La Jolie Ronde - c'est magnifique!

A La Jolie Ronde licensee is a self-employed individual who purchases a license to use the La Jolie Ronde methodology and set up their own business teaching French or Spanish to pre-school and Primary children using the La Jolie Ronde proven structured programme. We've spoken to mum Astrid Gillespie who became a La Jolie Ronde licensee after seeing the opportunity on www.mumandworking.co.uk! Astrid began teaching over a year ago and has grown her business teaching over 70 pupils and two classes at school in the curriculum.

Name - Astrid Gillespie (I am from Holland, but have lived in England for 14 years now)

Location - Brentwood, Essex

Family - 3 children - 9 yr old girl and 2 boys aged 7 and 4

What is your background?

Before starting with La Jolie Ronde I was a full time mum, however previously worked in Sales and Marketing at Ford Motor Company.

Was there a reason you went back to work?

I wanted to go back into work to start contributing to the family income again, after just having moved house and increasing our mortgage. I also wanted a job that was flexible and something that would fit well around my family responsibilities.

How did you go about finding a family-friendly job?

I looked on all the usual job sites but most were advertising full time vacancies or part-time jobs with set hours. I then came across the Mum and Working website.

La Jolie Ronde caught my eye as it said, "Do you speak French? Do you want to fit work in around your children and be your own Boss?" I am fluent in French as I was taught it in Holland, along with English and German. I did some home work on the company and found they were the market leader in language learning and were in fact celebrating 25 years in language learning and had won awards for their course. I also asked friends, mums and teachers at school what they thought and the response was extremely positive. All of this persuaded me to contact La Jolie Ronde and the rest is history ... I have been teaching for well over a year now and have grown my classes to over 70 pupils and also teach 2 classes at a school.

How often do you work?

I start my teaching days by dropping off the children at school/pre-school. I feel relaxed knowing they are at school so do not have to think about childcare etc... I run 5 lunchtime classes and one morning parent and child class. One day per week, my husband comes home a little earlier from work that gives me the opportunity to run two after-school classes. All in all, it works perfectly for me, I can work the hours I want, when I want and I don't have to compromise my family commitments.

How much did your La Jolie Ronde Franchise cost you?

£600+ VAT plus a £150 refundable bond.

What did that investment buy?

A marketing pack was included in the investment and had a wealth of useful information. The sample letters and ideas on how to talk to people when introducing oneself as a licensee were a god-send. It also bought me the right to operate in the teaching centres I set up, using the La Jolie Ronde logo and name, which is very highly regarded and being part of such a well-known, well-respected and forward-thinking organisation has proved to be an invaluable passport to introducing oneself to prospective schools and parents. The refundable bond covered the cost of all of the teaching materials within the progressive course including in-depth teaching notes, photocopiable masters, flashcards, CDs

Do you get good support and training from the La Jolie Ronde Head Office?

Totally 100%. The franchise agreement requires that you complete some basic training which involves familiarising yourself with the La Jolie Ronde materials and its teaching methodology. A straight-forward training package has to be completed and returned to La Jolie Ronde Head Office. All new Licensees get the chance to sit in and observe established licensees teaching classes this is then reversed with the new Licensee being observed themselves once they have started teaching. Annual training meetings again take place which is a great way get to see what other Licensee's are doing and how they are developing their business.

Do you advertise your classes?

Yes, I initially set about putting leaflets up around local places of interest and contacted local schools to let parent's know that La Jolie Ronde had arrived to their area. I do not advertise at all now as I've found most of my leads come from recommendations which is great. l did approached the school that my children go to, to see if they would be interested in me running classes and they were also very eager. This again would be great if I could teach whilst my children were at school or even attending one of my classes!

What is the best thing about La Jolie Ronde for you?

Oh, gosh there are so many things... but for me it really is the flexibility and the chance to earn a decent salary for just a few hours work. I love the fact that I can decide how often I work and how long I work for. I don't have to compromise my family commitments at all. The extra money I earn is brilliant particular in today's climate when I think everyone is feeling the pinch.

The ongoing support I receive from La Jolie Ronde is commendable. From the beginning of my training there was always someone willing to help and advise along the way and this still continues today. The award-winning teaching materials are also excellent and they are ideal for people new to teaching like myself or who may come from a teaching background.

Would you recommend becoming a La Jolie Ronde Licensee to other mums?

Absolutely! I would recommend La Jolie Ronde to any Mum or in fact anyone who speaks French or Spanish and wants a real work and life style balance. The start up costs are low and the ongoing training and support you receive is excellent. You really are your own boss and therefore you dictate how much you want to grow your business and at what pace.

The La Jolie Ronde method was originally launched in licensed centres in Britain and has been used successfully in Primary and Preparatory Schools around the world. Today, the La Jolie Ronde method is incorporated in the curriculum of schools around the world, including Indonesia, Australia, South America, Africa and Japan.

The numbers speak for themselves; tens of thousands of children are having fun learning French with La Jolie Ronde in more than 400 private schools and over 900 licensed centres in Britain alone.

La Jolie Ronde is an active member of the association of Language Learning and Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research, and has given many talks to teachers. A leader in Early Language Learning, La Jolie Ronde won an award from the DTI Languages for Export and has been awarded the CILT/QCA Early Language Learning (ELL) badge.

Make it your business to teach languages.

Be your own boss and improve your work-life balance with La Jolie Ronde. Many people from various backgrounds are looking to achieve a better work-life balance perhaps because their family commitments mean it is hard to juggle work and children, or just that they want a new challenge and to work for themselves.

For many than answer has been to become a La Jolie Ronde licensee.

There are many opportunities across the UK to become a La Jolie Ronde teacher - click here to find out more