THE French Embassy is singing the praises of pupils at a South Lakeland school after being impressed by their grasp of the Gallic language.

Year Nine students at Dallam School, Milnthorpe, a specialist language school, passed their French GCSE with flying colours two years early.

Almost 90 per cent of the pupils who took the exam passed with a grade C or above and 33 per cent achieved an A* or A grade.

While the national take-up of languages at GCSE plummeted significantly this year a French Embassy spokesman has said how delighted he was that languages are alive and well at Dallam School.

Vincent Gleizes, French Embassy attache based in London, said: “I have been impressed by the results of the pupils and the efficiency of the teaching in French.

“We are setting up a partnership between Dallam and a French boarding school that will increase the international input for pupils of Dallam School and allow its future French partner school to take advantage of its excellence and experience.”

Innovative teaching methods at the international state boarding school are said to be behind the pupils’ success, which included form tutor Fiona Temple-Smith speaking only in French to the pupils for three years.

She also held classes in personal and social care, citizenship and occasional history and geography lessons entirely in French.

Mr Holdup said: “This was a mixed ability form group who, from the very beginning of their time at Dallam, were spoken to in French during daily registration and then in lessons which were taken by the same teacher - because of this method they were able to take their GCSE exam in Year Nine.

"This bilingual approach to learning is gaining a lot of interest and we’re proud to be at the forefront of the initiative and receive commendation from the embassy.”

Miss Temple-Smith said: “I am incredibly proud of my students.

"The students like the fact that by studying other subjects in French, they are using the language in an authentic and relevant context.”

Many of the pupils will go on to take their International Baccalaureate qualification in French - two years early - while others have the time to take another language at GCSE in Year 11.