Removals to France: International Schools

Whatever your reason for seeking removals to France, whether it’s a lifestyle choice or a necessary move with work, if you have children of school age you will need to consider the impact such a move will have upon their education.

There is no denying that your removals to France has faced you with an important decision, and one that will fundamentally affect your children's future. Do you send them to one of the UK’s fine boarding schools, having them attend as a weekly boarder or on a full-time basis? Or, do you pull them out of the British schooling system altogether, enrolling them in an International School instead?

The good news is that there are more than 100 high quality international schools in France and these are scattered all over the country. So, if your move to France is necessary and unavoidable and if you'd rather not send your youngsters to boarding school in the UK, you don’t have to.

Hamiltons Removals offer a high quality, bespoke removals service to France, Europe and the wider world. We pride ourselves on our great customer service and individual attention to detail. We bring you this blogpost to spotlight on some of the top international schools in France. Here, we’ll outline the benefits and give you at least an idea of what to expect.

Moving House to France – click here to find out more about our professional removals service.

What is an International School?

International schools have a number of qualities that differ from other schools, either local or otherwise. For example, they allow for the transfer of students’ education across international schools, provide an international curriculum and accreditation, and either English or bi-lingual teaching.

International Schools provide education programmes that lead to qualifications under the banner of the International Baccalaureate (IB), which has gained recognition and respect from the world’s leading universities. The schools take pupils from primary school age, right through to their diploma years with programmes split as follows:

Primary Years Programme (PYP) Ages 3 - 12

The PYP focuses on the six core subjects of language, maths, science, social studies, arts and personal, social and physical education. Its purpose is to prepare students to take an active part in the process of learning and encourage them to take this forward into the Middle Years Programme and beyond.

Middle Years Programme (MYP) Ages 11 – 16

The MYP encourages learning in eight subjects: two languages (at least), humanities, sciences, mathematics, arts, physical education and technology. Its purpose is to promote creativity and nurture the desire for intellectual challenge. It is designed to develop communication skills and the students’ understanding of their intercultural and global engagement.

Diploma Programme (DP) Ages 16 - 19

The IB Diploma Programme prepares students for success in their university studies and in their working life. It is academically challenging and designed to further develop the intellectual, social, emotional and physical well-being of the student.

What are the Benefits of an International School?

Aside from the obvious geographical benefits, international schools offer a more diverse, well-rounded and holistic approach to learning. They teach in preparation for the wider world, a much smaller world in which global communication and an awareness and understanding of cultural diversity have become all important.

International schools offer an education that goes far beyond the three R’s. They offer the opportunity to develop cross-cultural understanding, a truly international outlook and the ability to build quality relationships with people from very different backgrounds. They centre on bringing children together to learn, grow and develop in an environment of understanding and acceptance.

International Schools in Paris

There are a number of international schools based in Paris including The Victor Hugo School, Ecole Active Bilingue Jeannine Manuel, and Ermitage International School.

The Victor Hugo School
23, rue de Cronstadt
75015 Paris

The Victor Hugo School welcomes students from all nationalities and offers an English language programme from pre-school to high school. Using English as the main language of the classroom, French is taught daily in groups split by their ability. Music, art and sport are all taught in French to IGCSE and A level.

Ecole Active Bilingue Jeannine Manuel
70, rue du Théâtre 
75015 Paris

EABJM is one of the top schools of its kind in Paris. The school’s record for academic excellence is matched by its cultural diversity.

The British School of Paris
38 Quai de l’Ecluse
78290 Croissy-sur-Seine

This is not an IB school, preferring instead to stick to the traditional British model. Its key-stage learning programme culminates in “A” level qualifications as recognised by the English National Curriculum

International Schools outside the Capital

Ecole Active Bilingue Jeannine Manuel – Lille
418 bis, rue Albert Bailly
59700 Marcq-en-Baroeul

This school offers the same high quality of education as its parent school in Paris, without needing to trek to the capital. Ideal if you are moving to Lille or the surrounding area. The school is co-educational and offers boarding facilities.

International Bilingual School - Provence
Domaine des Pins
500 Petite Route de Bouc-Bel-Air, Aix-en-Provence
13080 LUYNES

IBS of Provence is an excellent secondary school catering for children of all languages. The classes are in both French and English but at Lycée level they can choose whether to take the International Bac with English as their first language or not. They can also take the International GCSE's. About half the students are French and they can also take the normal French Bac. Many children of different nationalities have several languages and this is also reflected in the nationalities of the teaching staff.

International School – Lyon
80 Chemin du Grand Roule,
69110 Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon.

The school delivers the IB Diploma programme and the IB Primary Years Programme and is an accredited centre for Cambridge International Examinations. Classes at ISL range from early years to high school and children are welcome from the age of three. Admission is based on school records, evaluation and, where appropriate, an interview or test. Extra-curricular activities and field trips are encouraged, as is participation in the school’s two active Student Councils and PTA.

OMBROSA Lycée Multilingue – Lyon
95 Quai Clemenceau
69300 Caluire

Ombrosa is a very good school, with a mix of nationalities, and it has an excellent record. It is predominantly for French children who want to learn English, and for children from overseas. They are taught in French mainly and this is helped by up to 14 hrs a week of French lessons. It’s a lovely old building on the river Saône and the school operates a bus service covering most of Lyon.

The International School – Toulouse
2 Allée Herbaudière,
31770 Colomiers,

The International School of Toulouse is a co-ed school in Colomiers near the historic city of Toulouse in south west France. The teaching is geared in English though there are a few students from Spain, France and Korea. The school is noted for its use of IT in teaching and learning, with every student from age nine onwards having the loan of a laptop computer.

International School – Nice
15, avenue Claude Debussy
06200 - Nice

The International School of Nice is an IB accredited, co-educational school. It teaches children from pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 and has been serving the French Riviera since 1976. Through a healthy mix of work, play and learning they provide an excellent educational experience and a range of opportunities for all students from diverse backgrounds.

About Hamiltons

Hamiltons Removals have been offering bespoke removals to France for more than 20 years now. We offer Full Container Load (FCL) Part Container Loads (LCL) and Groupage services to all parts of France, from Brittany in the north to Languedoc in the south. For your peace of mind and to assure you of the quality of service we offer, we are members of The British Association of Removers (BAR) and The Road Haulage Association and are also BS EN ISO 9001:2000 registered.

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