Our Objective
As a registered Cambridge International School from Year 7 onwards, we aim to reassure our pupils and their parents of our desire to provide a Bilingual Section which corresponds to the needs and aspirations of our pupils, while offering them the best qualifications available at the present time with a view to their future university studies.

In a nutshell, we aim to:

• Guide our pupils in becoming motivated, responsible and confident learners.
• Ensure academic excellence and enable our bilingual pupils to achieve internationally-recognised qualifications.
• Support our pupils in their ambitions to study abroad at the highest level.

Our Pupils

• The Blanche de Castille Bilingual Section is for pupils who are bilingual in French and English, with a native-English speaking parent or having lived in an English-speaking country for several years.
• Pupils can join the Bilingual Section as of the final year of Infants’ School.

Organisation
We offer our pupils the opportunity of following the French national curriculum alongside the three subjects studied in English in the Bilingual Section, thus actively maintaining both working languages. Our bilingual pupils can also envisage pursuing their studies abroad and prepare qualifications recognized worldwide by universities and future employers.

Infants’/Primary School

• 5 hours of English per week (speaking practice, grammar, history, literature)

Lower/Middle School (the Bilingual Section classes replace English as a Second Language classes)

• Year 7: 5.5 hours per week in First Language English, History and Arts & Culture.
• Year 8: 5.5 hours per week in First Language English, History and Arts & Culture.
• Year 9: 7 hours per week in First Language English, History and Arts & Culture.
• Year 10: 7 hours per week; first year of IGCSE exam preparation in First Language English and Global Perspectives.

Upper School (the Bilingual Section classes replace English as a Second Language classes)

• Year 11: 7 hours per week; second year of IGCSE exam preparation in First Language English and Global Perspectives; the IGCSE exams are taken at the end of the school year.
• Year 12: 6 hours per week to prepare the International AS Level in Global Perspectives & Research taken at the end of the school year.
• Year 13: 5 hours per week; continuous assessment in English for the French Baccalauréat;  Cambridge C1 exam preparation; Model UN Project; preparation for Parcoursup and the transition to university study and support with applications to universities abroad.

Our Qualifications at a Glance
As a Cambridge International School offer world-class qualifications from the Cambridge International Examinations board, accepted and respected internationally. We are also a Gold Centre for Cambridge Assessment English qualifications:

• At the end of Year 9: Checkpoint Test in First Language English
• At the end of Year 11: IGCSEs in First Language English and Global Perspectives
• At the end of Year 12: International AS Level in Global Perspectives & Research.
• In December of year 13: the bilingual class will be offered the opportunity to pass the Cambridge C1 Advanced certification qualification (results in January).

Cost
The prices for joining the Bilingual Section, sitting the entrance test and the above-mentioned examinations can be obtained on request.

IGCSE May 2027 Session: Private Candidates
Blanche de Castille is a Cambridge International School and Examination Centre.
We can accept private candidates for the following exams in the May 2027 Session:

• IGCSE First Language English 0500: 6 private candidates
• IGCSE History 0470: 6 private candidates
• For further information, please contact amanda-boyd@blanche-de-castille.com