Residential IB French Tutor: Ski Weeks, Summer Stays and Exam Bootcamps

Some of my best teaching has happened away from a screen: at a yacht club in Monaco, in a chalet in Switzerland, and once on a chairlift. When a family wants an intensive block of IB French lessons, I come to them and teach for a few days in a row, which is what I call residential tutoring.

Most of my residential stays are with students I already teach, who want to go further than a weekly lesson allows. It starts from 345€ per day, plus expenses (food, travel and accommodation). The day rate stays the same if up to three students share the lessons, and I ask for one month's notice, more in the busiest periods. Here is what a stay actually looks like, and when it works best.

What does a residential stay look like?

The setting changes, but the idea is always the same. In Monaco, I gave lessons at a yacht club. In Switzerland, I taught in a client's chalet, and the friends who had come to ski with the family ended up joining the lessons. Another time, online clients in London asked me to come over for an intensive bootcamp a month before their exam.

What makes it different from a regular week is continuity. Each lesson builds directly on the one before, so we do not spend the first ten minutes remembering where we stopped last time. And because we have more time together, we can explore topics in much more depth than in our regular lessons: taking a theme, a text or an oral topic all the way, instead of stopping when the hour runs out.

I will admit that my favorite teaching moment was on a ski lift. I used to ski with the kids and ask them questions on the chairlift, to reinforce what we had covered that morning.

How many hours a day?

Usually two to four. I can teach as much as is needed, but more is not more efficient. It is much better to do three focused hours every day than to burn out on the first one. By the third day, the student is sharper, not more tired, and that is the point of the format.

Can friends or siblings share the lessons?

Yes, up to three students. This happened naturally: the families I worked with asked me to help their friends, and I found that small groups work very well, as long as everyone can follow. That is why I cap it at three.

The day rate is the same for the group, so sharing it between families makes it much more affordable per student. The lessons are taught together, not one by one, so I plan them around the level of the group and the exam skills they all need.

When does a residential stay make the most sense?

There are four moments that come up again and again:

• The February ski week (settimana bianca). A week away is a good time for a reset in the middle of the school year, and it is the most popular slot.

• The weekends before the exam. About a month before the exam, I run intensive weekend bootcamps, when it is still possible to change the result. Writing technique, listening practice and oral rehearsal are all put together under timed conditions. If you want to know what each part of the exam rewards, read my guide to how the Individual Oral actually works and my advice on surviving IB exam panic.

• Summer, before the school year. This is when I prepare students for the start of the IB, and for placement in boarding schools. Once, I spent the week before school started going through the first chapters of the IB with a student, so that he arrived prepared, confident and with time to ease in. If your child is about to start the Diploma, my guide to what IB French is and which course to take is a good starting point.

• When online lessons need an in-person push. Sometimes a block of days together is simply the most effective way to finish a piece of work.

  
  

What if we have never worked together?

A new student is welcome too. In that case, we start with a free consultation, and I build a program around your child's needs, their objectives and the time we have. I use diagnostic tools to identify strengths and weaknesses across all four parts of the exam, so that every day is spent on marks that can actually be gained. Notes and PDFs are kept in a shared Google Drive, and online lessons can follow if you want to keep the momentum.

Why plan so far ahead?

I ask for a month's notice, and I would suggest even earlier for the weeks that matter most: the February ski week, the weeks before exams and the summer holidays. These are the same periods when every family wants lessons, and my calendar fills up first. If you are thinking about February, now is the time to get in touch.

How much does it cost?

From 345€ per day, plus food, travel and accommodation. I travel anywhere in the world. If the journey takes a full day, that day is billed too. For comparison, a single online lesson is 90€ per hour, or 75€ per hour in a 10 hour bundle.

Frequently asked questions

Are you around outside lessons? I am happy to stay near the family during the stay. My role is the lessons, so a parent or another adult stays in charge of the children outside lesson times, which lets me give each lesson my full focus.

How much notice do you need? One month at the minimum, and more for the February ski week, the weeks before exams and the summer.

Where do you travel? Anywhere in the world. Travel time that takes a full day is billed.

Is it only for students who are struggling? No. A stay is just as useful for getting ahead, for example before the Diploma starts, as it is for catching up before an exam.

Who is behind the lessons?

I am Louis Martin, a native French speaker based between Milan and Lake Como. I have been teaching IB French full time for 11 years, with over 7,000 hours of one-to-one lessons, and I teach IB French A and B at Standard and Higher Level, as well as A Level, IGCSE and MYP French, online and in person.

I have marked IB Paper 2 scripts myself, so I know how examiners read a candidate's work, and I also guide students through applications to French universities on Parcoursup, including Sciences Po, ESSEC and ESCP. Lessons are available in English, French, Italian, Spanish and Russian. Outside tutoring, I am the president of Associazione Lumo, a Milan non-profit that works on access to education and integration.

Next steps

If you already have lessons with me, tell me your dates and who would join, and we will plan the stay together. If you are new, book a free consultation at louisibtutor.com. We will talk through your goals, who would join and the best dates, and I will build the program around your child.