International School of Lyon: PYP, IGCSE and IB in Sainte-Foy

The International School of Lyon (ISL) is a private, not-for-profit, co-educational day school in Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon. It serves children from Transition Kindergarten through Grade 12. The school gives its age range as three to 18.

This is not the Cité Scolaire Internationale de Lyon in Gerland. ISL charges tuition and teaches mainly through English. CSI is a French public school with language sections and different entry rules. Families should compare the actual programmes, not just the word “international”.

Programme and qualifications

ISL is authorised for the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) and IB Diploma Programme (IBDP). Kindergarten is bilingual, with the school saying about 25% of the week is in French. The remainder is in English.

Grades 6–8 use ISL’s own middle-school curriculum. It draws on IB approaches, but it is not the authorised IB Middle Years Programme. This distinction matters if a family wants continuous PYP–MYP–DP provision.

Grades 9–10 prepare for Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) examinations. A Grade 10 transfer without prior IGCSE study receives an individual preparation plan. Families should still check whether the remaining time covers the required subjects and coursework.

Grades 11–12 follow the two-year IBDP. Some subjects may be taught online through an external provider when ISL does not teach them on campus. Those online courses cost extra. Students who meet ISL’s graduation requirements without completing the full IBDP can receive the school’s own High School Diploma.

That school diploma is not the French baccalauréat and not the IB Diploma. Ask universities or the next school how they will recognise the exact award your child is likely to earn.

Who should consider ISL

ISL is a strong candidate for a family seeking one English-medium school from early childhood through an international university qualification. The programme is especially coherent for pupils entering before IGCSE or at the start of the IBDP.

It is less suitable if you need boarding, a French public-school route or an authorised MYP in Grades 6–8. It also requires careful budgeting when a child may need English or learning support.

The school is inspected and recognised by the French Ministry of Education. It operates as a not-for-profit association under the French law of 1901. This does not make it a state school or remove tuition.

Admissions and placement

Applications are accepted throughout the year, but admission remains subject to the appropriate grade having space. The current admissions page does not publish a single annual deadline. Start with the online application and ask for availability in the child’s proposed grade.

The €500 application fee is one-time and non-refundable. ISL will not process the file until it is paid. The fee remains due even if no place is ultimately offered.

For Kindergarten through Grade 5, the school asks for a photograph, two years of reports where applicable and a confidential teacher reference. Grades 6–12 need references from the current English and mathematics teachers plus two years of reports.

The school may request an English and/or mathematics assessment. Current 2026–27 terms say no previous English is required through Grade 5. A minimum level applies from Grade 6.

Early Years applicants must be reasonably independent with toileting, eating and dressing. Transition Kindergarten has age-related entry points during the year when places permit. Ask admissions for the start date tied to your child’s birthday.

Grade 11 or 12 transfers require a viable match with ISL’s IBDP subjects and timetable. A pupil already in the IBDP may need a paid online course. Admission to that course also depends on the external provider.

English-language and learning support

ISL can require English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) in Grades 2–10. The support remains compulsory until the pupil reaches the level set by the school. The 2026–27 charge is €650 per term.

The school says it can usually consider mild additional needs when it has the staff and resources. Families must provide specialist reports before a decision when relevant. ISL may require external assessment, equipment or individual assistance at the family’s expense.

The current terms list four SEN placements:

Placement	Support described by ISL	Published charge
A	Mainstream class with indirect or resource support	€900
B	Mainstream class with SENCo co-teaching	€1,800
C	Direct, part-time SENCo support	€2,700
D	Direct, full-time SENCo support	€3,600

The fee table does not clearly state the billing period for these four amounts. Obtain written confirmation of the placement, frequency, review date and total annual cost before accepting. Support can be compulsory when the school decides it is needed.

The inclusion policy also makes continued enrolment dependent on ISL remaining able to meet the pupil’s needs. A supportive description is therefore not a guarantee of capacity. Share reports early and ask who will deliver the proposed provision.

2026–27 fees

ISL has separate company-sponsored and private-payer tuition. A family qualifies for the lower private rate only after submitting the employer commitment and employment-status forms. Without them, the school charges the company-sponsored rate.

ISL says private payers do not receive payment receipts. The terms also reserve the right to raise fees in exceptional economic circumstances. Clarify both points before signing if either could affect reimbursement or tax records.

Company-sponsored annual tuition is:

Stage	Annual tuition
Kindergarten, PK–SK	€9,471
Grades 1–5	€13,503
Grades 6–8	€15,729
Grades 9–10	€18,767
Grades 11–12	€21,208

Private-payer annual tuition is:

Stage	First or second child	Third child
Kindergarten, PK–SK	€7,744	€7,434
Grades 1–5	€11,427	€10,970
Grades 6–8	€13,362	€12,828
Grades 9–10	€15,955	€15,317
Grades 11–12	€18,024	€17,303

After acceptance, the one-time, non-refundable capital assessment is €3,750 for Kindergarten and Grades 1–5 or €5,000 for Grades 6–12. The private table halves this fee for a third child in primary and secondary. It does not print a third-child Kindergarten capital amount, so ask the accounts office.

The place is guaranteed only when the capital assessment is paid. A signed financial agreement is also required before a pupil starts.

Deposits, extras and payment risks

Tuition includes ordinary teaching, supervision, transcripts and standard IGCSE and IBDP examination fees. Retakes and re-marks are excluded. Local curriculum trips are included, and ISL pays half of one primary or middle-school residential curriculum trip each year.

Families pay the other half of that residential trip. They also pay for supplies, lunches, optional trips, some activities, extra languages, external online courses and additional tests. ESOL and SEN charges are separate.

After-school care is available on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday until 18:00, and Friday until 17:00. There is no Wednesday care. The price is not published on the current public pages.

Withdrawal and refunds

The refund rule is restrictive. If a pupil leaves before 31 December, the school refunds 35% of tuition only when the legal guardian notified the Director in writing by 1 December.

After 31 December, no tuition refund is given for the remainder of the year. Expulsion also brings no refund. The school issues one invoice per family and charges €50 for each additional copy.

Outstanding fees can affect access, reports, leaving certificates, examination registration and re-enrolment. After more than two consecutive months unpaid, ISL may demand full payment for both the current and following school years before the next year begins.

The French terms are the legally binding version. Compare them with the English translation before signing.

Residence, campus and travel

The admissions policy says every pupil must have a legal guardian residing in France. An applicant who will turn 18 before starting must provide a visa before an offer. Current pupils’ parents remain responsible for arranging the required visa when the pupil turns 18.

ISL admission is not an immigration decision. Families moving from abroad should settle the guardian’s residence route separately and ask which documents ISL needs before it can make an offer.

The campus is at 80 Chemin du Grand Roule, 69110 Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, southwest of central Lyon. Its purpose-built 1970s building is rented from the Métropole and stands on protected woodland. Kindergarten, primary and secondary have separate areas.

Shared facilities include a library and rooms for art, design, music and technology. The grounds include a playground, an artificial-turf multi-sport field and a small amphitheatre.

There is no dedicated school bus. ISL points families to public bus 8 from Perrache. Family cars are not allowed on the campus, and the school directs drivers to off-site parking near the Bibliothèque de La Mulatière.

Our view

ISL is the clearest private option in Lyon for a pupil who needs English as the main academic language through Grade 12. The programme sequence is understandable, but it is not PYP–MYP–DP: Grades 6–8 use ISL’s own curriculum.

The biggest financial uncertainty is support. A family should not accept a place until ESOL or SEN placement, frequency and annual cost are written into a family-specific estimate.

For a public French route with an international section, compare CSI Lyon. Visit both at the relevant school times and test each commute from the home you are realistically considering.

Use the Lyon guide for local comparisons and the France guide for the wider system.

Friendly orientation, not an application. Dates, fees, and programme details move. Confirm everything with the school.