Testimonials

We could not be happier with Les Petites Classes! Both my boys’ very different needs have been met with the program.
My eldest replied in French to me within a few months of starting the classes and went on to have a very successful kindergarten year! My youngest is learning with Lucile in a small environment where he continues to make great progress with her patience and dedication.
Estelle has been my ‘go to’ person thanks to her wealth of knowledge on children’s development. We have also enjoyed the many events organised over the years outside the classes such as the nighttime Easter egg hunt, excursions, shows, and camping where we also had the opportunity to socialize with other French families.
We are so happy to have found this great place!
~ Olivia

Only 6 months after moving to France from Australia, my son Liam got his Brevet des collèges with the highest honour. Liam could never have achieved this exceptional result without the lessons and support of Les Petites Classes’ team.
Liam was born in Australia and spent his school years in Australian schools. I was the only person to speak to him in French regularly (my husband is Irish) and I did not write French at all with Liam. Liam’s level in writing thus reflects the level he gained by going to Les Petites Classes for many years. I highly recommend Les Petites Classes to allow your children to acquire an excellent level of French, fill in their gaps, consolidate their achievements and prepare them as best as possible for a return to France.
~ Sarah

Les Petites Classes help children get ready for Kindy in Primary School but also for school in France!
When we moved to Montpellier, Felix integrated into a ‘moyenne section’ class in France a year early and has also been selected after his ‘grande section’ to be part of a composite CP/CE1 class.
~ Pascal

Augusta and Lyon have attended French classes with Estelle Ruelland since they were 3 years old.
I really wanted my children to be skilled in French as our family is from Canada. I am glad I found Les Petites Classes when my daughter Augusta started the Australian preschool. I could sense English would overtake her French if she did not have access to learning in a structured French program too.
We live in Hong Kong now and my children attend the ‘Lycée Français International Victor Segalen’: they are both part of the advanced French program. Thanks to Les Petites Classes, they can write, read and speak in French.
Thank you Estelle for your teaching method, your effort and your perseverance. My children can rely on a strong foundation and they really enjoy the French language.
~ Elisabeth

It is with great sadness that we will leave Les Petites Classes at the end of the year. You have been guiding our daughter Cielle for over 12 years now in the journey of learning French! All your efforts since the creation of your classes have borne so many fruits for the children attending Les Petites Classes. As far as I am concerned, I will greatly miss your many pieces of advice on raising bilingual kids!
~ Axelle

My two daughters have attended les Petites Classes since they were 3 years old. Giselle is now 7 and Eloise is 5.
Teaching is structured. My daughters take readers home and have homework appropriate to their reading level. Classes cater for no more than 4 or 5 children per group.
My daughters love their French classes. They can speak, read and write in French but they also have fun!
Each child has its own home-made birthday cake. Estelle also organizes excursions for young ones to the museum, the aquarium, the Opera house… The annual Easter egg hunt is a hit: it has become a tradition for our family. At the end of the year, children perform on stage in French or a family excursion is organised.
I am the only one in the family to speak French (I come from Quebec) and thanks to Les petites Classes, my daughter have the opportunity to be bilingual.
~ Lucie

My children have attended Les Petites Classes since they were 3 years old. For the last 3 years, they have spent 2 weeks in a Quebec school; immersion has been very smooth.
Les Petites Classes make my children love and understand French and they can also read and write in French. I also think it helps them to learn at the Australian school and be more self-confident. Teachers are outstanding!
~ Julie

My daughter studied French for three years at Les Petites Classes, after school. She is now enrolled in Collège Notre-Dame in Quebec. Thanks to Les Petites Classes, she integrated perfectly, she could to follow the regular curriculum and she scored 73% at her first French exam. It is a real relief for me and I wanted to thank Estelle for all the work she does with those hybrid children living so far from Canada or France.
~ Nathalie

I greatly recommend ‘Les Petites Classes’ French school to all francophone parents. Luckily, there is a quality French preschool in Sydney where teachers are motivated and enjoy teaching French.
In small groups, children can learn how to read and write in French and little ones can learn basic knowledge and school rules. Les Petites Classes definitely offer an ideal transition to the big school.
For mixed families, Les Petites Classes allow students to strengthen French language that is often a minority language at home.
The principal Estelle Ruelland is passionate, committed to her students and always available for parents. My two older children attended Les Petites Classes for preschool and my little one (who is not one yet) is already enrolled on the waiting list!
~ Adeline

Our children, Raphaël (8) and Clémence (3), have attended Les Petites Classes since they were 3. We were both born in France and now Australian citizens having made our home in Sydney. It is very important to us that our children can speak, read and write perfectly in French. We did a lot of research when our son was born to find a tutor to give him French lessons. We were so thrilled to find Les Petites Classes.
We have always been impressed by Estelle’s dedication, enthusiasm and energy as well as the quality of her teaching. She has built a team of highly competent teachers and created a beautiful space that makes learning French a fun experience for children of all ages.
Raphaël benefited greatly from Estelle’s teaching throughout the 5 years he has spent at Les Petites Classes so far. He mastered reading and writing in English very quickly during his first year of primary school – thanks to the reading and writing he had done with Estelle. We continue to see the positive impact made by the teachers of Les Petites Classes: now in year 3, Raphaël has been selected to participate in the enrichment program of his primary school to further enhance his writing skills.
Clémence is lucky enough to get a lot of personalised attention and support from Estelle during her class at Les Petites Classes. She is learning fast and it’s a pleasure to see how much she is enjoying her time with Estelle.
I highly recommend Les Petites Classes to any parent who wants to ensure their kids learn how to speak, write and read in French whether as a second mother tongue in Australia or to prepare for a return to France.
~ Léïla

Being the only French speaker in my family, it was always going to be a challenge to ensure my children grew up with French and appreciating the language and culture. Estelle worked beautifully with my 2 boys in her ‘Les Petites Classes’ pre-school classes (now aged 8 and 5) and really prepared them to start kindergarten with confidence. Estelle assisted in educating my husband as well as to the value of French as a second language and this helped our family work together and encourage their French in the right environment. Thank you so much Estelle!
~ Noëlle