45 best French private schools abroad

Education in France is always accompanied by a deep study of the country's cultural heritage, knowledge of its best traditions and characteristics. The network of French private schools offering a wide variety of programs is quite diversed: you can choose French language courses in Paris ot other cities, visiting the legendary museums and castles of the capital in your free time, or go to study the language at the most magnificent Mediterranean resort - the Cote d'Azur. Regardless of the geographical choice, excellent living conditions, the availability of libraries, computer labs with unlimited Internet access are guaranteed at best private schools in France.

After studying for several years in French private schools, the child perfectly masters French language as well as other foreign languages. It's no secret that immersion in a language environment is the best and most effective way to learn a language. This statement is especially true for children: unlike adults, they learn the language intuitively, through natural communication, and immersion in the environment can make the language a second native to the child. Interesting fact: according to research, children who find themselves in a language environment before the age of 12 tend to speak a foreign language without an accent and are indistinguishable from native speakers.

Many European private schools teach in French according to the IB (International Baccalaureate) or other courses. In both cases, their graduates are fluent in two foreign languages ​​at once: not only French, but also other foreign languages.

Studying at private schools in French is the easiest way to enroll in a foreign university. Graduates of French private schools receive a national certificate and can apply for admission to bachelor's programs at state universities. In addition, many foreign schools cooperate with the best national universities and purposefully prepare their students for admission.

If a child is studying in a private school in French, the choice of a university is not limited to one country or even a continent. For example, IB diplomas are accepted by universities around the world, and their holders are exempted from language tests.

Some French private schools abroad agree to place their students with local families. This way of studying abroad is very popular among international students. Accommodation at host families has two distinct advantages. Firstly, in this way, a truly complete immersion in the local culture is carried out, the process of integration into the linguistic environment is faster. Secondly, it is significantly cheaper. As for the quality of education, it is no worse than in boarding schools. The only difference is in the contingent of students: there are more foreign students in the boarding schools, and therefore the atmosphere in them is international.

Families are selected for accommodation by local municipalities. As a rule, there are not many cities in Europe, so every inhabitant is in plain sight. All host families are carefully selected. The local population is very calm, self-possessed people, who value family relationships and sincerely love children. As a rule, families that hire foreign students have children of the same age, so your child will not be bored! Life in a family, compared to a boarding school, is more like a home atmosphere: here for dinner they will cook something tasty, something that your child likes, and on the weekend they will go wherever the children want, and explain more clearly if something is not clear. And studying at French private schools is much more interesting!

Education in France is controlled and funded by the state, and every year the government invests at least 23% of the state budget in the education system. It includes the following steps (mandatory and not):

• Primary education (2-11 years);
• Secondary education (11-18 years old);
• Higher education (from 18 years).

In France, education is compulsory for children under the age of 16. However, the Law on Education of 1959 managed to be distributed throughout the country only by the 80s of the XX century.

Tuition fee at the top private schools in France for foreign students depends on different factors, such as:

• Chosen educational program;
• Location of the school;
• Rating of the educational institution;
• Accommodation options;
• Meals;
• Study materials;
• Additional services.

The cost of secondary education in France in prestigious private schools with full board varies from 26,000 euros to 40,000 per year.

Some services are not included in tuition fee and paid additionally:

• Flight tickets;
• Personal lessons;
• Transfer in both sides;
• Visa services.

List of documents and knowledge of the applicant need in order to enroll in a private French boarding school is not so difficult, but at some private schools there are own peculiarities in admission process. Foreign students will need not only a standard list of documents, but also certain language and academic knowledge.

The main list of required documents for the submitting from foreign students:

• A copy of the foreign passport;
• Report cards for the last 2 academic years + quarter/trimester grades for the current academic year from the local school;
• Certificates of language proficiency (preferably as new as possible so that they are relevant);
• Recommendation letters from teachers of English and mathematics, sometimes you can also take from the director;
• Registration forms;
• Skype interview or personal visit to an educational institution.

In addition to the above list, international children are also required to take internal tests in mathematics and English to determine whether the children are well prepared at the time of admission.

Please note that, as official representatives, SMAPSE helps with the free selection and organization of admission.