private-school.netSaved

Country & territory guide

Compare schools across France.

France's destination collections combine international pathways with numerous nationally described collège and lycée units. Choose a locality, the child's phase and the intended qualification before comparing schools. The directory's name does not establish that every French listing is a private establishment, English-medium or an international school; verify the named establishment's status and programme separately.

372 included profiles · 366 destination collections · 0 dated tuition schedules

This is a selected directory, with different levels of evidence in each collection. Open the named campus profile to check its curriculum phases, review date and sources before contacting admissions.

Planning a school search in France

Separate public or private status from the curriculum label

Use the Ministry's education directory and the establishment's identifier to check the exact unit, address and public or private status. A group can operate several divisions; a lycée record is not evidence for its primary provision. The Académie de Toulouse identifies Lycée Notre-Dame in Pamiers as private, but that does not establish another Notre-Dame school's status or contract arrangements. The Ministry distinguishes private schools under contract from those outside a contract, and explains that an association contract brings teaching into conformity with public-school rules and programmes. Private status therefore does not imply an overseas curriculum. Request the current status of the offered class and its teaching language before treating a listing as an international option.

Sources: French Ministry: official establishment directory · Académie de Toulouse: public/private Ariège establishment identities · French Ministry: private-school status and contract distinctions

Compare the award and language transition across destinations

Bordeaux International School's Upper School publishes a Cambridge pathway through IGCSE and International A levels. International School of Lyon prepares Grades 9–10 for IGCSE and Grades 11–12 for the IB Diploma. Those routes differ from a French national programme even when the schools share a bilingual or international description. The Ministry describes collège as the secondary phase following primary education, organised from sixième to troisième. Match that phase to the child's completed studies rather than translating a year number mechanically. Ask about academic French or English, language support, examination preparation and the actual subjects available. An IB senior option cannot establish an IB primary or middle-years programme.

Sources: Bordeaux International School: Upper School qualifications · International School of Lyon: IGCSE and Diploma phases · French Ministry: collège phase and national programme

Use locality collections to make a feasible shortlist

Compare Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon and the separate smaller-town collections through their named campuses, rather than treating France as one daily school market. Begin with the family address and the phase required for each child; then shortlist schools whose curriculum and public or private status fit the request. Obtain the offered campus address, timetable, transport arrangements and any boarding terms directly. Before comparing costs, ask which payments cover tuition, meals, trips, examinations and additional language support, and which academic year the quotation serves. A blank fee field establishes an unresolved amount, while a national programme or an official directory entry does not establish an available place or a particular bill.

Sources: French Ministry: official establishment directory · Bordeaux International School: Upper School qualifications · International School of Lyon: IGCSE and Diploma phases

Curriculum pathways recorded across the collection

Each row combines evidence from several profiles. Its phases may be offered at different schools; it does not mean every school provides every phase. Online delivery is listed separately. Open the school profile for its exact route and eligibility.

Documented routes in the included France profiles
Route and deliveryRecorded phases across profilesIncluded profiles and source examples
FrenchOn campusEarly years, Primary, Secondary, Sixth form355 profiles
IBOn campusEarly years, Primary, Secondary, Sixth form12 profiles
BritishOn campusEarly years, Primary, Secondary, Sixth form10 profiles
AmericanOn campusEarly years, Primary, Secondary, Sixth form3 profiles

Parent questions about France schools

Does a French curriculum label tell me whether a school is public or private?

No. Public or private status and programme are separate facts. The Ministry's private-school guidance shows that a private school under an association contract follows public-school rules and programmes. Check the exact establishment in the official directory and request its current class-level arrangements. Do not infer that every French listing is private or international from the directory's branding.

Sources: French Ministry: official establishment directory · French Ministry: private-school status and contract distinctions

Can I assume an international school in France offers A levels?

No. Bordeaux International School publishes International A levels, whereas International School of Lyon's senior route is the IB Diploma after IGCSE study. Compare the intended award, available subjects and entry preparation at the named school. A shared international description does not make these routes interchangeable for an older student's transfer.

Sources: Bordeaux International School: Upper School qualifications · International School of Lyon: IGCSE and Diploma phases

Start with a destination collection

The following collections have the most included profiles. Counts describe directory coverage, rather than local market size or school quality.

View all 366 destination collections

Build a shortlist and plan a school visit · Compare the complete school bill