A new parent-led initiative has partnered with the International School Aberdeen (ISA) to launch La Petite French School d’Aberdeen, a not-for-profit project aimed at helping French-speaking children across the North East maintain their mother tongue.
Created by families keen to preserve their children’s linguistic and cultural heritage while living in Scotland, the school will provide a dedicated educational hub for pupils aged between three and 18.
Operating as a ‘FLAM’ school (Français Langue Maternelle), the programme will deliver structured, native-level teaching in reading, writing and French culture during Saturday morning classes. Plans are also being explored to introduce after-school sessions. The provision will be open to all French-speaking children in the region, regardless of where they attend school during the week.
Although the school is set to officially open in September 2026, interest is already high, with around 60 pupils registered so far.
An information and launch evening will take place at ISA on Tuesday 26 May at 6.30pm, offering families the chance to meet organisers, learn more about the curriculum and tour the campus. The event will include a cheese and wine reception.
Thomas Harms, one of the parents behind the initiative, 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.”
The partnership forms part of ISA’s wider strategy to support “home languages” within its international community. While the school already accommodates a range of language groups, the formal agreement with La Petite French School marks a significant expansion of that support.
Nick Little, Head of School at ISA, said: “Supporting home languages is fundamental to our purpose as an international school and is a core value of the International Baccalaureate framework.
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“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 collaboration also creates a pathway for pupils attending ISA full-time, who will receive supervised support during language periods to complete their French studies. This approach is designed to lead towards qualifications such as a First Language IGCSE and the International Baccalaureate Bilingual Diploma.
La Petite French School d’Aberdeen is currently the only FLAM school in Scotland outside Edinburgh and Glasgow, representing a notable addition to the North East’s cultural and educational offering.
