The educational philosophy at BIS
Bordeaux International School, run by an educational cooperative*, offers a caring, multicultural, academic environment where students become bilingual independent thinkers, active learners and responsible global citizens.
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For more than 30 years, Bordeaux International School (BIS), the only bilingual school in the Aquitaine region, has developed an international approach to education with a rigorous, differentiated and inclusive pedagogy, following individualised and multilingual pathways. During their journey, our students acquire the skills and tools necessary to understand the challenges of a global society, in order to find their place and have a positive impact.
BIS welcomes students from 3 to 18 years, offering bilingual French-English Early Learning, Primary and Secondary sections, as well as an international Upper Secondary.
BIS addresses the needs of students wishing to benefit from a truly bilingual international programme, whether they be from French families residing in the Bordeaux area or returning after a period of expatriation, or from non-French families from elsewhere in the world.
Whether their first or ‘mother tongue’ language is English or French, the school oversees the fortification and mastery of each language, thanks to immersive bilingual measures. At BIS we have developed our own pedagogy, bringing together groups to follow a programme of classes, half of which will be in English, half in French.
Each year BIS ensures that students from 25 different nationalities share an exceptional educational experience, uniting rigorous official programmes, language-learning, and multicultural understanding, as well as educating them as citizens on a local and international level.
We are fortunate to have an international team of qualified, benevolent teachers. They are creative, passionate, and trained in collaborative working in a multilingual context. Our teachers bring together enthusiasm and effort, for the fulfillment of all our students, instilling a humanist spirit of collective values and international citizenship.
Bilingualism
To be bilingual is to have the ability to express oneself easily in two languages. Bilingualism is increasing throughout the world, and today it seems essential to be in command of two languages.
At Bordeaux International School, each class in Early Learning and Primary has two main teachers, one francophone and one anglophone, who share teaching hours or give “team teaching” lessons. Our students also benefit from one Spanish lesson per week from the age of four.
In learning a language, we also learn about a culture, allowing students to have access to multicultural knowledge and to different learning approaches and ways of thinking. “Each language speaks about the world in its own way”, said the pedagogue Rudolf Steiner, creator of the pedagogy of the same name.
It takes time to be able to express oneself easily in a foreign language. We have defined the means for rigorous progression and put in place the various resources to bring our students to a bilingual level. A child must be exposed to a language at school, but also outside of school: at home via different means, out and about with friends who communicate in this other language. Bordeaux International School offers the ideal context to enrich their academic learning.
The benefits of bilingualism are numerous, but we count among the most important the acquisition of greater mental flexibility, greater capacity for concentration, increased ability to learn a third language, better problem-solving skills, greater creativity, a more open spirit, better communication with others, and a better understanding of the world.
After School Clubs
Chess
Chess Club takes place every Tuesday after school for all interested Primary ans Middle School pupils. The game allows students to develop a number of skills while having fun. They become strategists, thinkers, and communicators, honing their intelligence while exchanging with comrades.
Chinese
Being the most-spoken language in the world, it has seemed natural these last few years to offer our students the opportunity to gain a new skill. Chinese club takes place once a week (classes, open to Primary, are organised according to level). Students can discover the Chinese language and culture or continue their learning begun previously. The classes are taught by a teacher from the club Découverte de la Chine https://www.decouvertedelachine.com/ecole
After School Clubs
Chess
Chess Club takes place every Tuesday after school for all interested Primary ans Middle School pupils. The game allows students to develop a number of skills while having fun. They become strategists, thinkers, and communicators, honing their intelligence while exchanging with comrades.
Chinese
Being the most-spoken language in the world, it has seemed natural these last few years to offer our students the opportunity to gain a new skill. Chinese club takes place once a week (classes, open to Primary, are organised according to level). Students can discover the Chinese language and culture or continue their learning begun previously. The classes are taught by a teacher from the club Découverte de la Chine https://www.decouvertedelachine.com/ecole
Robotics
BIS has chosen Magic Makers, a partner of many international schools in France, to run its coding and robotics workshops, whose active pedagogy is inspired by the work of MIT (magicmakers.fr). These workshops are offered to our primary students on Thursdays in an hybrid format.
Homework Club
This Homework club is aimed for student in Primary and Secondary.
Piano
This workshop is aimed at children aged 7 to 8 who are beginners and who wish to learn music through the practice of the piano and collective playing. Each session combines the discovery of musical language, piano practice, rhythmic work through percussion practice, the development of inner and collective listening skills and the pleasure of playing together.
Robotics
BIS has chosen Magic Makers, a partner of many international schools in France, to run its coding and robotics workshops, whose active pedagogy is inspired by the work of MIT (magicmakers.fr). These workshops are offered to our primary students on Thursdays in an hybrid format.
Homework Club
This Homework club is aimed for student in Primary and Secondary.
Piano
This workshop is aimed at children aged 7 to 8 who are beginners and who wish to learn music through the practice of the piano and collective playing. Each session combines the discovery of musical language, piano practice, rhythmic work through percussion practice, the development of inner and collective listening skills and the pleasure of playing together.
School Music Band
Art & Crafts Club
These activities foster a range of developmental skills in pre-school children, such as:
● Fine motor skills that improve children’s hand-eye coordination and develop manual dexterity levels.
● Shape, colour and texture identification.
● Creativity with craft which encourages children to play, make and experiment in a fun and relaxed
environment.
Working with different materials teaches young children about colours, shapes and textures, and how objects
work.
Road Safety Club
This club aims to prepare for the ASSR (School Attestation of Road Safety), at level 1 and level 2.Candidates must understand and anticipate situations of risk in order to make the right practical decisions, and avoid putting themselves or others at risk.
School Music Band
The BIS band aims to bring together Secondary students who already play a musical instrument and want to play pop and rock songs together. The group plays in public during end of term concerts, Open Day, the graduation ceremony, and sometimes the French ‘fête de la musique’!
Art & Crafts Club
These activities foster a range of developmental skills in pre-school children, such as:
● Fine motor skills that improve children’s hand-eye coordination and develop manual dexterity levels.
● Shape, colour and texture identification.
● Creativity with craft which encourages children to play, make and experiment in a fun and relaxed
environment.
Working with different materials teaches young children about colours, shapes and textures, and how objects
work.
Road Safety Club
This club aims to prepare for the ASSR (School Attestation of Road Safety), at level 1 and level 2.Candidates must understand and anticipate situations of risk in order to make the right practical decisions, and avoid putting themselves or others at risk.
Staff Profiles

Xavier ABELLA
Dance teacher

Lucinda BERGEY
British
Co-Director; Head of Secondary; Head of Humanities; teacher of Business Studies - A Level (1996-).

Emilie BERTET
French
French teacher - Early Learning & Primary; Early Learning Coordinator (2012-).

Isabelle BIDALUN
French
Co-Director; Head of Primary and Early Learning; teacher of year 4/5 (2006-).

Anni BLACKMORE
British
Deputy Head of Secondary; Head of Science Department & PSGS; International Award coordinator; IGCSE tutor (2012-).

Emily BRADDELL
British
Head of English department; English Literature & Language - Secondary; A Level tutor (2022-).

Camille BRETON
French
French as a Foreign Language (FLE) teacher; French Club – Secondary (2018-).

Christelle CHAMBLAS
French
Communication and Coordination - Admissions - Host families

Virginie DARTIGUES
French
Spanish, FLE, ESL - Secondary (2020-).

Elvira DIBO
Lebanese
Teacher of science (2022-)

Clarisse DOSSAH
French-Togolese
Catering & maintenance manager (2014-).

Claire DOSSETT
British
Physics and Chemistry - A Level, Science - IGCSE & Middle School, STEM/ICT - Middle School, UMS Tutor (2019-).

Lucy DUNNING
Australian
English Literature & Language - Secondary (2022-)

Pascale HARRISON
British
Teacher of English

Amy HINSON
British / Irish
Art & Global Perspectives Teacher

Pamela JOGUET
French
Teacher of French (2022-)

Richard JONES
British
Co-Gerant, Deputy head of Primary and Early Learning, DSL (2008-).

Stéphanie JOSSE
French
Business Manager

Duncan LAING
British
Maths, Computer Science, ICT & STEM - Secondary (2020-).

Mary LIVSEY
British
Admissions, student records & accounts, examinations & official school documentation (1999-).

Katia MENGLET
German-Australian
French & FLE - Early Learning & Primary (2020-).
Pierre MERCIER
French
Sports teacher & Music Band coordinator (2017-).

Virginie NADOUCE
French
Music - Primary; Art Carousel coordinator & teacher - Middle School (2017-).

Arnaud ONFROY
French
French teacher, Primary (2003-).

Chelsea PERKINS
American
English - Early Learning (2020-).

Gemma PIEDRABUENA
Spanish
Spanish & English - Early Learning, Primary & Middle School (2020-).

Justine PUGLIESI
French
Maths, ICT, STEM - Middle School; LMS2 tutor (2020-).

Aine RAFTERY
Irish
English - Primary (2020-).

Julio SANDOVAL
Spanish
Teacher of History, Geography & Spanish (2022-)

Ioana TURCU
Romanian
Head of Mathematics department; teacher of Maths - Secondary; IT & Sports Coordinator; LMS1 tutor (2010-).

Benedicte VAXELAIRE
French
Teacher of French

Amélie WADE
French
Teacher of CE2-CM1
