REVIEW OF Lycée Français de Toronto BY Alum, Jules Plaxton

Overall Experience 3.5

The Lycée Français de Toronto is definitely a very engaging and academically demanding institution. Though my experience at the time may not have been the most positive, as I do not believe I may have been fit for the environment, looking back on it, the Lycée gave me many tools that I still use today. After leaving the Lycée, I could speak 4 languages: French and English at a higher level than my peers outside the school, Spanish at a level that allowed me to go straight into 3rd year University level Spanish courses, and a year of Italian, which allowed me to communicate with locals in Italy. When it comes to my academic levels in other subjects, I was consistently a year ahead of other non-lycée students in History, Geography, Math, Science and Physics. Overall, it gave me quite an advantage academically, which really goes a long way when starting university.

School Leadership 4

The administration is very respected at the Lycée. There is a feeling of divide between the students and the teachers, one that allows them to be strict and keep the class in line. In the hallways, it is considered the standard to say 'Bonjour' to any teacher when you see them, though this is very much a French phenomenon. Even with this respect, seeing as it is such a small community, you become more friendly with teachers as you reach higher grades, creating a strong relationship with many of them.

Teaching 4

The quality of instruction was far above the quality of education you can access at public schools. It might sound rather elitist, but when you are at least a year ahead in educational knowledge merely from attending the school, it says something. Teachers are often quite passionate about their subjects: they are experts in their fields, not just teachers having to juggle multiple subjects and doing a bad job; they are good at what they do. They challenge you and want you to be the best version of yourself and overall excel in school. Though the feedback received from some of them may have felt redundant, many teachers are there for you if you need extra help, have questions, or even need someone to talk to.

Academics 3.5

The lycée is a very academically competitive program. The standard grades are of at least a 92 percent, but often around the 94-96 mark. Students are constantly working and often assigned too many assignments at once. This is one of the weaknesses of the school: the workload far exceeds what any public school student will be doing. The school days go from 8:30-4:45 on average, if not 5:30, or even 6:10 in the later grades. I would often spend hours doing work almost every night. It is very academically challenging. Even so, I do believe that it allowed me to feel very prepared for University, as it gave me an excellent work ethic and the very important ability of being able to properly study.

Extracurriculars 2.5

Because students spend so many hours doing schoolwork, there are very few extracurriculars offered at the lycée. There are no sports teams and very few clubs. Even so, during my time at the lycée, I took art as an extracurricular and was the head of the LGBTQIA+ committee, which took up a few lunch breaks each week. Honestly, though, the lack of extracurriculars is really not the end of the world at the lycée since you spend so much time working.

Students 4

The student body is quite small, with maybe 300 students, and many of these numbers consist of the younger grades. Once you reach grade 10, your class size is roughly 30 to 40 people, which allows for great learning environments. The students are very academically competitive. Ethnically, there are many students from diverse backgrounds, as numerous international students attend the school; in fact, my friend group from high school had only two white students. Economically, however, students tend to be quite affluent, which can sometimes make them a little detached, but what else can be expected from a private school? There is also a slight divide between the French and non-French students, though this tends to dissipate as you progress to higher levels.

School Life 3

My first few years at the lycée weren't necessarily the best, but I was also bullied, so my experience does not reflect that of most students. However, after COVID-19, the administration changed, and the vibe and quality of the school have been much better since. Melyssa Rose and Barbara Martin are amongst the most remarkable women I know, and they really helped facilitate a very open and welcoming environment in the school, one completely different from that under the previous administration. Students are generally quite stressed at the lycee, especially once you reach grade 10. I, however, was in the IB program, so the students around me were even more stressed than normal. Even still, most students were passionate and engaged, with few exceptions.

Community 4.5

I only left the lycee two years ago, so I have not had the ability to experience much as an alumn, but what I can confirm is that I am still quite close with my friend group from highschool. We all chat frequently and always make time for one another when we are in town: that's the beauty of such a small and close-knit school, that the relationships you build are strong ones. I also know that the teachers are always lovely when reached out to, eager to see how you've been since graduating, and always there if you need a letter of recommendation or even questions about post-secondary life... There is also an alumni soccer game at the beginning of the year: with students vs. teachers and alum, it was always very fun to watch.

School Location 2

The surroundings of the school are really unfortunately not the best. Dufferin and Eglington is a rather 'sketchy' intersection, which is probably why we aren't allowed to leave the school at breaks until Grade 9. Even still, it doesn't really affect the quality of education, and most kids are driven to school anyway. There is a bus stop right across from the school as well, which makes it pretty accessible by TTC.

Admissions 4.5

For my application process I had to do a few written tests to make sure I was at the same level, or a similar level, to the students I would be joining. It was not the easiest test, but definitely not the hardest. I had to do lots of work leading up to it, however, but sometimes you need to put in the work, and this was one of those situations. Overall, though, the admissions process was not gruelling, just a little stressful.