“This is an important moment for the establishment,” confides Didier Huxley, head of the establishment coordinator of theSévigné Institution of Compiègne. A morning open doors takes place on Saturday January 25 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rue de la Sous-Préfecture.
“Until now, we only had one open day at the end of March,” explains Didier Huxleyin post since the start of the school year in September 2024. The open day in January allows families to visit the premises and make contact with the educational community of Sévigné.
L’Institution Sévigné offers education from pre-kindergarten to BTS. “We have a school, a middle school, a general high school, a technological and vocational high school as well as the BTS GPME (small and medium-sized business management)”, lists Didier Huxley, himself in charge of the middle school and high school, while Florence Lemerle is head of the nursery and elementary school.
“We have a daycare center, called “Halte smiles”, which welcomes children from the age of two, before kindergarten,” explains Didier Huxley. “It’s my Petite Section “prep” class, as Florence Lemerle likes to say. It allows children to adapt smoothly to the rhythm of school. They enrich their language, strengthen their motor skills and learn to live together.”
“An establishment on a human scale”
“Sévigné is an establishment on a human scale, which has 731 students,” indicates Didier Huxley. I don’t want us to gain weight too quickly. We don’t want to do “filling”. The school has one class per level and the middle school has three, with 24 to 25 students on average, from 6th to 3rd grade. This is to enable better individualized care.”
Likewise, the general high school has two second year classes, with an enrollment of 24-25. Then, there is a first class and one final year, in general education, and the same thing in technological education. In vocational high school, there is one class per level.
Another particularity: the Sévigné Institution wants to strive to consolidate the second-year classes (English, German, Spanish) at the start of the next school year. The high school offers Japanese, Sciences Po in English and Latin options.
Development of work-study
The Sévigné Institution wants to develop the apprenticeship sector (on a work-study basis) from the next school year in September, in higher education, with the creation of the BTS GMPE on a work-study basis while retaining initial training for mixed courses.
At the vocational high school, “the sports coloring of our Agora Baccalaureate” is coming next school year thanks to a specific option.
Under the tutelage of the Sisters of Compassion
The Sévigné Institution is a private establishment under contract, under the supervision of the Sisters of Compassion. “Compassion must inspire benevolence in adults and demands towards young people,” believes Didier Huxley. Our job is to welcome any profile to help it grow, whatever its average. We must instill a taste for effort in children.”
To achieve this objective, the Sévigné institution relies on an efficient teaching and educational team, “with around a hundred people serving young people and families”. The CAVAS (Support and Monitoring Unit) is a “real plus”. She supports teams in caring for students in difficulty and requiring special educational needs.
Didier Huxley insists on the spirit of Compassion: “It is about instilling humanist values of tolerance and mutual aid. Pastoral care allows young people to reflect on their values.” The establishment offers a pastoral and catechetical course to its young people, as well as masses throughout the year.
An outfit put in place in 2018
The identity of Sévigné is also its outfit “of which young people are proud”. Erick Ducrocq, predecessor of Didier Huxley, established it in 2018.
Chosen by the supervisory authority, Didier Huxley presents a “long career as head of an establishment”. He comes from the diocese of Paris. “I was responsible for supporting establishment directors and boards of directors, in the team of assistants to the diocesan director of Paris.”
Originally from and living in Pas-de-Calais in Béthune, he wanted to return to Hauts-de-France. “I am very happy to have been chosen to lead this mission,” says the head of the establishment, who lives in Sévigné during the week.
“We have a boarding school of 37 young people, middle and high school students, boys and girls,” recalls the director, as well as an internal canteen, supplied by a company which prepares the meals.
