French Immersion in Vancouver: entry points and catchments

What immersion is (and isn't)#

French Immersion teaches the regular BC curriculum, in French, to children whose families usually don't speak French at home. It isn't a francophone school system and there's no language test at the door. Instruction simply starts fully in French and folds English in as children grow.

Two doors in, thirteen years through#

Immersion has exactly two entry points, years apart, so almost every family still has one ahead of them.

• Early immersion starts at kindergarten. Grade 1 is the last early start, where space allows, until September 30 of that year. district early-immersion page
• Late immersion starts at Grade 6. Families apply during Grade 5, and seats are offered by random draw. Students aren't admitted after the second week of Grade 6 instruction. district late-immersion page

How immersion sits alongside your catchment#

Your regular catchment stays yours: a child must be registered at their catchment school before applying to any choice program. Immersion then runs on its own geography, with a set of designated elementary schools and separate immersion catchment zones at the secondary level that decide which immersion secondary a student continues into. district immersion overview You can see which schools near you offer immersion on the map or on each school's page.

Applying#

Applications go through the district's choice-program window early each year (January 6 to February 3 for the most recent intake). district late-immersion page When a program draws more applicants than it has seats, places are offered by random draw, not by who applied first and not by assessment. Families can list up to three choice programs, so an immersion application doesn't cost you other options.

Into secondary, and out the other side#

Both streams continue into designated secondary schools, which have their own immersion catchment zones, and finish with a bilingual graduation certificate. district immersion overview Students who finish come out with their regular Dogwood diploma plus the bilingual designation, which is the whole point of starting a door early.

Questions people ask#

When can my child enter French Immersion?

There are two entry points: early immersion starting at kindergarten (with a last chance in Grade 1 where space allows), and late immersion starting at Grade 6, applied for during Grade 5.

Does French Immersion replace our catchment school?

It sits alongside it. Your child must be registered at the catchment school first; an immersion place is applied for separately, and immersion programs have their own zones, including separate immersion catchments at the secondary level.

How are immersion seats decided?

By random draw when there are more applicants than seats, with the application window published by the district each year. It is not first-come, first-served and there's no audition or assessment at entry.

Do immersion students need to be francophone?

No. Immersion is designed for children whose families don't speak French at home. Instruction starts fully in French and English is introduced gradually.