Schools in Paris which is better

[Ania2011]

We are Polish family with 2 children (4 years old girl and 8 years old boy). In the end of October we are moving to Paris from London where we have been living for the last 3 years. My children are bilingual, Polish and English and they attend good private British schools where they are happy. I?m really worried which school in Paris will be the best for them and for their future: British International School, American School, International School or maybe EAB Victor Hugo. I would appreciate any information or suggestion. Thanks for any advice or thoughts.

Czesc Ania!

Mine are at ASP - I think it depends what feels right for you and your children. We didn't like the British School at all (and mine had been at the British School of Brussels), but some of my colleagues are very happy with it. EAB has a good reputation, but can be difficult to get into. We really liked ISP as well, but they had no room for DD1.

Wszystkiego dobrego!

Dear MrsSchadenfreude
You make my day with your polish words.
Many, Many thanks. (Bradzo, bardzo dziekuje) I heard so many good opinions about Brussels school. Anyway I?m still waiting for more advice and suggestion.

Ania

My friends were happier with the British School of Paris than they are with the British School of Brussels, so as Mrs S says it depends on what you want.

I've got 2 at the British School and we are very happy with it. The junior school has moved to a new purpose built site this year which is great as old site was getting pretty cramped. New junior school head as well who seems good so far.

Where do you plan on living? This might well limit your options somewhat. Are you able to come over and look around a few schools? I would happily recommend the British school as worth a look around!

Can't compete with Mrs S's linguistic ability but I do have very fond memories of a work visit to Poland as the guest of Wyborowa Vodka - at least some fond memories - some of it is a little hazy...the Vodka did flow rather..

D - it was the old primary school head who put us off the British School! That and the fact that we didn't see any children while we had a look round - no classes in action, which was the complete opposite to all of the other schools we visited. Also have friend who are v happy with BSP - maybe we would have been too, had we seen the new site and met the new head!

Ania - dzieki! Pracowalam w Polsce 20 lat temu - nie pamietam bardzo dobrze jekyka polskiego w tej chwili... (not even sure if that's correct!)

Thank you!
Two weeks ago we visited all schools expect EAB. New BDP looks amazing.
But because of our disappointment with Australian International School in Singapore where our son was between the ages of 3 and 5 (I still remember how hard was for him to settle in year one British school without knowledge the letters and numbers) now we would to find good academically international school in Paris.
I?m open for all information about the schools and I really appreciate all your help.
Dilbertina,
First we would like to find a school and then decide where to live. Since we have children we are not big funs of city life. Now we live in Wimbledon which we love. We have been to Saint Germain en Laye and it would be great to live close by.
Thank for all information and Polish sentences, I?m still waiting for more it helps me to make right decision.

Ania
S. Oby moj angileski byl kiedys tak dobry jak twoj polski. Bardzo dziekuje z pomoc.

If your children are happy in the english school system, my opinion from personal experience is that a school like EAB Victor Hugo, where they follow the French curriculum, might be too much of a culture shock. Particularly for your 8 yo. The French curriculum is very academic, not very frilly and entertaining, compared with the english curriculum. Sports and hands on activities are practically inexistent.
From a quick look at their website it is a french school with added english. It would take some type to adapt for english speaking children.

Good luck in your choice.

If you are going to live near Saint Germain en Laye I would recommend ASP or BSP as your children won't have too much of a journey in the morning. I live near there but my children are at French school. I have heard good things about ISP but it is in the middle of Paris...
You will also find plenty of Polish people living in the Western suburbs, if you want to keep up their Polish!

All the schools you mention are English-medium schools. I think that your preference might be determined by the length of your stay in France and the country/curriculum your children will be likely to follow subsequently. The British school and EAB Victor Hugo do the English NC and ISP does the IB curriculum.

catherinedenerve - EAB Victor Hugo is not a French school. The EAB group of schools includes several establishments - Monceau and Lamartine (French bilingual primaries), rue Marguerite (French collège) and rue de Berri (French lycée) as well as EAB Victor Hugo (English medium).

Hi Ania, Most families at the British school live this side of Paris - Croissy-sur-Seine, Le Vesinet, Chatou, La Celle Saint Cloud, Bougival. Buses also run from various places (incl. Saint Germain). There is a strong network of "welcome mums" so wherever you end up someone will help you settle in if you want. Socially I have found the school community very welcoming, If you are that way inclined you will not be short of coffee mornings, nights out, companions for exploring paris etc.

I have limited experience but I would say the British school is very similiar to a fairly traditional UK private school -they largely follow UK curriculum for example. I imagine this might help make the transition easier for your children. Whilst most of the children are British there is a very strong international presence, for example my daughter's class has French, Russian, Cypriot, Korean, Jamaican, Australian and Italian children alongside the Brits.

My eldest was Year 1 last year and thoroughly enjoyed it and I was pleased with her progress.

With three children and a dog we decided city centre living was not for us either. We have ended up in La Celle Saint Cloud and are very happy here, for us it has a good balance of reasonably spacious house and garden, woods & parks to walk in but shops close too. It only takes 20mins or so to drive to Versailles (or Saint Germain en Laye!) or you can get the Train and be in Central Paris in 30mins or so.

If you have any questions I'm very happy to do my best to answer!

Thanks all,
All your suggestion and opinions are very helpful. If it possible we would like to avoid living in city of Paris. We still would like to know the difference between BSP and EAB if somebody knows them.
Dear Dilbertina, thank you for information about BSP. Parents are always the best source of information about schools. If you don?t mind, pls tell something more about sport activities in BSP my eldest is not the best in English but he is really good in sport, which builds his confidence at school.

Do you think that BSP is opened for parent who wants to be involved in school live? I would be pleased to volunteer at school.
The last question do you know what extra cost I will have to pay? I?m not sure if school fee included lunches? I know that bus service it?s an extra cost. How much do I have to spend in the uniform shop?
Dilbertina I?m looking forward to hearing from you.
I still open for more information about schools in Paris.
Many thanks Ania

Ania - I wouldn't bother investigating EAB Victor Hugo if you don't want to live in Paris. I really don't think that it's a school for which it is worth compromising on where you want to live!

My DD is at EAB Monceau (ie French bilingual) and some of the Anglo children who fail to progress in the French system go to the Victor Hugo school. I think there is also a very large transitory population.

Hi Ania, school lunches are included (and are good!), I've not used school bus but it is pretty pricey if I remember rightly. If it is practical for you I think it is easier to get involved if you take the children to school yourself.

There are dedicated sports teachers. Frankly I wouldn't say the sports provision up to now could be described as brilliant...not awful - just a bit lacklustre. This is something that I know has been discussed with new head by various parents. He comes from a sports background and is very keen to make dramatic improvements. As you would have seen the new building has a great sports hall so hopefully that will help too. There is also a parent-run sat. am football club.

You should probably expect to spend at least 200 - 250euro to kit out your son (you may be able to use dark grey trousers & shorts if you already have them and reduce that figure). If dd is reception then prob. a bit more once you've bought summer and winter dresses. If she is nursery it will be much cheaper as they just wear tracksuits and polo shirts. There is a parent-run secondhand uniform shop where you can make some savings perhaps (although some of the uniform has been updated eg. girls summer dresses so you will have to buy new.)

Other than that there is the usual fundraising days etc where the children will want a few euro but not much else to consider.

Each class has a volunteer "class mum" who liases between teacher/school/parents association. There arefairly regular requests for volunteers for trips, art activities etc Parents are welcomed into the school generally and I'm sure any volunteering you wanted to do either in school or for the parents assoc would be very welcome!

The parent assoc website is here

Good luck with your decision!

You might look at ASP if you want somewhere sporty, Ania. It also has no uniform and doesn't seem to be competitive on clothes, like some UK schools seems to be - although they do seem to have an unofficial uniform of jeans, t shirt and hoodie with Converse on the feet! School dinners are excellent but expensive, so ours tend to have packed lunch. Oh and they love parents to get involved.

If you don't want to live in Paris, you might be better off looking at the schools outside, such as BSP and ASP. And there is the lycee international (I think that's what it's called?) which has a British section in St Germain en Laye. I don't know anything about it, but others on here will.

As I've said, we were put off BSP by the old head of primary at the old site, so don't let our experiences put you off there! Only you will know what is the "best fit" for your children.

I briefly looked at the lycee in St Germain, and know a couple of people with children there - it is reputedly VERY competitive to get into and very rigorous academically when you are there. I think it would only be worth considering if your dc are very bright and already speak some French. We discounted it as we expect to be in France for a few years only, and whilst we want the dc to speak french, not at the cost of all else. Plus seriously doubt we'd have got in! The people I know who are there are French/English Families with mostly very clever bilingual children who are living in France long term.

Which basically leaves you with ASP or BSP, both of which I'm sure would be fine!

Out of interest I just compared the fees....wow I thought BSP was ridiculously expensive but ASP is substantially worse! Do you have employer school funding? - in which case I guess it doesn't matter, but if you are self-funding it's something to consider. Although bear in mind the published fee structures are designed for employer-funding, if you are paying yourself you may be able to negotiate some discount. I know that BSP doesn't knock much off but ASP may be more generous, Mrs S. might know...!

Just thought of another school...

forest international school in Mariel Marley might be worth a look!

Dear Dilbertina and Mrs. Schendenfreude,

Thank you for all information. Now I know much more about schools in Paris. ASP and BSP both seems to be fine for my children. Probably we will follow British curriculum. That will be easier for my eldest and BSP have nursery class which my daughter can start this year. My husband company pay only school fee and I would like to know more about school life so we are not going to use school bus. It?s true that ASP and BSP fees are really high.

I?m happy to hear all good information about BSP and ASP. I appreciate your help and understanding. I?m convinced that with all your information it will be easier for us to settle down in Paris.
Thank you once again.
Ania

Ania, if you do go for BSP, you need to be QUICK for nursery places. The other main local British pre-school in Croissy "stepping stones" has just announced it's not re-opening now so there will be lots of parents who were planning to use it searching desperately for nursery places, although I think the demand will be so high BSP might look at opening a second nursery class.

malherbe is another nearby school, I think it's montessori-based, I know people who speak highly of nusery section there.

Whichever school you end up at, it sounds like you'll be living not far from me so do shout if you would like a coffee!

Dear Dilbertina,
I?ve just forward your last message to my husband who is in Paris today. Hoppy we can send application form tomorrow and reserved places for our children.

I will be pleased to meet you for coffee. Thank you so much for your effort.
Ania

Is there not ISP and Marymount in the Paris area too that are on in English?

Yep. ISP in central Paris, Marymount in Neuilly. But Ania wants to live outside Pareee so ASP/BSP better for her.

Have visited them all!

I think ASP will give you a discount if you are self funding, but I doubt it would be that much (but no harm in asking).

I interviewed for a job at BSP in their nursery and was gutted I didn't get it. I'd have loved to work there and I like to think I wouldn't work permanently in a nursery that I wouldn't send my own DC to.

Frakkin - I'll keep my ears open! Ds starts in BSP nursery on Monday - still only one class at the moment but it's pretty much full I think. We were there for a taster session today. The facilities and equipment at the new site do look great. Ds didn't know what to go for first - it was a 3yo's dream!