France · Yvelines
This public French school network combines the national curriculum with one of fourteen international sections. Admission starts with the chosen section, whose language standard, calendar and charges may differ from those of every other section.
The Lycée International de Saint-Germain-en-Laye is a public French cité scolaire and partner-school network. Its main site is at 2 bis rue du Fer à Cheval in Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
The Académie de Versailles identifies the main secondary establishment under UAI 0783549J. This is not a private international school operating outside French public education.
Every pupil combines the French national curriculum with one international section. The school has fourteen sections, but there is no single international-school application or common fee contract.
Families first apply to the relevant section. The section assesses the pupil’s language and academic fit, then recommends successful applicants for the formal public-school admission decision.
The main cité scolaire includes primary, collège and lycée provision. Its primary school runs from Grande Section to CM2.
Section teaching also takes place in partner schools across Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Le Pecq and Fourqueux.
| Locality | Published partner schools |
|---|---|
| Saint-Germain-en-Laye | Collèges Marcel Roby and Les Hauts Grillets; écoles Schnapper, Marie Curie and Jean Moulin |
| Le Pecq | Collège Pierre et Marie Curie; écoles Normandie-Niemen, Jehan Alain and Félix Éboué |
| Fourqueux | École Charles Bouvard |
Some primary pupils attend their local French school, then travel to the main primary site twice weekly for section lessons. The school calls these pupils externés.
The main primary calls its full-time pupils internes. In this context, interne describes enrolment at the main site. It does not mean boarding.
The network can begin earlier than the main primary school. The British Section publishes places from age 3, while the American Section starts from age 4.
The main primary currently hosts eleven sections. Chinese, Polish and Russian provision begins at secondary level.
The sections are German, American, British, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Swedish.
American and British are separate sections with separate applications, curricula, staffing and charges. Families cannot apply to a general English section and choose between them later.
Section location can depend on age, available space and the family’s address. The British network also uses the side of the Seine when allocating some partner-school places.
Residence in Saint-Germain-en-Laye does not create an automatic place. The school is not catchment-based for international-section admission.
International sections operate through Seconde. Pupils study the ordinary French curriculum, alongside language, literature and another section subject taught partly or wholly in the section language.
In most sections, the additional subject is history and geography. The Chinese section uses mathematics under its specific national arrangements.
In Troisième, eligible pupils may sit the Diplôme national du brevet option internationale. This is optional and adds two oral section examinations to the ordinary DNB requirements.
The oral subjects are language and literature, plus history and geography. Chinese-section candidates take mathematics instead of the second oral subject.
From Première, the formal route becomes the Baccalauréat Français International (BFI). Pupils still complete the French general baccalauréat common core, specialities and any options.
BFI-specific study includes cultural and language development, connaissance du monde and at least one non-language subject taught in the section language. Current ministry coefficients give these BFI elements about 40% of the final result.
The school’s own explainer still mixes BFI with former OIB terminology, obsolete ES/L/S series and an approximate 25% weighting. This guide follows the current ministry framework instead.
The BFI is a French general baccalauréat. It is not the International Baccalaureate Diploma.
Some sections add their own qualifications. British Section pupils currently take selected English Language, English Literature and History IGCSEs after Seconde.
The German Section’s upper route can award both the BFI and the German Allgemeine Hochschulreife, commonly called the Abitur. Families should not assume that every section awards its partner country’s national diploma.
The section language must already be strong enough for age-appropriate literature and subject study. A section is not an introductory language programme.
The central admissions page accepts several backgrounds. These include foreign or binational families, previous schooling in the section’s country, and other pupils who demonstrate the required language level.
French fluency is a separate question. Français spécial provides an intensive French route for some pupils who have little or no French.
The main primary integrates pupils after an intensive French year and continues personalised support. The American Section publishes this route from CE1 to Seconde, usually ages 7–15.
Availability and age limits can differ by section. Strong French does not compensate for insufficient ability in the section language.
As of 4 September 2026, the central school has not published a common 2027–28 admissions calendar. The British and German section pages still display 2026–27 information.
The American Section has published the following 2027 entry dates:
| Applicant group | Application opens | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Grades 6–12 | 1 December 2026 | 15 January 2027 |
| Pre-K–Grade 5 | 1 December 2026 | 26 January 2027 |
These dates apply only to the American Section. Its current page says 2026–27 classes are full and have significant waiting lists.
The general process is:
Primary assessment may be oral, written or both, depending on age. Collège and lycée applicants take both written and oral language tests.
The IA-DASEN makes the formal admission decision after the school head’s proposal. Passing a section assessment therefore does not bypass the public-school decision.
The central admissions page still links to a DSDEN allocation sheet uploaded in 2021. That sheet should not be used to infer the 2027 timetable or current allocation procedure.
The American Section considers academic achievement, likely success in a demanding bilingual timetable, native or near-native English, and connection with American culture. Most year groups require English testing.
French is not required for an American Français spécial application. A favourable section recommendation still goes to the head for final approval.
The British Section tests age-appropriate speaking, listening, reading and writing in English. Its live page does not yet publish 2027 testing dates or capacity.
The German Section expects bilingual or very strong German and reviews school reports. Its live application page also remains on the 2026–27 cycle.
Do not use old section dates as estimates. Ask the chosen section when its 2027 application form, tests and decisions will become available.
French public education does not charge tuition for the national curriculum. International sections may have separate associations that employ staff and charge families.
The central school does not publish one fee table for all fourteen sections. The clearest current examples come from the American, British and German sections.
| Charge | MS–CM2 | 6e–3e | 2de–Terminale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family tuition | €5,100 | €5,260 | €6,750 |
| Third or additional child | €4,590 | €4,740 | €6,080 |
| Sponsored tuition | €10,090 | €10,390 | €13,320 |
| Application fee | €225 | €250 | €250 |
The application fee is non-refundable. On acceptance, the section requires €2,000 within two weeks.
That payment contains a non-refundable €1,000 registration fee and a €1,000 tuition advance. The advance is deducted from the September bill.
The registration fee is waived from the fourth child when at least four siblings attend the section. A narrower staff-related reduction may apply to qualifying American or Canadian families.
The balance is due by 30 September. Family-rate payers may use six direct debits from 5 October to 5 March.
The board may revise fees at its November annual meeting after the September invoice. It then issues an additional invoice or credit.
Returning pupils pay a non-refundable €1,000 advance in spring. Existing invoices must be cleared before re-enrolment.
A pupil entering before 31 December owes the full annual tuition. Entry from 1 January through 1 March costs 70%, while later entry costs 50%.
Withdrawal before the school year carries a 30% annual cancellation charge. Notice before 15 June reduces that liability to the non-refundable advance.
At any other time, tuition and advances remain fully due and non-refundable. Late payments incur a 10% charge.
The British fee page does not identify an academic year. The standard rate applies when an employer pays any part of the fees.
| Level | Family pays in full | Employer contributes |
|---|---|---|
| Petite Section | €2,027 | €3,821 |
| Moyenne Section–Grande Section | €4,051 | €7,642 |
| CP–CM2 | €4,051 | €7,642 |
| 6e–3e | €4,427 | €7,885 |
| 2de–Terminale | €5,746 | €9,272 |
The non-refundable application fee is €160 in maternelle, €200 in primary and €250 in secondary.
Within one week of acceptance, families pay a non-refundable admission fee of €1,500 through Troisième. It rises to €1,750 for Seconde through Terminale.
A further €500 tuition advance is deducted from the September invoice. Payment can be made once or by direct-debit instalments.
Fees exclude optional IGCSEs not taught by British Section staff, trips, French-school charges, meals and transport. The page publishes no withdrawal or refund formula.
The section operates a separate, means-tested scholarship fund. Families should ask whether funding is available before accepting a place.
The German Section says its teaching is funded by Germany’s Central Agency for Schools Abroad. It therefore charges no section tuition.
Its application fee is €120 per child. Compulsory APESALI membership costs €155 annually for one child or €205 for two children.
The page does not publish a three-child figure or withdrawal terms. Obtain both in writing if they affect the decision.
The 2026–27 collège registration pack prices lunch at €0.50–€5.10 per meal. The rate depends on the family’s official income-based quotient.
Families can choose one to five meals weekly. Changes or cancellation require two working days’ notice, and the school invoices meals after consumption.
Optional FSE membership for full-time collège or lycée pupils costs €25 for the first child. It falls to €20, €15 and €10 for later siblings.
Optional lycée MDL membership costs €2. Optional APELI membership costs €28 per family, or €14 for an externé or partner-school family.
Supplies, trips and transport can add further costs. No current central transport price was published on the pages reviewed.
National means-tested scholarships are available at collège and lycée. The school’s social fund can help with meals, trips and other necessary costs.
Primary pupils cannot use the national secondary-school social fund. The cité scolaire says its own solidarity fund may support them.
The central aid page excludes trips organised by international sections and the sports association. Section scholarships, where available, follow separate rules.
The main school publishes two nurses covering the school week. They manage emergencies, health monitoring, long-term medical plans and disability-related inclusion arrangements.
The school also lists a PsyEN service for educational and careers guidance. Section-specific pastoral structures vary.
The American Section provides personal advisory at selected secondary stages and a wellness curriculum. The British Section publishes pastoral coordinators, tutors and university guidance.
No central source defines school-wide SEND staffing, provision limits or admissions capacity. A French PAP, PPS or PAI does not automatically confirm that the section can deliver every adjustment.
Families should request a joint written plan from the French school and the section. This should cover classroom support, specialist input, assessment arrangements and BFI accommodations.
This is a day-school network. It provides no boarding, homestay or residential guardianship.
The American Section explicitly requires a pupil to live with a parent or guardian. Other sections do not publish a common guardianship service.
Non-EU families must handle immigration separately. France’s school-going minor visa route can require registration, accommodation, insurance, financial support, parental authorisation and a responsible adult in France.
The school’s registration packs ask for identity, address and responsible-adult documents. Some immigration dates printed in the 2026–27 forms are already obsolete, so use France-Visas for current requirements.
Transport and partner-school allocation should be checked before accepting. The network spans both sides of the Seine, and a place may not be at the Fer à Cheval site.
Use the Paris area overview to compare locations and the France guide to understand public, contracted and independent school categories.
Official pages and documents we read. If a figure matters to your budget or your application, open the link and confirm it is still current.
Friendly orientation, not an application. Dates, fees, and programme details move. Confirm everything with the school.
ASP is a co-educational international day school for ages 3–18 on one Saint-Cloud campus. Teaching is mainly in English. Every graduate meets American High School Diploma requirements, while Upper School pupils can add IB or AP courses.
Paris 15thA French–English bilingual school across three Paris sites, with separate BFI, IB and Adaptation fee schedules. Paris starts at age four and has no boarding; Lille is a separate option. Applications for 2027–28 open on 22 September 2026.
LyonCSI Lyon is a selective public day school for pupils who already command a section language. The French curriculum is free, but the Anglophone association charges separate application and annual fees.
LilleÉcole Jeannine Manuel Lille is a French–English bilingual school with day and boarding provision at 418bis rue Albert Bailly, 59700 Marcq-en-Barœul. It belongs to the same school as the Paris campuses, but has its own admissions, facilities and fees.
Compare an American school in Saint-Cloud, bilingual Jeannine Manuel in Paris and the public international sections at Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Qualification and language decide the shortlist.
7 minStart with the qualification your child would actually receive. Then check its subjects, language demands, and recognition in the countries where they may study next.
7 minStart with your child and the family's likely plans. Define the non-negotiables, verify the school's claims, compare three realistic options and visit with specific questions.
7 minTuition is only one line of the budget. Separate charges from advance payments, record what each figure includes, and ask the school to confirm your calculation in writing.