French Immersion

Durham District School Board (DDSB) has a French Immersion program that allows students to become proficient and fluent in French as well as English. French Immersion is an optional program that begins in Grade 1. Students in Grades 1-3 spend their entire day in French. Beginning in Grade 4, French Immersion students spend half of their day in French and the other half of the day in English. Students who do not register for French immersion will study Core French. Core French begins in grade 4 and students spend 1-2 periods a day learning French.

Students who complete the elementary and secondary French Immersion program should be versed and confident enough in French to allow them to study French in post-secondary or accept employment in a French-speaking environment. We offer French Immersion at 18 DDSB elementary and 7 secondary schools.

Kindergarten and French Immersion schools

All Kindergarten students must register at their ‘designated home school’ for the Kindergarten program. Please use the school locator tool to identify your home school. If your child is interested in learning in our French Immersion (FI) program, you will be able to transfer them to the closest single track FI school in the spring prior to them entering Grade One.

The Kindergarten program at all single track FI schools, will not be accepting new registrations for the 2022/2023 school year and effective September 2023, single track FI schools will no longer offer the Kindergarten Program.

We offer French Immersion at these DDSB schools:

• Dual Track: schools offer Kindergarten - Grade 8 English programs and French Immersion in Grades 1-8
• Single Track:  Kindergarten programs are in English and French Immersion in Grades 1-8

Learn how to register your child for French Immersion.

Use the school locator tool to see which French Immersion elementary schools feed into which French Immersion secondary schools in the DDSB.

Canadian Parents for French (CPF)

Parents can join the Ajax/Pickering CPF to learn more about French Immersion and other language programs in the DDSB.

Resources for students and families

French Immersion students and families may be interested in these resources:

• French Immersion guide for parents and caregivers
• Supporting your child's success in French Immersion and Extended French
• Treasure chest for families new to French Immersion (TBA)
• Ontario curriculum elementary expectations for French Immersion, Grades 1 to 8, Core French Grades 4 to 8, Extended French Grades 4 to 8
• Ontario curriculum secondary expectations for Core, Extended and Immersion French Grades 9 to 12.
• A framework for French as a second language in Ontario schools
• Including students with special education needs in French as a second language programs