Cambridge English
All students from Years 3 to 9 are prepared for one of the Cambridge English or Other Language examinations (ESOL). The suite of examinations followed by La Garenne students is as follows:
- Starters
- Movers
- Flyers
- Key English Test (KET)
- Preliminary English Test (PET)
- First Certificate in English (FCE)
Examinations above this level, namely the Cambridge Advanced English (CAE) and the Cambridge Proficiency in English (CPE) are not designed for students of the age range we have at La Garenne, but more for adults. For this reason those students who have passed the First Certificate are given the opportunity to begin working towards their Cambridge IGCSE examination in English, that they will normally take in their next school. Those who passed the First Certificate with a relatively low grade may also re-sit the examination in May.
The English entrance tests give us a good idea of the English level of new students, and all the students are tested at the beginning of the school year to ensure that they are in the correct class. All the classes are taught simultaneously, allowing movement to a higher group for any student who progresses rapidly. Students are grouped by level, but also by age. The inscriptions for the external examinations are made in the spring, and the tests themselves take place in June, at La Garenne and in other local partner schools. Parents are informed by email of the group their child has been placed in and are given the option of whether they want their child to sit the exam at the end of the year. We strongly recommend the children to take the exam as it is widely recognised in schools, universities and corporations.
Those students who are first-language speakers of English also follow the Cambridge course at a level that will provide them with an appropriate challenge. Experience has shown that these students benefit from increased exposure to the English language, particularly in the areas of vocabulary, spelling and grammar. However, they are not obliged to take an external examination at the end of the course.
