A dedicated parent-led initiative has officially partnered with the International School Aberdeen (ISA) to establish La Petite French School d’Aberdeen, a non-profit project created to help French-speaking children across the region maintain their mother tongue.
Driven by a shared desire to see their children remain connected to their linguistic and cultural roots while living in North East Scotland, the initiative has formed a specialised educational hub for children aged 3 – 18.
As a ‘FLAM’ school (Français Langue Maternelle), the programme offers structured native-level lessons in reading, writing and culture, on Saturday mornings, with plans already being considered for future after-school classes. These sessions are open to all French-speaking students across the region, regardless of which school they attend during the week.
While the French school officially opens its doors in September 2026, excitement is building as 60 students have already expressed interest. To share their vision, the organisers will host an Information and Launch Evening on Tuesday, May 26th at 6:30pm at the ISA campus. The event will feature a cheese and wine reception, providing a welcoming opportunity for families to meet the team and tour ISA's world-class facilities. Attendees will hear first-hand about the curriculum and discover the various ways they can become involved in this growing community.
Thomas Harms, one of the parents instrumental in setting up La Petite French School d’Aberdeen said: "This school was created from a shared desire among parents to offer children a truly bilingual education. The programme is based on the French national curriculum and aims to provide a structured and supportive learning environment. Particular attention is given to developing children’s confidence in both spoken and written French. From the very beginning, ISA has been extremely supportive of our project. Beyond providing long-term stability, the school offers a warm, welcoming and truly international environment, which feels especially important for a programme that places such strong value on cultural openness and multilingualism. We are also delighted to have brought together a team of experienced native-speaking teachers who share these educational values, and we look forward to welcoming families in September."
Thomas Harms, Anais Soree, Isabelle Wolfe, Nick Little
For ISA, this partnership represents a major step in a broader strategy to support "home languages." While the school already hosts several language groups for its international families, this formal arrangement takes that support to a new level, serving as a model for future home language schools on campus.
Nick Little, Head of School at ISA, commented: "Supporting home languages is fundamental to our purpose as an international school and is a core value of the International Baccalaureate (IB) framework. We believe that maintaining a mother tongue is a key pillar of a child’s confidence and academic success. Our partnership with La Petite French School formalises this commitment, and we hope it is the first of many such language schools to thrive on our campus as we provide a structured platform for multilingualism in the wider community."
The partnership between ISA and La Petite French School d’Aberdeen offers a uniquely integrated pathway for students who also join ISA as full-time students. These students will receive guided supervision during their weekly language periods to complete work related to their French studies. This seamless journey is designed to lead students toward a First Language IGCSE and ultimately the prestigious IB Bilingual Diploma - a qualification that provides a significant advantage for applications to top-tier universities such as Sciences Po in France, where one ISA student has successfully secured a place this year.
La Petite French School d’Aberdeen is currently the only FLAM school in Scotland outside of Edinburgh and Glasgow, marking a significant addition to the cultural and educational landscape of the North-east.