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Original poster

International School in PARIS.

53 replies

ILoveBIS · 16/02/2014 00:38

Hello.

We are a Japanese family living in a smaller city in France. My daughter is turning 16 this year and currently goes to an international school in the city. She is taking the IGCSE exams this May/June and after her exams, we are moving to Paris.

She wants to continue learning in English after moving to Paris, and is interested in switching to IB from British system although it is not fully decided yet.
So we are looking for an international school in Paris which has IB programme. If there is a good school which does A-level, we are interested in knowing it as well.
So which International School is the best in Paris?

Thanks in advance.

OP posts:
Bonsoir · 16/02/2014 16:52

There aren't any really good IB schools in Paris, sadly.

In your position I would opt for A-levels at the British School - that would be your safest bet from a teaching quality standpoint.

Original poster
ILoveBIS · 16/02/2014 17:25

@Bonsoir

Thanks for the reply.

Well, I heard British School is in suburb of Paris, and my husband is going to work in the city so we are likely to live in Paris. Also if she was to take A-levels then she would rather stay in her current school and live in a host family.

So let's assume we HAVE to go to an IB international school in Paris.
We found Ecole Active Jeanine Manuel, International School of Paris and EAB Victor Hugo. Which of these has fairly good reputation?

OP posts:
Bonsoir · 16/02/2014 17:30

The best of those by far is EABJM. Don't touch EIB Victor Hugo with a barge pole.

Original poster
ILoveBIS · 16/02/2014 17:41

Thanks.
The "best" means best educational standard? or something else?
And what is so bad about Victor Hugo? Can't find any reputation whatsoever on the internet, sadly.
We already checked websites of the three schools but only ISP has good amount of information

We are concerned about "waiting list" of EABJM. Good schools tend to have a lot of people wanting to join so yeah...

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unobtanium · 16/02/2014 17:45

Hi, I would lean towards ISP if A levels at the BSP is not going to work. But don't rule it out just because you will be living centrally: Croissy (BSP) is quite easily reached from central Paris and they do offer a school bus service from various points in the city.

Maybe I'm just used to crazy commutes though!

There was going to be a change of head at ISP, I'd heard, so worth checking if the place is still delivering like it has under Audrey Peverelli (who was widely liked).

Depending on where you're coming from, ISP might feel a little cramped -- but BSP won't!

unobtanium · 16/02/2014 17:46

don't rule it out = don't rule BSP out -- sorry.

Bonsoir · 16/02/2014 17:47

EABJM does not have a waiting list for the IB, though it is notoriously difficult to get into for the French bac stream (its main business). It is the best school in that it is the most established and has quite a lot of pulling power for reasonable teachers and not much pupil turnover. It is primarily a school for long term residents whereas the other two are primarily schools for expats and have high turnover and little pulling power to recruit great teachers.

Original poster
ILoveBIS · 16/02/2014 18:08

Hmm BSP is a bit too far...but I will do a further research on it as well. I'm wondering though, whether there is any international student there. As far as I see on the photos on the website, it seems like there are only British.

My husband is now very interested in EABJM. We checked the application checklist and I am surprised that there should be "letters of recommendation for the parents" and not only for the students... Also a personal essay written by the applicant stating the reasons for applying to EABJM? wow.

OP posts:
Bonsoir · 16/02/2014 18:11

EABJM has created a monster of an application process but you should know that all they care about is whether your DC is going to be a high-performing pupil and whether you are likely to contribute to their fundraising efforts. Adjust your letters accordingly!

Original poster
ILoveBIS · 16/02/2014 18:26

Thank you for the replies!
I might ask here again if I get any questions...

OP posts:
Bonsoir · 16/02/2014 18:29

Sure! Good luck!

BriocheDoree · 16/02/2014 20:51

The BSP has over 60 different nationalities amongst its students Grin
Many of them live in central Paris.
In the end, it depends what you want, but it's a good school.

Original poster
ILoveBIS · 17/02/2014 14:29

I was just wondering if EABJM accepts a student who can't speak French? My daughter speaks Japanese fluently and English at the level she doesn't have any problem following lessons and achieve good grade in IGCSE (English Language/Literature is her weakness and got B/C in mock exams but other subjects including History which has essay questions were all above A). But she doesn't speak French although we've lived in France for 2.5 years. She understands everyday conversation but since she did not speak English at all when we came to France, she focused on English and have not had chance to work on French.

OP posts:
Bonsoir · 17/02/2014 14:49

They may do for IB. Email them to ask!

Superspudable · 17/02/2014 18:40

EABJM offers adaptation classes for non-French speakers up to entry in Seconde. This brings students up to the level required to join the normal bilingual classes the following year.

If you wish to contact admissions, I would recommend calling them (they all speak English), as this is their busiest period and it takes time for them to respond to email them. Do not worry too much about the letter - get someone who knows you well to write about you as parents, a family and your values - they are looking for people who buy into the whole bilingual principle.

My boys are both doing really well at EABJM, but both much younger and spoke French already, but if you have any specific questions, please feel free to PM me.

Original poster
ILoveBIS · 18/02/2014 12:56

Well my daughter is already in Seconde, and she will be 1ere next September - when she is going to change her school.

My husband speaks French and doesn't speak too much English, and my English speaking is horrible (in fact my daughter is translating some of those texts). None of my family speaks English/French except my husband and daughter...sigh.

Good to have someone who has his children in EABJM! When my husband comes back from Paris this evening, I'll ask him if he has any questions...and if he does I will ask you..

Thanks!

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NomDeClavier · 19/02/2014 21:27

EABJM is very good for IB but I don't know whether they would take a non French speaker that late. Your DD is also likely to miss out socially if she can't socialize in French.

I'm not a fan of ISP and as bonsoir said wouldn't touch EIB Victor Hugo.

A-levels at BSP is probably the best option but that's unlikely to get her fluency in French up at that age.

Original poster
ILoveBIS · 20/02/2014 01:01

Thanks for the reply, NomDeClavier.

Well...why wouldn't French students take French Baccalaureate? I mean, wouldn't my daughter's class likely to have international students other than French students because it's International Bac after all. My daughter already missed out the first year socially at her current international school in our city because she didn't speak English at all. Hopefully, French won't the case this time...
But I read on the official webpage that Economics is only offered in French, which my daughter is most interested in out of the three possible humanity subjects...

ISP is very unlikely to be our choice of school, due to its cost which seems to be devoted into iMacs (I honestly think that mentioning iMacs on official webpage is more of a push factor than a pull factor...) which my daughter will not use as she is interested in taking an extra science instead of an art subject. Why would you not touch EIB Victor Hugo? I understand there are things you shouldn't say in the public but this draws our curiosity a lot - two people already said the same thing but we cannot find why just by googling.

Multiple people have already mentioned BSP. Now we're interested in this, although my daughter very much prefers to stay in her current international school which offers A-level. The problem is though, the school is a bit too far, and as you said, it's kind of obvious that my daughter will not learn French (as she will be taking four non-linguistic subjects if she is to take A-levels). And in our smaller city, she has been fine living without French fluency because my husband speaks French fluently and more and more French people are starting to understand English lately. Paris will obviously be worse (better) - Paris is a lot more used to foreigners and there are so many Japanese residents.

OP posts:
Bonsoir · 20/02/2014 08:04

EIB Victor Hugo is very much the "also ran" if the English-medium schools in Paris. It is private for profit, now part of an international group with Spanish shareholders and unlikely to be an attractive destination for top-notch teachers.

MrsSchadenfreude · 20/02/2014 09:27

ASP and ISP are fine for IB in Paris, if you want an English language school. ASP (where my daughters went) regularly gets kids into Ivy League and Oxbridge. ASP tends to weed out non-academic kids in High School (that's my understanding) because they are very results focused.

A friend's daughter went to ISP and did well - now at Cambridge. So I'm not sure you can say so dismissively, Bonsoir, that there are no good IB schools in Paris. Hmm Both of my DDs also got to a high standard in French at ASP - DD1 was in the francophone class after three years and is set to do her IB French next year, which will be two years early. The standard of French they acquired was far in excess of their friends who went to BSP.

Bonsoir · 20/02/2014 11:41

Not only did I not say that (saying that there are no really good IB schools in Paris is not synonymous with saying that there are no good IB schools in Paris) but ASP was not in Paris last time I looked.

The IBO organisation itself thinks France is a no-go zone for the IB and does not invest in it. That has repercussions on teacher recruitment, sadly.

MrsSchadenfreude · 20/02/2014 21:05

Well, no, it's in Saint Cloud. Hmm

But if you want an English medium IB school actually in Paris, I think your only choice is ISP.

Original poster
ILoveBIS · 20/02/2014 22:31

I see. We won't choose EAB victor Hugo then. If eabjm (close to husband's workplace also) doesn't accept us, we probably will head to BSP or sth. ISP is a bit too expensive without really good reputation (no bad reputation either but yeah)

I completely forgot about ASP but it's also a bit too far. I don't know which of ASP and BSP is further than the other from Central Paris though (7, 15, 16 arrandissement are where we are likely to live). I also saw the average IB score of ASP but they seemed to be just around the average of world scores.

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MrsSchadenfreude · 20/02/2014 22:41

ASP is closer to Paris than BSP. I thought that the education my two received there was really good - DD1 is now in another international school and performing strongly. DD2 has gone back into the UK system and is in the top set for every subject in a selective school and predicted good grades in her GCSEs. Good luck with your decision!

Original poster
ILoveBIS · 20/02/2014 22:55

Mrs Schandenfreude
Oh so one of your kids is about the same age as mine.

Anyway thanks for the response.. Good to hear something from the parents who had their kids in those schools

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