Baccalauréat Français International (BFI)

The Baccalauréat Français International (BFI) at Jeannine Manuel School offers an academically ambitious and highly distinctive pathway, combining the depth of the French national curriculum with an international, bilingual dimension. Taken by fewer than 1% of French baccalaureate candidates worldwide, the BFI is recognised for its academic rigour and its ability to prepare students for leading universities in the UK, the US, France and beyond.

An Enhanced French Baccalaureate

The BFI builds on the French Baccalaureate, enhancing it through additional international components taught and assessed in English. Students follow the core structure of the French curriculum, while engaging in specialised bilingual modules that deepen their analytical, linguistic and critical thinking skills.

The American International Section

At Jeannine Manuel School, we offer the American International Section of Baccalauréat Français International (BFI). This means that both the curriculum and the examination content are set by the official French and American educational authorities. Examinations are weighted, with some subjects carrying greater value than others towards students' overall results. To be awarded the BFI, students must achieve a minimum overall average of 10/20. To find out more about the American BFI, click here.

BFI Subjects at Jeannine Manuel School

In addition to core subjects, students are able to take the following subjects as Speciality Subjects:

Histoire géographie, géopolitique et sciences politiques (HGGSP)
Humanités, littérature et philosophie (HLP)
Mathématiques
Physique-chimie (PC)
Sciences de la vie et de la terre (SVT)
Sciences économiques et sociales (SES)

Further information on the BFI, including curriculum and grading information can be found on the Education Nationale official website.

Advanced Placements (APs)

The Advanced Placement (AP) curriculum is a rigorous, university-level academic program designed by the College Board of the United States of America. It allows secondary school students to undertake university-level course content and potentially earn university credit or advanced placement based on their performance on standardized AP exams in May.

At Jeannine Manuel School, the AP curriculum is integrated into the Baccalauréat Français International (BFI) pathway to give students a deep, globally-minded education. As part of this program:

Required AP Courses: All BFI students will take AP English Literature and Composition, alongside either AP Human Geography or AP European History.
Elective AP Option: Additionally, students have the option of taking AP Calculus BC if they want to pursue advanced, university-level mathematics.

Note that APs are taken instead of certain other BFI exams.

This combination ensures that students develop exceptional analytical writing, critical historical perspective, and advanced quantitative skills, making them highly competitive candidates for top-tier universities worldwide.

Students study in the Upper School library

BFI Results

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The BFI: A pathway to leading universities

The BFI is highly regarded by universities in France and internationally. Its academic depth, combined with bilingual fluency and strong analytical skills, makes it an excellent preparation for a wide range of higher education pathways.

Students benefit from expert guidance throughout the university advising process, supporting applications across different countries and systems.

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