Bilingual Secondary schools in Paris

[ALLYL]

We are moving to Paris in December with kids aged 7 and 10. My 10 year old is the problem becuase in the French system she needs to move to college in September next year which means she only has 2 terms in primary school left. I am desperately trying to find a school which has both primary and secondary sections so that she can continue at the same school she starts at in December. Obviously the International School of Paris would be a great choice but the price is a bit prohibitive. We were thinking of the EAB Monseau and then going on to the EAB college but I can't find any reviews of the college. Does anyone know anything about it? Also, does anyone have an opnion on whether after 2 terms of French primary a child would be able to cope with French secondary school? Everyone swears that kids are fluent in a few months but does that really apply to older children who are tackling more complex subjects? Any advice or ideas would be much appreciated. Thanks!

I suggest you put a call out to Bonsoir, who is fantastically well-informed about schools in Paris. She will be able to give you really good advice regarding schools there.

Good luck!

Hi,
I grew up just outside Paris. I went to the BSP and then onto the EAB on Avenue Victor Hugo for my A levels.

The BSP is an excellent school and if I still lived in Paris I would send my children there. I would not recommend the EAB on Avenue Victor Hugo at all. I'm not sure how much it has changed but I think the head mistress that I used to have is still there. The teachers were appalling and did not have a clue how to teach for A levels. (I took French lit, English lit and Spanish lit). I don't think they had ever seen an A level paper before. Exam conditions were a joke - the invigilator kept leaving the room to tell the other children to be quiet or he would blow a sports style whistle - just what you need when you are trying to concentrate!! Not sure how the French or American sides of the school fared though! I did manage to pass my A levels, but would have got much better grades at the BSP. Had lots of friends that went to the international school who enjoyed it. Don't know anything about the EAB Monseau though.
How much French does your child have already? I don't think you will be fluent after 2 terms. We joined all the usual clubs in France, gymnastics, football etc and were not allowed to watch English tv, only French!! I was 10 when we moved to France and after a few months could understand a fair bit, but was a lot slower to start speaking it.

Good luck - I loved it there!!

Hi- I'm moving with my 2 children to Paris next year (September 2012) from Canada and am looking for good affordable bilingual international schools! My daughter will be turning 14 and my son 11 years old. I was looking at Ecole Ermitage although all the negative posts have turned me off that! Also the Ecole Perceval in Chatou- the Waldorf school. Does anyone have experience with that? Then we were looking at Ecole active bilingue Jeannine Manuel and College/Lycée international de Balzac. I don't quite know where to start so if anyone has any recent experience with any of these or others- it would be hugely appreciated!

Would it not be worth starting making a complete list of schools, combined with a list of potential areas to live. Paris has quite a choice of schools with French and English, but some are "sous contrat" and therefore relatively cheap, some are far more expensive as they are "hors contrat" and there is no French Education subsidy, as you may be only able to afford a sous contrat school, so important to know, finally what do you mean by bilingual, because it looks like école Perceval is a French school sous contrat which welcomes English speakers, no mention of actual English as a mother tongue, unlike the EAB schools, you need to be clear about the languages the school teaches in and if English is taught to mother tongue.

ALLYL: I have 2 at the junior school of BSP, and whilst I agree it is a great school, it will most definitely not make your kids bilingual, nor would it claim to. It follows the English curriculum with the addition of a daily French lesson (at junior level at least). If you were here long term and supplemented with plenty of French out of school activities then I'm sure your children would eventually get to a reasonable standard, but not through BSP alone I don't think.

I would also be very wary of the idea that a child can be fluent in a couple of months. My then 3yo ds went to the local maternelle for 6/7 months and still wasn't much beyond the basics (and he's not an especially slow child!)

Moving - are your dc very bright? If so it might be worth a look at the International lycee in Saint Germain en Laye.

Allyl - my daughter is at EaB Monceau, in 10ème (CE1), and I am very well acquainted with all parts of the school and would be able to put you in touch with parents who have been through the same issues as you are facing and will be able to give you the low down. Please PM me for more info!

Ditto moving - please PM me. I know a lot about EABJM and Honoré de Balzac as well and can give you the low down. I wouldn't recommend either.

The Fontainebleau and Sèvres sous contrat bilingual schools are, IMO, along with Saint Germain en Laye, the ones to aim for if you can possible get in from abroad and don't mind not living in central Paris.

Hello Allyl, I second all those saying that two terms is not enough to get your child fluent in French. I would take up Bonsoir on her offer if you have not done so already.

Moving, I would definitely recommend the Lycée International in St Germain, I know it well. The British Section at the LI may have held some places for mid-year arrivals (you never know) and some say it is easier to get in coming new from abroad then for those already living here. Either way your child does NOT have to be a mini Einstein!!!

Allyl, the Lycée Int'l might be more tricky for your 10yr old as they will probably require her to change sites for collège.

Best of luck to you both, and do pm me for more info on either Lycée International or Ermitage.

Hi,ALLYL please can I ask you which school you went for in Paris?

Thank you

This is a really old thread: are you looking for info for a move to Paris?

Yes please!!
I am busy looking at schools. My 12yr old and 9yr old have both been in a main stream french school before, but we have been back in England for around 5yrs so their French is now pretty poor. I really liked SIS or the international at saint germain en laye, but they won't except them as their French isn't good enough.
I did look at the Ermetage, but not anymore!! So that leaves Ecole Jeaninne Manuel, Athena school, Cours Moliere and a couple of Catholic schools.

Any info on any schools would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you

Emily

ps. We will be paying for the school!!

EIB Monceau would take your 9 year old into its immersion (accelerated French) programme without much trouble and EJM might take either or both of them.

Would Lycée International not take them into its Français Spécial programme?

No as they need to be A grade students!

Does the EIB french colledge take english students with little french?

Do you know anything about the Cours Moliere school?

Thank you.

ps are you still living in Paris? Do you like it?

No, EIB college (rue Marguerite) does not. EIB Victor Hugo does but that school has a dodgy reputation.

Do you want to be in Paris or outside? there are other options in the Western suburbs but probably not worth my listing them if you want to be inside Paris

Any chance we can follow up on this discussion. We are a french family with 3 jilingual children year 7 (whitgift), cm1 lycee francais of london, year 1 (local brit school). Looking for a move to Paris. I visited balzac, sis, ejm, eib, camimme ser, massillon and would love insights, infos from families, feedbacks...any one can help?

My advice would be join the FB group english Speaking mums of Paris. There's an open day for bilingual schools coming up very soon if you are jn Paris now.

My kids were at the Lycée in South Ken and are now at Massillon. Lovely school and very handy for where we wanted to live. Very hard to get a place in the native English section of the primary school - much easier in 6eme (my son started in 6eme when we arrived and my daughter in 4eme they are now in 3eme and premiere).

I have applied to Massillon:-)

We are genuinely very happy with it and most importantly so are both DC.

Native English section is particularly good.

Would be interested in joining this thread. I have a job interview in Paris soon but am struggling with options for my two kids. My son (age 6) is behind in reading/ writing but otherwise bright and no problems with maths etc. He's getting extra support in his current school to help and is plodding along at his own pace but still behind all his peers in reading/ writing.

My daughter (age 8) is bright and has no problems at school and thrives in an environment with other bright children. Neither would suit a pressure cooker type environment though.

We would be on local contracts, so BSP/ASP/ ISP are out of the question, though we could afford a cheaper private option.

Local schools seem to be less supportive of kids with development delays or other issues (SEN etc.), so I'm a bit put off although I would love them to become bilingual, as we have family in France.

Is there anything in between? I thought about Ermitage or Malherbe but am seeing lots of mixed reviews here from a couple of years ago.

Really looking for a supportive bilingual school that doesn't cost mega bucks.

Anyone got any other up-to-date options? We would ideally live West of Paris because of work in the western side of the city.

Can't really advise, but you are correct in saying that France is not the best place to be if your child has any kind of additional needs at school - it is very much a one size fits all system. My husband would say you can't go far wrong if you remember the school motto Fit in or f* off - it sounds brutal, but my kids have been at various French schools and the motto is the same in all. Mine have been fine, but this is more by luck - that and the fact that they have been in the system since the age of two-and-a-half so have nothing to compare it with.

Sorry - reading that back it sounds a bit harsh, but no harsher than the French approach to education which is all stick and no carrot. My kids are immune to it because it is all they have known - and we are very supportive and encouraging at home to make up for it.