoftheadolescentbrain.Asaresult,eachIMYCunitofworkprovidesopportunities for students toworkwith and learn frompeers, to lead their ownlearningandtotakerisks, totackleawiderangeofself-directed investigation, toexperiencesecurityandfamiliaritythroughaconsistentlearningprocess,toreflectupontheirlearningandtoconnecttheirlearningtotheworldaroundthem.

Workingtowardsunderstandingthroughapersonalandglobalperspective

JournalingthroughoutIMYCunitshelpsstudentstoreflectandlinktheirsubjectlearningthroughouttheunit,developingunderstandingandmakingpersonalmeaningfromtheperspectivesof‘self’and‘other’.StudentsthenrepresentwhattheBigIdeameanstothempersonallyandfromaglobalperspectivethroughtheircreativemediaprojectExitPoint.

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InterlinkingLearning

To help students link their learning, the IMYC asks all subject teachers tocollaboratetoconnectallsubjectlearningtotheBigIdea.Althoughsubjectlearningremains independentand rigorous, it also formspartof awhole, interdependentunit.Subjectteachersconnectthroughtheconceptualideaandcollaborateduringvarious stages of the IMYC process of learning. Experience has shown that thisteachercollaborationhelpstodevelopasharedfocusonstudentlearning.

Preparingstudentsforthenextstageoflearning

IMYClearningbuildsuponenquiry-basedthematic learning inprimaryandhelpsteacherstopreparestudentsforthenextstageoftheirlearning.Thisincludesthedevelopment of foundation subject knowledge and skills that students need forGCSE,IGCSE,IBDiplomaandAlevels;skillsrequiredforcomplexresearchingandrecording,forpresentingandforusingarangeofmediaformstopresentlearning.Inaddition,thepersonalandinternationalskillsthatstudentsdevelopthroughouttheir learning with the IMYC also provide crucial foundations for their seniorschoollearningandevenforfutureworkopportunities.

Creatingachallenging,student-ledlearningenvironment

The IMYC is an enquiry-based curriculum. Individual and collaborative researchand recording tasks all linked to the Big Idea, supporting subject teachers infacilitating student-led, subject-based learning. Learning tasks provideopportunities forstudentstoregularlyproblemsolve, tothinkcreatively-andtodeveloppersonalskillssuchasresilience,communicationandadaptability.

Each Exit Point asks students to combine their understanding from the unit ofwork; showing how all their learning links though the Big Idea and what thatmeanstothempersonallyandinarealworldcontext.Theworkinplanningandproducing these projects provides opportunities for extensive creative andstudent-led learning and, as students share in the presentations of their peers,morenewlearningandcreativityisshared.

IMYC–ConceptsandBigIdeasA common concept and ‘Big Idea’ link the learning in each IMYCunit. These areoutlinedbelow,foreachyeargroup.Year7ConceptsandBigIdeasShownbelowarethetenunitsofstudyavailableforYear7.Theconceptsmarkedwithanasterisk*arethosethatwillbestudiedintheschoolyear2018-2019.Adaptability*Adaptability is demonstrated by the ability to cope, alter or change with newcircumstancesorenvironments.

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Balance*Thingsaremorestablewhendifferentelementsareinthecorrectorbestpossibleproportions.CelebrationThereisvalueinrecognizingandobservingspecialeventsthroughritualandwithjoyandhappiness.Collaboration*Whenpeopleworktogether,theycanachieveacommongoal.ConsequencesVeryfewactionsareneutral.Mostactionscreateimpactorchangethatthenhavetobedealtwith.CreativityInnovativeideascanhappenwhenexistingornewconceptsarebroughttogetherorexpressedinanewway.Discovery*Findingoutnewthingsisahumandriverandaffectsthingsforbetterorworse.ResolutionProblems,disputesandcontentious issuescansometimesbesatisfactorilysolvedorresolved.Risk*Progress involves exposing ourselves to and considering the impact or forms ofdanger,harm,uncertaintyoropportunity.StructuresFormalarrangementsandrelationshipsunderpinorgiveorganisationtocomplexissues.

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Year8ConceptsandBigIdeasBeliefPeoplegainorsufferasaresultoftheircommitmenttoideas.Competition*Tryingtobeatothershasgoodandbadconsequences.Communication*Wheninformationissharedaccuratelyandclearlytheendresultismoreeffective.CuriosityThedesiretoknowmoredrivesexplorationandaspiration.Courage*Beingtruetoyourselfrequiresbravery.Reflection*Complexdecision-makingrequiresspaceandtime.RelationshipEveryindividualthingaffectsandisaffectedbyotherthings.ResilienceSuccessovertimerequirespersistence.Respect*It’simportanttohonourbehaviourandprocessesthathaveprovenmerit.TraditionBeliefsandcustomsfromthepasthaveapowerfuleffectonourlivestoday.

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Year9ConceptsandBigIdeasChallengeFacinguptoorovercomingproblemsandbarriersincreasespossibilitiesinourlivesCommunity*AsharedsenseofbelongingoccurswhenpeopleareabletonegotiateandappreciatetheircomplexandoftenmessydifferencesDevelopment*LonglastingchangestakeplaceslowlyovertimeEntrepreneurshipTheabilitytomakemoneythroughdevelopmentofproductsandsituationsappropriatetodifferentmarketsrequiresapplicationofcertainskillsIdentityOursenseofself,andthatofothers,iscontinuallydevelopingthroughourdifferentinteractionsandimpactsonhowweexistintheworldInterpretation*OnlyaveryfewthingsaretrueforallpeopleJusticeAfairsocietyisorganisedsothatnoonesuffersundulyforthebenefitofothersLeadership*Forbetterorworse,oneormorepeoplecanuseinfluencesothatothersaidandsupportthemRenewalTheendofaprocessisoftenthepreparationforthebeginningofsomethingnewResponsibility*Eachofusisinchargeoftheactionswechoose

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TeachingandLearningatLaGarenneTheIMYCprovidesaframeworkandmethodologyforteachingandlearning,whichatLaGarenneweadapttothecharacteristicsandneedsofourstudentbody.Pleasefindbelowabriefoutlinetotheschool’sapproachtoteachingandlearningineachofthesubjectareas.English–LanguageArtsInthisvibrantanddynamicIMYCcourse,weaimtoengenderaloveforthewrittenandspokenword.Theprogressivenatureofthecourselayssolidfoundationsforfuturestudyinarelaxed, friendlyandtrustingenvironment,basedongoodworkhabits,highexpectationsofperformanceandhardwork.English is vital for communicatingwith others in school and in thewiderworld,and is fundamental to learning in all curriculum areas. Pupils are encouraged todevelop skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing that they will need toparticipate in society and employment. Pupils learn to express themselvescreatively and imaginatively, and to communicate with others confidently andeffectively.ParalleltotheIMYCprogramme,allstudentspreparefortheCambridgeEnglishasaSecondLanguageexaminationscorrespondingtotheirlevelofEnglish.This isalsobeneficial for first–languagespeakersofEnglish,as itreinforcestheirgrammar skills and vocabulary. They are not required to take the officialexaminations.Literature in English is rich and influential. It is a key element of the course,reflecting the experiences of people from many countries and times, andcontributingtoasenseofculturalidentity.Pupilslearntobecomeenthusiasticandcriticalreadersofnovels,poetryanddrama,aswellasnon-fictionandmediatexts,gainingaccesstothepleasureandworldofknowledgethatreadingoffers.Assessmentisanon-goingcombinationofformativeandsummativetasks.EnglishLanguageSupportAprogrammeofEnglishLanguageLearningSupportisinplaceforthosestudentswhojoinLaGarennewhodonotyethavealevelofEnglishthatwillallowthemtoaccess the full curriculum. They will work in small groups, sometimes beingwithdrawn from the subjects that have a heavy language content. Parents areinformedofthisrequirementpriortothestudentjoiningtheschool,orverysoonafter,when it isseen that thestudent isexperiencingdifficultiesdue to languagelimitations.Sincethisprogrammehasbeenputinplace,wehavewitnessedaveryhigh level of success,with students integrating into themainstream programmeaftertwotermsatthemost.ScienceTheactivity-basedIMYCScienceandTechnologyProgrammefollowedbyYears7,8 and 9 aims to enhance the students’ scientific knowledge, provide hands-onpracticalwork,developexperimental skillsandallow for thestudents tobecomeeffective critical thinkers. Our fully equipped laboratory provides an ideal

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environment for the students to learn and investigate. Furthermore, ourprogramme also encourages a positive attitude towards the environment and inbeingaresponsiblecitizenintoday’sworld.The Science Programme has three major components: Biology, Chemistry andPhysics. All students are required to study a balance of the three during theirscience lessons, thus facilitating subject choice and continuity for further study.Thestudentsaretaughtinsmallgroupsformanyofthelessons,facilitatingaverypersonalised‘hands-on’approachtoScience.MathematicsTheMathematicsProgrammeforYears7,8and9isbasedontheEnglishNationalCurriculum and follows Key Stage 3 objectives. It is linked to the learningobjectivesof the IMYC, though it isnota taught subject in the IMYCprogramme.ThemathematicsprogrammecontainsabalanceofNumeracy,Algebra,GeometryandTrigonometry,Statistics,ProbabilityandProblemSolving.Theprogramme isdesignedtodevelopthestudent’smathematicalknowledgeandtheunderstandingof theconceptsandskillsneeded toapplymathematics: in life, inworkandveryimportantly,tocontinueinfurthereducation.Differentiation in the teaching, learning and assessment caters for the learningneeds of each individual student and provides a positive but yet challenginglearningenvironment. In the classes this is further facilitatedby the fact that formostofthelessonstheclassisstreamedandteachingandlearningtakesplaceinsmaller groups, by level. This allows for a much more individual approach toteachingandlearninginthiskeysubjectarea.HistoryHistoryistaughtasanindependentsubjectinthecontextoftheIMYCand,aswellasprovidinganunderstandingofkeypointsinlocal,Europeanandworldhistory,we endeavour to equip students with historical skills as well as knowledge.Students are regularly assessed using a variety of AFL (assessment for learning)techniquesaswellas termlyexamsand levelledpiecesofwork.Thecasestudieschosen are designed to be as international as possible, in order to broaden thestudents’ horizons and promote inter-cultural understanding and globalcitizenship.GeographyYear7, 8 and9Geography follows IMYCmodules that are tailored to reflect ourinternational student body as well as the geographic location of the school. Inaddition to learning about topics, students are given the opportunity to become‘geographers’ themselves by conducting fieldwork in locations in the region.Fieldwork allows geography to takeplace outside the classroomand encouragesstudents to be able to theorise and check why certain human and physicalgeographicalfeaturesoccur.Regularassessmenttakesplaceintheformoflevelledtasks as well as written exams. A variety of self, peer and teacher assessmentensures that students are sure of their current level as well of their targets forprogression.

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PhilosophyandBeliefsIn thiscourse,whichrunsparallel to the IMYCprogramme,a rangeof socialandreligioustopicssuchasfestivals,moralityandthedifferentlifestylesofindividualsare covered within the modules. In Years 7, 8 and 9 Philosophy and Beliefs istaught as an independent Humanities subject. It is a subject which employscreativity and ‘thinking outside the box’ to explore our ownbeliefs and those ofothers. The course is a vital subject for the holistic development of all students,regardlessoftheirreligiousbelieforspirituality.Themodulesaregenerallybasedon thematic topics and enabling students to challenge, question and affirmdifferentreligiousandmoralconcepts.Thesubjectencouragesdebate,discussionandrespect towardsothermembersof theclassaswellas insociety.PhilosophyandBeliefsteachesmanycoreskillssuchasrespect,empathy,confidence,morality,communicationandenquirytonamejustafew.Thelessonsallowforkinaesthetic,visual and auditory learning to take place in order for students to betterunderstandtheirownideasandtheworldaroundthem.FrenchThe school aims todevelop ahigh level ofmasteryof theFrench language, eventhoughthemain languageofstudyisEnglish.Thisallowsustomakethemostofour francophone environment, which provides our students with greatopportunities to use their language skills in a real-world setting. Our Frenchteachersareallmother-tongueFrenchspeakersandmanyothermembersofstaffarehighlyproficientinFrench.All students take lessons in French as a Foreign Language. This is taught at twolevels, corresponding to the children’s level of proficiency in the language. Thestudents are prepared for the official French language examinations in theDELFprogramme. Given the tradition of La Garenne, and our francophone setting,weactivelyencouragestudentsto improvetheirFrenchtothehighestpossible level.Somestudentsaimtostay inSwitzerlandandmayevencontinuetheirstudies inFrench.With this inmind, we provide the option for students to take ExtendedFrenchclassesoutsideof theregular timetable. This isonan individualorsmallgroupbasis,byFrenchlevel.Extralessonsofthistypeallowthestudentstobenefitto an absolutemaximum from increased exposure to French language, literatureandculture.TheycanthereforeaimhighintheDELFexaminations.The results in the DELF examinations are traditionally excellent, although thestudents are often very young when compared to others who are taking theexaminationsatthislevel.TheArtsArtandMusicformintegralpartsoftheschool’sacademicweek,beingkeysubjectsin the IMYC. Students make good use of the school’s attributed Art and Musicrooms.DramaisofferedtoYears7,8and9duringclubtimes,asareArtandMusic.From September 2018, an integral part of the Drama programme will be the

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developmentofcommunicationskillsandpublicspeaking.Interpersonalskillsarevital in today’sworld andwe actively promote thedevelopment of the students’self-confidence,asthisisakeyelementofeffectivecommunication.The Arts come together in the form of films, music and drama productions onregularoccasionsthroughouttheschoolyear,forParents’Dayandtheend-of-yearcelebrations, for example. As part of our mission to develop the whole child,studentsareconsistentlyencouragedtopractiseanddisplaytheirartistictalents.Dance lessonsareavailableandstudentsalsohave thepossibility to takeprivatelessonstolearnhowtoplaymusicalinstrumentssuchasthepianoandguitar.SportSport isregardedasakeyactivity inthedaily lifeofstudentsatLaGarenne,asameans of personal development and discovery and also a pathway to a healthylifestyle. All classes have sports activities built in to their weekly timetable,following the IMYC Physical Education programme. Students also have theopportunitytoparticipateinsportsactivitiesduringextra-curricularactivitiesandclubsandinthegenerallifeoftheboardingschooloutsideofclasstime.Weofferawiderangeofsportsactivities,makingthemostofourownfacilities,thoseofthevillage and, of course, themountains. The Alps provide the backdrop for awiderange of sporting opportunities in the summer and autumn terms, with snow-basedactivitiescomingtotheforeinthewinterterm.BusinessStudiesandSustainableEconomicsThese two popular subjects are relatively new to Years 8 and 9 and ‘extra-curricular’inthesensethattheyarenotapartoftheIMYCprogramme.However,they help in the development of a global outlook in the students and have linkswithmanyareasofthetaughtcurriculum.GlobalCitizenshipIntheacademicprogramme,studentsinYears7,8and9areabletoexaminewhatis going on in the world and discuss matters that are perhaps not coveredelsewhere in the curriculum. Developing what is termed as InternationalMindedness is a key element underpinning the IMYC, and developing globalcitizenshipisoneoftheschool’sguidingprinciples.Wefeelthatisimportantthatyoungpeoplehaveanunderstandingoftheworldaroundthem,inpreparationforthem becoming the global citizens of tomorrow. Global issues form part of thetaughtcurriculumandarefrequentlythesubjectofweeklyassembliesandthemeddays.Personal,SocialandHealthEducation(PSHE)Year 7, 8 and 9 students have one lesson of PSHE during the schoolweek. Thisallows them to examine age-specific issues important for their personaldevelopment aswell as their physical and emotionalwell-being. The lessons arebasedupondebatinganddiscussionandmakemanycross-curricularlinks.Aswellas addressing topics such as Healthy Lifestyles, which includes a focus on diet,

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bodyimageandmentalandphysicalhealth.WealsodiscussglobalprinciplessuchasFairTradeandcharity.Thecoursecontentisdividedbroadlyintothreeareas-HealthandWell-Being,RelationshipsandLivingintheWiderWorld.Studentsareencouragedtoformtheirownopinionsandlistento,respectandpolitelychallengetheideasofothers.Studentsarenotformallyassessedinthissubjectbuttakepartinselfandpeerassessmentthroughouttheschoolyear.LearningSupportStudents joining La Garenne may need support to overcome their learningdifficulties. We have staff in-house to provide assistance for a range of issueswhere learning support is required, including organisation and study skills,dyslexia,anddyscalculia.Wealsoworkcloselywitharangeofspecialistswhoarebased locally and are available to provide individual support to students whorequireit,inclosecollaborationwiththeparents.PersonalStudyatLaGarennePersonalstudy,formerlycalledHomework,isanintegralpartofacademiclifeatLaGarenneforYears7,8and9.Timeissetasideforpersonalstudythroughouttheacademicweekandduringtheweekend.ThescheduleforPersonalStudyisissuedatthestartofeachterm.Thisscheduledoesnotmeanthatstudyisnotpossibleatother times. In the evening, studentsmayopt to study rather thanparticipate inactivities.FromSeptember2018,thestudentsinYears8and9willbegivenmorefreedomtomanagetheirownstudytime.Teacherswillbeavailabletoassistandadvisethembutthestudentswillhavemoreindependenceinchoosingwhereandhow the wish to study. The study tasks may be subject-specific and specialistteachers are available during the study times to provide anynecessary help andguidance.Thestudytasksarerecordedone-praisebytheteachersandinthestudents’ownagendas. Study tasks will vary in character and may involve computer use.Students misusing computers during Personal Study, and those not workingeffectively or disrupting others will be more closely supervised and may losecertainprivileges. Studentswhoaredoingwell on epraiseorwhoarenamedbytheirteachersasbeingresponsible,independentlearnerswillhavemorelibertytochosehow,whenandwhere they study.This is important inpreparing them fortheirfutureschools.Teachers may set traditional tasks for Personal Study sessions, including testpreparation, exercise completion (written and on-line), and in-depth topicresearch.Theymayalsoaskstudents toundertake ‘flipped learning’ tasks,whicharedescribedinmoredepthinthedocumentcitedbelow:‘FlippedLearningisapedagogicalapproachinwhichdirectinstructionmovesfromthe group learning space to the individual learning space, and the resulting groupspace is transformed into a dynamic, interactive learning environment where theeducatorguidesstudentsastheyapplyconceptsandengagecreativelyinthesubjectmatter’.https://flippedlearning.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/FLIP_handout_FNL_Web.pd

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CambridgeExams

La Garenne is proud to be a Preparation Centre for the Cambridge exams. Thechildren are tested and put into an appropriate class for their level. Externalexaminers test the children inMayor Juneand the children receive their resultsduring the summer. This course is also beneficial for first–language speakers ofEnglish,asitreinforcestheirgrammarskillsandvocabulary.Theyarenotrequiredtotaketheofficialexaminations.TheCambridgeEnglishforSchoolsrangeofexamsarespeciallydesignedtomakelearningEnglishfunandmotivatingforschool-agedlearners.Theycoverthefourlanguage skills – reading,writing, listening and speaking.Webelieve that theseexaminationshelppreparethestudentsfortheirchosensecondaryschoolandfortheir future life in general. At La Garenne, the children are all assessed at thebeginning of the school year and placed in a class suitable for their level ofEnglish. The Cambridge courses are integrated into the regular Englishprogramme.Onaweeklybasisthestudentsworktowardsgainingaqualificationattheendoftheyearinoneofthefollowingexaminationprogrammes:

· CambridgeEnglish:YoungLearners(YLE)• Starters• Movers• Flyers

· CambridgeEnglish:Key(KET)forSchools· CambridgeEnglish:Preliminary(PET)forSchools· CambridgeEnglish:FirstCertificate(FCE)forSchools

· FormoreinformationabouttheCambridgeexamsvisitwww.cambridgeenglish.org/cambridge-english-for/schools/pare

DELFFrenchLanguageDiploma

TheFrenchMinistryofEducationawardstheDELFFrenchLanguageDiplomasolelytoforeigncandidateswhosemothertongueisnotFrench.Itprovidesofficialcertificationof proficiency, practice and mastery of the French language and is equivalent to theCambridgeEnglishexaminations.DELFisissued"forlife"andrecognisedglobally.

Students fromYear5andabovewithsufficientcompetenceareenteredforoneof thefirsttwolevelsoftheDELFexam(A1andA2),dividedbyagebands.StudentselectionisgenerallybasedontheDecemberschoolexamresults.TheofficialtestsareusuallyheldinMayatanexternalcentre.OurstudentsaretheyoungestparticipantsinthecantonofVaud–afactthatoftenimpressestheexaminersandotherexternalcandidates.

Since2015LaGarennestudentshaveconsistentlyachieveda100%successrateintheDELFexaminations.Thisisclearlyagreatsourceofprideforthestudents,theirparentsandtheschool.Moreinformationisavailableat:www.delfdalf.ch

SecondarySchoolGuidanceWhenstudentsaremovingonfromGarenne,usuallyattheendofYear9,schoolworkscloselywith theparents to adviseandguide them in thedifficult taskof choosing theright school for their child. We have many years of experience working with Swissschoolsandalsowithawiderangeof international schools throughout theworld.Wehaveanexcellentrecordinplacingourstudentsintheirfirst-choiceschool.Theschoolsthat this year’s Year 9 leavers will be attending are shown below, along with otherestablishmentsthatpreviousLaGarennestudentshaveattendedafterleavingus.

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Switzerland

ddWorld

InstitutLeRosey OakhamSchool,UKInternationalSchoolofLausanne EtonCollege,UKTASIS-TheAmericanSchoolinSwitzerland EcoledesRoches,FRBrillantmontInternationalSchool Gordonstoun,UKLeysinAmericanSchool Papplewick,UKCollègeBeauSoleil CheltenhamLadiesCollege,UKInstitutaufdemRosenberg MerchistonCastle,Edinburgh,

UKAiglonCollege LemanManhattanSchool,NY,USACollègeChampittet,Pully-Lausanne

CollègeduLéman,Versoix-Genève

Oncetheparentshavemadetheinitialapplication,LaGarennewillsubmitthenecessaryapplicationdocuments.These include lettersofmotivation,pastschoolreports, lettersofrecommendationandanyotherdocumentsthatmayberequested.AtthebeginningofYear9,weorganizevisitstotheSwissschoolsthatmaybeofinteresttoourstudents.Aninterviewwillbeorganizedifrequiredbytheschool.Wewillpreparethestudentsfortheir interview and accompany them on the day. The students may also have theopportunityofspendingadayormorethere,sothattheygetamorecompletepictureoflifeattheschool.Weencouragetheparentstoattendandvisittheschoolbeforethefinaldecisionismade.Counsellingisanon-goingprocessthroughoutthestudent’stimeatLaGarenne,andtheschooliscommittedtohelpingthestudentsandtheirparentsthroughallstagesofthetransitionprocess.TheHeadTeacher,Mr.DerekLineham, isalwaysavailableforanyassistanceparentsmayrequireintheapplicationprocess.Hiscontactaddressis:dlineham@la-garenne.ch

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SchoolPartnerships

The establishment of partnership arrangements with six leading Swiss schools has facilitated the placement of La Garenne students in these prestigious establishments. Our partner schools are Aiglon College, Brillantmont, Champittet, College Beau Soleil, Le Rosey and Leysin American School. While the partnership arrangements do not guarantee entry for our students, these schools have confidence in the quality of our school reports and other application documents. Therefore under normal circumstances, students are not required to take entrance tests.

D.Lineham: July2017Reviewed: July2018Tobereviewed: July2019