Other Courses

French - A Level

St Gregory's Catholic School

Reynolds Lane, TUNBRIDGE WELLS, TN4 9XL

GCE A/AS Level or Equivalent

Level 3

Available start dates

Monday, 01 September 2025

St Gregory's Catholic School

2 Year(s)

Full time

Daytime/working hours

NULL

Please contact the provider directly to apply for this course.

Application Instructions

Applications Open: 3 November 2025 at 9.00am

Applications Close: 31 January 2026 at 5.00pm

Entry Requirements: At least five GCSE's at grade 4 or above. In addition, you will need to achieve specific subject entry requirements for all subjects.

How to Apply - September 2026 entry

Applications will open on Applicaa on 3 November 2025. Please refer to our Course Guide which lists subjects available along with entry criteria - this can be found on our website under Sixth Form Admissions along with our Admissions Policy. Please note our Course Guide for 2025 entry is currently displayed, Course Guide for 2026 will be available shortly.

If you need advice on Sixth Form courses or completing an application, please email sixthformadmissions@sgschool.org.uk or phone 01892 527444.

When applying students MUST enter three subject choices PLUS a reserve - in preference order - one being first choice and four being the reserve.
Please do not enter a fifth choice. Please note some subjects cannot be studied together - these are indicated on the relevant subject page and also in the Course Guide.

Internal Applicants to Sixth Form (current St Gregory’s students)

Our current students will join a Sixth Form Taster Day in September 2025, this is an opportunity to experience Sixth Form subjects and lessons.

All students will receive ongoing support and guidance with the online application process through discussions with dedicated members of staff, subject leaders and members of the Sixth Form team. Students will also receive a session with an external Careers Advisor.

External Applicants to Sixth Form

External applicants will be required to submit their applications via Applicaa using the link provided on the school website on 3 November 2026.

External applicants will also need to complete a Sixth Form Supplementary Information Form (SIF) if they are Catholic or 'Looked After' children. This can be found on the school website under Learn/Sixth Form/Sixth Form Admissions - Supplementary Information Form 2025-26. This must be returned to sixthformadmissions@sgschool.org.uk by the closing date.

Prospective students may be invited into school for a meeting with the Sixth Form team.

Course Summary

The A Level specification builds on the knowledge, understanding and skills gained at GCSE. It constitutes an integrated study with a focus on language, culture and society. It fosters a range of transferable skills including communication, critical thinking, research skills and creativity, which are valuable to the individual and society.

Independent study commitment:

5 hours a week minimum, ideally daily 30-60 minutes daily

Course Details

Paper 1: Listening, reading and writing

• Aspects of French-speaking society: current trends and issues

• Artistic culture in the French-speaking world

• Aspects of political life in the French-speaking world • Grammar

Assessment: Written examination of two hours 30 minutes. 50% of A Level

Paper 2: Writing

• One text and one film or two texts from the list set in the specification • Grammar

Assessment: written examination of two hours. 20% of A Level

Paper 3: Speaking

• Individual research project. Students must identify a subject or a key question which is of interest to them and relating to the French speaking world. The project involves research, analysis and presentation.

• One of four sub-themes: aspects of French-speaking society - current trends; aspects of French-speaking society - current issues; artistic culture in the French-speaking world; aspects of political life in the French-speaking world.

Assessment: Oral examination: 21 to 23 minutes (including five minutes preparation time). 30% of A Level

How will it be delivered and assessed?

A combination of classroom study, self study and enrichment activities.

Entry requirements

GCSE: 7 in French

Your next steps...

Why study French?

The French and English languages are entwined and are part of our culture. Learning French is a stepping stone to other languages and will help students learn about their own language.

A knowledge of French gives you access to French-speaking countries such as Canada, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Belgium. The ability to speak French enhances appreciation of art and culture and is a life-long asset.

Where can it lead?

Language degrees can open up interesting opportunities and language skills are increasingly in demand across many business and industry sectors: teaching, translating and interpreting, as well as foreign civil service, airline services, advertising, editing and publishing, subtitles and voice overs, event management, nursing, sommelier, import/export specialist and hotel management.

What does it combine well with? Other subjects which would help with developing your language and organisational skills could be English Language for grammar and History or RE for essay writing.

For more courses like this, check our courses page.