Our bilingual
Middle School curriculum
Middle school
Teaching in EIB’s bilingual middle schools
EIB’s bilingual middle schools follow the French Ministry of National Education’s curriculum whilst offering additional lessons taught in English. Depending on the school, teaching in English can account for up to 50% of the curriculum.
From Year 7 onwards, pupils can choose a second modern foreign language as well. To this end, our middle schools have a higher number of teaching hours than most other schools.
Language learning is organised into ability groups to enable all pupils to progress at their own pace. We also teach mathematics in ability groups.
Final year of Cycle 3 (Year 7)
The final year of Cycle 3 allows pupils to apply the knowledge acquired in primary school. Pupils study the following subjects:
- Physical Education
- Art and music (visual arts + music)
- French
- History and Geography
- Moral and civic education (EMC)
- Modern Language 1 – English
- Modern Language 2
- Spanish (at EIB de la Jonchère)
- Mandarin, Spanish, German or Italian (at the EIB Monceau Middle School)
- Mathematics
- Biology, Physics and Chemistry
Cycle 4 (Years 8-10)
During these years, pupils begin to prepare for the national Brevet des collèges exam, which takes place at the end of Year 10.
Since 2025, a specific programme has been introduced for these classes to consolidate core skills through personalised educational support tailored to each pupil’s needs.
- Pupils study the following subjects:
- Physical Education
- Artistic subjects (visual arts + music)
- French
- History and Geography
- Moral and civic education
- Modern Language 1 – English
- Modern Language 2
- Spanish (at EIB La Jonchère)
- Mandarin, Spanish, German or Italian (at EIB Monceau Middle School)
- Mathematics
- Life and Earth Sciences
- Technology
- Physics and Chemistry
The strategy for success in Years 9 and 10
In accordance with national requirements, every middle school implements a scheme for Years 9 and 10 designed to support pupils’ success through several key objectives:
- ensuring academic success: strengthening knowledge in each subject, deepening learning and effectively preparing for the National Certificate of Secondary Education (Diplôme National du Brevet (DNB));
- encouraging independence and commitment: developing effective study habits, boosting motivation and engaging pupils in a sustainable learning process;
- preparing for further education: helping each student to define their personal goals, make informed choices and access training that matches their ambitions.
This approach takes on particular importance with the changes to the Brevet des collèges requirements from the 2025 session onwards. From now on, assessment will be based partly on continuous assessment throughout Year 10 – based on average marks across all subjects – which accounts for 40% of the final mark, whilst final exams account for 60%. This new weighting encourages teaching staff to collectively rethink assessment methods and how pupils are prepared for the exam.