The project: strategic direction

Six strategic focuses

AFLEC’s educational policy

To contribute to the development of French education abroad, AFLEC has defined specific strands for its entire network of schools. These strands constitute the strategic directions that AFLEC monitors in the educational and pedagogical fields

strengthening French language learning

AFLEC schools are intended to welcome an international community of pupils, for whom French is not necessarily their mother tongue, in an environment that is often non-French-speaking. Beyond the implementation of the French curriculum, every school project must include a programme of educational and cultural activities in French, widely open to all, which provide engaging and varied opportunities to practise the language and to gain an intimate knowledge of francophone identity. Involvement in these activities is an integral part of the duties of staff recruited by AFLEC

development of languages and international culture, trilingualism

From nursery school onwards, all schools offer Arabic teaching (as a mother tongue or foreign language) and English teaching for all, with timetables at least equal to those of the French international sections. Most schools also offer a specific bilingual pathway, with tools and a methodology unique to the association, aimed at bringing pupils to “native speaker” level. With this in mind, pupils are entered for the corresponding University of Cambridge qualifications.

development of the educational use of digital technology

In every class, at every level, digital tools are used to support a variety of teaching approaches that foster pupils’ autonomy, personalised learning and active enquiry; pupils’ results are monitored electronically and communication with families makes use of tools such as blogs; staff are encouraged to take part in continuing professional development in educational technology, and the schools are fully connected.
In each school, a digital learning lead supports teachers by providing resources, training and on-the-ground follow-up for all the initiatives put in place.

science teaching and hands-on scientific activities

In every class and at every level, scientific activities are offered to pupils (and, where appropriate, to parents) following the approach and practices developed by the “La main à la pâte” foundation. Enquiry-based teaching, grounded in observation and hands-on experiments, develops pupils’ curiosity and gives them a concrete basis for understanding scientific phenomena.

respect for the culture of the host country and open-mindedness fostering global citizenship

Teaching the language of the host country to all pupils is, beyond deepening each pupil’s language skills and linguistic awareness, a key factor in opening them up to the culture that this language carries: if we wish to enable pupils to recognise diversity as a source of richness for humanity, it is essential to cultivate in them, alongside plurilingualism, the ability to step outside their own perspective and to gain, through language, an intimate understanding of the relationship to the world that every culture develops. Teaching the language of the host country, which is clearly a top priority for national pupils attending our schools, is no less important for French pupils or pupils of other nationalities, insofar as it allows them not only to develop their comprehension and expression skills in that language, but also to enter into a way of seeing the world that differs from the one tied to their mother tongue. It is on this plurality of belongings that an open citizenship can be founded – one that presupposes not uniformity, but a dialogue between cultures that respects their differences.

caring teaching centred on pupils’ activity and motivation

AFLEC/Groupe Elite schools are located in countries with a strong presence of English-medium education. Families, including French families, who choose such education essentially put forward two kinds of argument: the benefit of acquiring fluency in English, but also the wish to enjoy a school climate in which pupils can flourish, and approaches that develop autonomy and initiative, critical thinking and a sense of responsibility. Offering ambitious bilingual pathways is a first response to these expectations. Reflection on school climate and on teaching practices – particularly with regard to motivation and assessment, developing pupils’ autonomy and teamwork – should enable our teams to show that the high standards and rigour universally recognised in French education are entirely compatible with open, caring approaches centred on the joy of learning and fostering the well-rounded development of our pupils.

Quality assurance

AFLEC’s Teaching and Quality Assurance Department

The Teaching and Quality Assurance Department of AFLEC-Groupe ELITE was set up to help AFLEC schools strengthen the quality of the teaching they provide and, more generally, to improve their operations and their image, with the aim of achieving excellence in each school. In particular, it ensures that the strategic priorities defined by the association are implemented across the board. The approach is based on a self-evaluation by the schools, taking as a reference the themes against which they consider it important to position themselves, namely:

the association’s strategic priorities,
the requirements of the host country’s Ministry of Education,
parents’ expectations, in particular teaching of excellent quality delivered consistently by all teachers,
the employer’s expectations, notably the optimal use of the resources committed.

It was in this context that the need arose to strengthen the educational leadership of the schools, so as to provide guidance that is closer to the teaching teams and more responsive. Middle leadership has therefore been created in the network’s schools to guarantee the implementation of the quality assurance approach. It is made up of resource persons – designated and formally appointed as such – cycle coordinators, heads of subject departments or teaching advisers.

The Teaching and Quality Assurance Department supports the self-evaluation process carried out internally under the responsibility of the head of school. Its external perspective sheds light on this analysis so as to enrich it and give it greater value. Through visits to the schools, and even to the classrooms, it regularly takes stock of the situation in order to make any necessary adjustments or corrections.