Bienvenue à L'internat
Un internat se doit de réussir à mettre en place l’équilibre délicat entre cadre de travail et espace de vie. Les élèves ont besoin d’un encadrement pédagogique qui leur permette de dépasser leurs difficultés. L’accumulation d’heures de travail sans recevoir aide et conseils se révèle souvent stérile. A l’EABJM-Lille nous préférons privilégier l’efficacité et nous instaurons un suivi plus personnalisé qui épaule les élèves au quotidien et permet de contrer les difficultés, au fur et à mesure qu’elles se présentent, avant qu’elles ne deviennent une gêne insurmontable. Etre à l’écoute, anticiper, soutenir, valoriser et favoriser une émulation profitable à tous sont les objectifs prioritaires de notre internat. Cette pédagogie, associée à un environnement agréable et à une volonté permanente de voir nos élèves s’épanouir sur le plan personnel, en proposant de nombreuses activités extra scolaires, fait de l’internat un lieu de travail rigoureux, convivial et par là même efficace. Nos pensionnaires bénéficient également d’un atout considérable à travers l’environnement international de l’école. A l’heure où, plus que jamais, la maîtrise des langues s’affirme comme un élément incontournable de la réussite scolaire et professionnelle, les élèves de l’EABJM, sont favorisés par le bain linguistique et culturel dans lequel ils évoluent en permanence. L’internat de l’EABJM est ouvert sur le monde, il offre un cadre d’étude et de développement personnel qui permet aux jeunes de se construire et d’étoffer leur personnalité, à ce titre il est garant d’une richesse commune, fruit d’une interaction positive entre les qualités de nos internes et le savoir-faire de l’équipe pédagogique.

Life in boarding aims to instill in pupils the ability to manage their work according to a peak of efficiency. We organise daily obligatory 90-minute study periods in the evenings ; it’s not just sitting and doing homework, because pupils are assisted whenever they wish or need it.  Pupils are grouped according to age or year/class, and do their work in classrooms, in the library or in the cafeteria.

Pupils can earn the privilege of working independently in their bedrooms without constant supervision IF after a given period of time (usually the first half term) they have shown much evidence of hard work, a reliable work ethic both crowned by good results. It is to be stressed that this is a privilege to be earned ; it is not an automatic right, such that this privilege can be withdrawn at any time should there be evidence of a drop in grades, lack of work. All boarders have access to the school library and to school computers, if required, upon request. Independent study time is encouraged even before the evening meal (when a student’s timetable allows it), or for lycéens, even after the official study period, in their bedrooms.

A formal work environment to encourage achievement and results

The formal study sessions are supervised, attendance is obligatory, and work takes place in « silence » with toleration of reasonable short exchanges of pertinent conversation. Where pupils really need to carry out assigned group work, House Tutors will assign a separate room for pupils.

Help
In order to help pupils acquire efficient methods of working, House Tutors can intervene on a more or regular basis ; we hope to pass on techniques which improve learning performance as well as provide a bit of extra tutoring to solve a temporary difficulty or lack in understanding of course material. Pupils will always find an attentive ear ; they will receive well-judged advice on the methods of attacking difficult work, whatever the subject. By removing the cause of recurring errors, we hope to build confidence in our boarders as they face new learning challenges. A useful study period implies both mastery of subject matter and efficient use of time and effort.

More individualised help
According to certain pupils’ needs, House Tutors can offer futher assistance to individuals (mainly collégiens ) when it is deemed necessary : checking homework is done, testing pupils by means of quick oral quizzes, ensuring that the school bag is prepared for the following day’s lessons. Tutors will make suggestions about arranging the furniture in bedrooms for maximising work efficiency as well as general tidiness and personal hygiene. If the school work of boarders continues, despite these efforts, to be below standard, we can oblige an extension to the evening study time.

Attentiveness
We like to think that the EABJM boarding house is a place where pupils will be heard, where they can express their views ; where pupils are treated with respect. We are fully aware that adapting to a new environment, that being separated from the family situation can be unsettling for young people. This is why we attempt to create and “open” atmosphere, taking into account the aspiration and the particular needs of all. In turn, the managers and the House tutors expect in turn to be treated respectfully by all pupils all of the time.

Communication with parents
Parents are kept abreast of latest developments relating to their child’s schooling by means of « e-reports », weekly or twice-monthly e-mails detailing their son/daughter’s work habits in study times and their daily activities in boarding. In this way, parents receive information “in real time”, allowing them either to reply likewise by e-mail or by telephone for further information, or to provide information. Beyond the scheduled weekly / twice-monthly reports, the Boarding House office can, when necessary, send a message at any other time; parents are similarly encouraged to maintain a close contact with us, when the Boarding House should take account of events which might have occurred in the family during the weekend for example. Finally, parents can request a meeting with us (direct contact with Boarding House) or with class teachers (address your request to main reception of the school).

Working environment
Boarders have at their disposal a study library at virtually all hours of the day ; there is a newly-refurbished computer room with Macintosh computers, available during the day when not used by teachers with their classes, and then from late in the afternoon until the late evening.

EABJM welcomes pupils with international connections from at least 30 different countries scattered all over the world, and thus the boarding house is a kind of world in small. And so the school library does provide – and could provide more on request – newspapers and magazines from all over the world. Not only do these reading resources allow foreign pupils to keep up with news from home, they allow all pupils to enrich their knowledge of the world whether the desire to do so stems from simple curiosity or from the awareness of the usefulness for the lessons of knowing what is going on everywhere. Pupils will find: Le Figaro, The World Herald Tribune, Time, The Guardian Weekly, Libération, The Times, Alternatives économiques, Courrier international, les Dossiers du Monde, Coscinus, Sciences et vie, Virgule, les Clefs de l’actualité…

Meeting and sharing
Two common rooms are available to boarders ; there, they can relax, talk, listen to their music, watch television or watch a DVD ; there are foozball tables, board games. Another multipurpose room is available at the end of the school day for some of the sports activities as well as for the theatre club.

Living together
While pupils’ bedrooms should be a « personal space » adapted to personal needs, they need also to be kept tidy and clean as most boarders do share their room with others. And so out of respect for the room-mates, basic cleanliness and order must be the minimum requirement. For some pupils, their bedroom does become their evening study space – all the more reason to keep themselves organised. The same consideration is an absolute must concerning the shower and toilet facilities. Professional cleaners do the rooms once per day during the mornings. Two laundry rooms – total of 4 washing machines and 4 dryers – are available at any time for pupils to wash their clothes or their own bed sheets (bedding provided by the school is sent out for professional cleaning).


Meals
The school restaurant is a self service facility where all boarders can partake together of their three daily meals. We hope that pupils enjoy the evening meal, especially, as a time when all can relax for a while after the school day, in the company of the House Tutors. Like all other facilities on the premises, it is expected that boarders show due respect to the facilities and to the kitchen staff. A food-committee meets at least once per term, giving boarders the opportunity to express their opinions about the quality of the food served and to put forward suggestions for improvements or changes.

Enrolment
Enrolment to EABJM is by submission of a written dossier, followed by interview with the Headmaster or another member of the senior management team and then a visit of the premises. Pupils and parents are later informed of the school’s decision.

Weekends

On Friday afternoons, boarders are accompanied by House Tutors to the Lille train stations, on coach buses hired by EABJM. Likewise, a coach collects pupils at the train stations for the return to the boarding house on Sunday nights. With parental permission, the departure from and return to the boarding house can be made by pupils independently of supervision. In either case, return on Sunday nights must be before 22h00.

Weekends in boarding
Pupils who wish to, may spend the weekend at the boarding house, as we can stay open when there is sufficient demand (at least 6 pupils) ; of course, we are definitely closed on the first weekend of long holidays (Toussaint, Christmas, February half-term, Easter). During the open weekends, pupils can take part in organised outings or excursions, though most often pupils prefer to take free time in the afternoon, following lunch, which itself comes after a two-hour obligatory morning study session, both on Saturdays and Sundays.   Weekends preceeding the « mock / trial exams » are much more formally structured, with up to twelve hours of obligatory study commencing Friday evening, and ending Sunday afternoon. At these important times of the year, large numbers of pupils do tend to stay in boarding during those weekends.

Discipline
The boarding house rules exist for the principal purpose of creating a peaceful structure to the lifestyle of the house and its residents ; a lifestyle which is fair to all concerned, respecting everyone’s rights and liberties and taking into account as well duties and responsibilities. The rules must be seen less a series of constricting limits and far more as a means of establishing harmony and efficiency withing boarding.