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Moving to France: how to choose the best school for children
French Property Guide
If you're moving to France with your family, you'll need to think hard about your children's schooling. Fortunately, France has some extremely good international and bilingual schools, not just in Paris but in many major cities. Many are based on English or American models and teach in English, or in both English and French, but other nations also have their own schools - the Deutsche Schule Paris, for instance, the Ecole Russe, or the Ecole Japonaise du Nord-Pas de Calais, which also offers both Japanese and French classes for adults.
Before choosing a school, you should think about your family situation. If you are in France for a limited time, and you'll be returning home in three or four years, then your priority will be to keep your children on track in your national curriculum so that they can pick up where they left off - schools like the British School of Paris, for instance, follow the English curriculum and mean pupils can slot back into GCSE classes with minimal hassle. (It's not surprising that 35% of the pupils are Brits - and the results are outstanding, though at EUR up to 24,000 a year, you pay for it.)
On the other hand, if you're moving to France permanently, you'll want to equip your children for life in France in the long term, so you'll want to think about bilingual schools. Career diplomats and others who move to a new country on a regular basis will probably want to pick a truly international school where almost all the pupils come from expat families of various nationalities.
For older children, you'll want to think about whether they should study towards the French Baccalauréat, perhaps the 'International Option' (IOB) which is the French Bac but includes studies based on the history and culture of your home nation, or whether the International Baccalaureate would be more appropriate. That will depend partly on where they want to study at university level, but also on whether their written French skills are up to scratch.
You have a variety of options in France
Paris
In Paris, there's a huge choice of schools. One of the most renowned is the Lycée International de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, in a western suburb of Paris. The Lycée is within the French system but has 14 national sections including both American and British, as well as Chinese, Japanese, Russian, and other European sections. Most students leave with three languages - their own, French, and a 'foreign language', study of which is compulsory within the French system. The International School of Paris inhabits the centre of the city, and offers all three International Baccalaureate programmes, giving a consistent approach from primary years up to the Baccalaureate itself.
It's a fully international school with 60 different nationalities among the students, and about 15% French pupils. Another central Paris school is Eurecole, which teaches not just in English and French, but also German and Spanish. It stresses multi-lingual excellence; exams are in the French system, and the school goes up to 'college' level, after which its students should be well equipped to enter one of Paris' excellent Lycées for their Baccalauréat (either the classical Bac or IOB). Fees here are EUR 9,000 a year, something of a bargain given the school's credentials.
Cote d'Azur
The Cote d'Azur has the Mougins School, which is located close to the Sophia-Antipolis tech centre and has an international student body including about 32% Brits and 20% French. It offers the British curriculum up to age 14, and though it's not considered academically pushy, gives a good all-round education with good drama, music and language departments. Fees are from EUR 5,000 to EUR 14,000 a year, depending on the level of study. There's also an International School in Nice.
Strasbourg
Strasbourg, as seat of the European Parliament, has several good choices including the Lycée International Les Pontonniers; it's a French state secondary school with courses leading to the Baccalauréat, but it also teaches French as a foreign language - FLE - to get pupils up and running. The Ecole Internationale Robert Schuman and Strasbourg European School also charge no fees, but can have long waiting lists, while there's also the Bilingual International School of Strasbourg (up to EUR 6,000 a year).
Lyon
Lyon offers the Ecole Bilingue Greenfield (maternelle et primaire) for younger children, while the small Bordeaux International School is very well regarded, offering a fully bilingual education with half the teaching every day in English and the rest in French.
Older children probably need an international education; asking them both to get a handle on French culture, and to acquire excellent written French skills in time for the Baccalauréat, is just too much. But for younger children, particularly those just starting school, going directly into the French system could be practical. The first year or so could be a little tough, but they'll acquire language skills fast. If you aim to stay in France and eventually acquire citizenship, this may be a better route for your children.
There's a half way house, too, which might suit some older pupils. Many French lycées have international sections (look on ciep.fr); there are 12 British and 7 American sections which offer a path towards the OIB, but there are also many other international sections including 9 Chinese sections (including Paris, Montpellier, Poitiers and Rennes).
And whichever option you take, there are three important letters you should know, that will help both you and your children adjust to life in France: F, L, and E - 'Français Langue Etrangère'. Taking an FLE course can help brush up existing skills or offer a first education in French, and it's a great way to ensure your children make the most of their time in France as well as giving them a leg up in French schooling.