French A Level Course

The French A Level Course will help students develop confident, effective communication skills in French and a thorough understanding of the culture of countries and communities where French is spoken. The course will help students to improve on their existing French skills and build on the essential skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing the French language.

Effective learning is encouraged through frequent activities and self-assessment questions. There are seventeen Tutor-Marked Assignments (TMAs) which include four practice exam assignments and two speaking tests.

The French A Level Home Study Course prepares students for the Edexcel French A Level (9FR0) Specification for exams in May/June 2021 or later years. The French A Level is assessed by two written exam papers and an oral examination.

• Paper 1: Listening, reading and translation (2 Hours) is 80 marks in total (40% of A-level).
• Paper 2: Written response to works and translation (2 Hours, 40 Minutes) is 120 marks in total (30% of A-level).
• Oral Examination: Speaking (Between 21 and 23 minutes, including a single period of 5 minutes’ formal preparation time) is 72 marks in total (30% of A-level).

The French A Level Home Study Course is Divided into Eight Modules Containing 34 Lessons:

The course includes access to Hodder Education’s Dynamic Learning with an innovative online subscription service with interactive resources, lesson planning tools, self-marking tests, a variety of assessment options and ebook elements that all work together to create the ultimate classroom and homework resource.

Students will receive free access to an ebook copy of the supporting text book (Edexcel A level) for the duration of their studies. The ebook can also be downloaded via the Dynamic Reader App. The Dynamic Reader App is currently available for IOS and Android devices. You can even synchronise your notes across two devices and this can also be accessed via recent versions of Chrome and Firefox.

We will admit Candidates for A Level Courses who have a minimum of 4 GCSE’s at grade C and above on the older grading system or 4 or above on the new grading system. For French this should include a grade C/4 or above in French.

Please Note: We cannot accept students who are under 16 years old on this course.

The following books are also required to work alongside your course materials.

• Edexcel A level French (includes AS) Paperback. (ISBN: 978-1471858181) - The Digital copy is supplied as part of the Dynamic Resources.

You will also need to acquire the literary texts which are selected for this course. These are:

• L’Etranger by Albert Camus (ISBN: 978-2070360024)
• Les mains sales by Jean-Paul Sartre (ISBN: 978-2070257645)

In addition to the textbooks you also need a good dictionary. We recommend purchasing any books after receiving your course materials to make sure there have been no revisions.

Students will be supported until their chosen examination window. Every student receives a personal tutor with whom they should keep in regular contact. All tutors are fully qualified experienced teachers holding either a Postgraduate Certificate in Education or a degree in education. Most work from home and are able to offer flexible contact times. The tutor will contact students with an introductory letter and a telephone call to help decide on a study plan. They will also let the student know the best ways and times for contact.

There is no limit on how often you can contact your tutor. The advice and encouragement our tutors provide are an important part of your learning experience. You can contact your tutor by Phone, Post or Email. There are tutor-marked assignments (TMA's) in every course. These help the student to consolidate their learning and prepare for examinations.

All tutors have a Freephone 0800 telephone number and most will have Skype capabilities. Whilst you are still actively submitting assignments, you should expect to be in contact with your tutor regularly. Remember, to get the most out of your tutor, you will need to tell them when you need assistance.

All Edexcel specification A-Level Exams must be taken at a registered examination centre as a private candidate in a registered school or college. The finding of an examination centre and the booking of exams is the responsibility of the student. In December/January students are contacted and advised to start arranging their examinations.

The new Linear format examinations all need to be sat in a single examination window on completion of your studies. Examination fees need to be paid direct to your chosen exam centre. Prices for exams will vary depending on the exam centre’s administration costs so it is worth contacting a few centres to compare prices.

We offer course materials and tutor support although we don't offer the examinations. An Examinations Officer can assist any registered student with finding centres and dealing with coursework forms, but we do not book exams on behalf of students and it is the students responsibility to book their exams. If you would like to research exam centres prior to enrolment then you can visit the Edexcel page for private candidates.

Examination Dates and Exam fees:

A Level examinationss are only sat in the Summer examination window. Students can decide to study over a one year or two year period (providing the specification and exams are available over that duration). You can sign up for a course at any time although course tutors set closing dates for students aiming for specific examination windows. Examination fees need to be paid direct to your chosen exam centre. Prices for exams will vary depending on the exam centre's administration costs.

Please Note: The nearest examination window we can accept students aiming towards is now Summer 2022. 

The closing dates for courses which require coursework authentication (English Language, English Literature and History) will be 20 September 2021 and the closing date for other subjects are 11 October 2021. Students can also aim for exams in Summer 2023 if that is their preference, providing the specification is still available.

• Summer 2021 A Level Exam Timetable
• Summer 2022 A Level Exam Timetable (Not Yet Published)
• Summer 2021 AS Level Exam Timetable
• Summer 2022 AS Level Exam Timetable (Not Yet Published)
• Information for Private Candidates
• Booking A Level Exams

Tutors can support registered students with their University application but this should be arranged in the previous year to sitting exams and prior to the below dates:

• 1st August for Oxford or Cambridge
• 1st December for all other Universities

There is a charge of £100.00 for supporting your application and providing predicted grades and a well-rounded reference which will incorporate something from each of your tutors and be specific to your application. The payment will be made before the required dates and any reference requests received after this date will incur an additional £50.00 penalty payment.

In order that your tutor has something on which to base a reference and/or predicted grade, you need to have done a MINIMUM of six assignments in each subject you are studying. More is better! Your tutor will want you to succeed so talk to them about your plans; it will help with your application if they know something about you.

If you are at school and are doing an A level as an addition to your school studies, then you will need to check with your school to make sure they will accept a predicted grade or some input into the reference that they are doing for you.