French IGCSE tutor, with a native teacher
I am Christine Dauzon, a native French teacher with 22 years in the classroom. I prepare students for the French IGCSE one paper at a time, following the board their school actually sits.
Cambridge, Edexcel or OxfordAQA: the board decides the preparation
Most British schools sit Cambridge IGCSE French (0520) or Pearson Edexcel International GCSE French (4FR1); OxfordAQA turns up less often. Preparing for the wrong one wastes a term, so the first thing I ask is which board the school uses, and from there we work through its specification and its past papers.
The difference is not cosmetic. Cambridge assesses the four skills in separate papers, while Edexcel merges reading and writing into one — which changes how you budget time in the exam, and therefore how we practise. Edexcel also splits its writing into short transactional tasks and an extended piece, and each rewards a different kind of preparation.
Every paper goes wrong for a different reason
Students rarely struggle with French as a whole. They struggle with one paper. Listening usually goes wrong because of note-taking, not vocabulary. Writing loses marks on range and accuracy rather than on ideas. We find which paper is costing marks and spend the time there.
The speaking paper is where being taught by a native speaker changes things most. Role plays rehearsed against a real accent, at real speed, with real interruptions, feel very different from the recordings in a textbook.
Alongside school, not against it
I follow the school's scheme of work and fill the gaps it leaves. The aim is that the teacher's job gets easier, not that the student sits two parallel French courses. If a topic has already been covered in class and understood, we skip it.
No word left behind
I work on the principle that a single misunderstood word is the most common reason a student stalls in a language. So we stop and clear it, however long that takes. It looks slow and it is the fastest thing you can do.
Moving on to A Level
If the plan is to carry French through to sixth form, the jump is real: longer texts, essays and an independent research project. There is a separate page on A Level French covering how that preparation works.
Listening
Native-speed audio, played a set number of times. The skill is note-taking under pressure.
Reading
Comprehension of authentic texts, where one misread word changes the whole answer.
Writing
Structured tasks with a word count and a mark scheme that rewards range, not length.
Speaking
Role plays and a conversation on set topics, recorded and marked by the school.
What parents usually ask
When should we start preparing for the French IGCSE?
Most families start at the beginning of Year 10 or during Year 11. A full academic year of weekly lessons is comfortable. If the exam is a few months away, it is still worth doing, but we focus on the papers where marks are easiest to recover rather than on the language as a whole.
Which exam board do you follow — Cambridge, Edexcel or OxfordAQA?
Whichever one the school uses. Cambridge IGCSE French (0520) and Pearson Edexcel International GCSE French (4FR1) are the most common, with OxfordAQA turning up less often. They are not interchangeable: Cambridge examines the four skills in separate papers, while Edexcel merges reading and writing into one, which changes how you manage time in the exam. Tell me the board and I work from its specification and its past papers, not from a generic syllabus.
My child goes to a British school in Madrid. Do the lessons overlap with what they do in class?
No. The lessons follow the school's scheme of work and fill the gaps it leaves. The point is to support the teacher, not to run a second course in parallel.
Are the lessons in French or in English?
Mostly in French, which is what the speaking paper demands. I am a native French speaker, but I also speak fluent Spanish and can explain a grammar point in whichever language makes it land.
Are the lessons online?
Yes, by video call, which is the default. In-person lessons in Madrid are possible on request, depending on the area and the timetable.
How much does it cost?
It depends on how often we meet and whether it is one-to-one or a small group. Send me a message and I will tell you, with no obligation.
When is the exam?
Tell me the board and the date, and I will tell you honestly how I would approach it.