International schools, also referred to as bi-lingual schools, in France are quite simply schools that teach in both French and, usually, English, although some schools may combine other languages.
The proliferation of international schools in France has been in response to the growing numbers of English-speaking and other foreign people who have re-settled in France. As more and more international businesses have established themselves in France, international schools have grown to meet the need for bi-lingual education alternatives that cater for non-French children and young people.
Many international schools will offer a curriculum that meets the standards of, for example, the English education system, working to the National Curriculum leading to international GCSE attainment as well as traditional English ‘A’ levels. A number of international schools will offer the American standard of education.
International schools offer educational opportunities for children across all age ranges, from nursery education to the age of nineteen when students can attain the French Baccalaureate.
The benefits of a child attending an international, bi-lingual school is that they are able to study in their own language at the same time as attaining proficiency in another. Additional benefits are that, for older children, they are able to continue to study in, for example, English, completing the education that they had already started in England. The same would be applicable to American students.
For younger children, learning a new language and receiving a bi-lingual education will often be less difficult.
As the capitol city of France, Paris has a greater number of international schools than other parts of the country with perhaps the exception of the Bordeaux and Toulouse areas. These areas have attracted a larger number of international businesses than others, so demand for international bi-lingual education provision is proportionally greater.
International schools form a part of the private education system and they consequently charge fees. Fees vary from location to location and from school to school. Some international schools offer boarding facilities, for which there are additional costs. Some schools charge registration fees and there may be additional charges for various activities, meals and transport.
International schools may also offer a specialist approach to education, for example in the Montessori style or the Steiner-Waldorf, with teaching conforming to the principles of those philosophies of education. International schools, as with other private schools, will often benefit from small class sizes and excellent facilities.
