Français Spécial Admissions

Application for entry in September 2024

Based within three of our host schools in Saint-Germain-en-Laye (École Internationale, Collège International and the Lycée International), the Français Spécial (FS) classes start in Year 3 (CE1) and continue up to and include Year 11 (Seconde). Each class is made up of about 20 children, with an equal number of places offered to each national section. This means that the British Section has two places reserved in each FS class per year.
Because of the demanding nature of the programme, we are only able to consider candidates with a strong academic background.
The deadline for applications for families based in the local area is Friday 12 January 2024 and entrance assessment will take place in March 2024 (click on Entrance Assessment Dates below for details). Families based abroad who have missed this deadline, should contact our Admissions Officer.

For initial enquiries, please complete this online form. If you decide to proceed with an application for your child to the British Section, please see application procedure below. Click below for dates of entrance assessments.

CE1 (born 2017), CE2 (born 2016), CM1 (born 2015), CM2 (born 2014) - there are two places available in each Français Spécial class based at the École Internationale in Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

Sixième (born 2013), Cinquième (born 2012), Quatrième (born 2011) and Troisième (born 2010) - there are two places available in each Français Spécial class based at the Collège International in Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

Seconde (Year 11 - born 2009) - there are two places available in this class based at the Lycée International in Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

As of 4 December 2023, and up to Friday 12 January 2024, to proceed with an application for your child to the British Section, please: 

  1. Make the non-refundable application fee:
    • 160 € for maternelle applications,
    • 200 € for primary applications, and
    • 250 € for collège and lycée-level applications.

All payments (one payment per child) should be made on-line using the following link: https://www.helloasso.com/associations/association-des-parents-d-eleves-de-la-section-britannique-du-lycee-international/paiements/british-section-application-fees-2

  1. After 4 December 2023 and within 48 hours receipt of payment, you will be sent by email our online questionnaire and the dossier d’inscription (application form) to complete for each child. When completing the questionnaire, you will be required to upload the following scans:
    • the completed dossier d’inscription including an identity photo of the applicant on the top right-hand corner of the page,
    • a photocopy of the child’s birth certificate or other official ID,
    • a letter from the parents addressed to Miss Susan Woodward, Head of Primary, British Section for Maternelle and Primary applications or Mr James Cathcart, Director, British Section for Secondary applications, with: 
      • details of your child’s previous schooling, and
      • your motivation for applying to the British Section.
    • School reports covering the last two school years (where possible),
    • for children aged 6 or above, two recent examples of written expression (corrected schoolwork) in English.
       
  2. For collège- and lycée-level applications, if you do not live in the Paris area and wish your child to take our entrance test in his/her current school, please provide the name and email address of the teacher who will supervise the written exam.

We will then be in touch as soon as possible to inform you if we will be inviting your child to sit our entrance assessments. Click below for dates of entrance assessments.

Candidates based in the Ile de France will sit the entrance assessment at the Lycée International site in Saint-Germain-en-Laye. All Primary applicants living in Europe are expected to come to Saint-Germain-en-Laye on the date of our entrance tests. For collège- and lycée-level applications, if you do not live in the Paris area and wish your child to take our entrance test in his/her current school, please provide the name and email address of the teacher who will supervise the written exam.

CE1 (born 2017): candidates will be called for individual tests to be held on:
- Thursday 14 March 2024.

CE2 (born 2018): candidates will be called for individual tests to be held on:
- Friday 15 March 2024.

CM1 (born 2015): candidates will be called for a common entrance exam to be held on the morning of:
- Thursday 14 March 2024.

CM2 (born 2014): candidates for Français Spécial will be called for individual tests to be held the morning of:
- Thursday 14 March 2024. 

Sixième (born 2013): candidates will be called for a written common entrance exam to be held the afternoon of:
- Wednesday 13 March 2024. 
Following the written exam, candidates may be invited for interview.

Cinquième (born 2012), Quatrième (born 2011), Troisième (born 2010) and Seconde (born 2009): only candidates for Français Spécial will be tested for these classes and the entrance assessment will take place the week beginning 11 March 2024. Candidates based in the Ile de France will sit the entrance assessment at the Lycée International site in Saint-Germain-en-Laye the afternoon of Wednesday 13 March 2024. Those applicants living outside the Ile de France, and unable to travel to Saint-Germain-en-Laye on the date of the assessment, will take their entrance assessments online and will receive the entrance assessment date directly from our Admissions Officer.

All favourable recommendations are submitted to the Headmaster / Headmistress of the French school for final approval, which can result in a short delay.

Once a student has been accepted, an official acceptance letter will be mailed to the parents.

Students are officially registered once completed paperwork has been returned and the registration fee and advance deposit paid.

Please note that we are unable to receive prospective parents. Please contact our Admissions Officer for more information. We look forward to hearing from you.

Gillian Storey, Admissions Officer
Email: admissions@britishsection.fr
Tel: + 33 6 29 73 19 86

For more information about our Admissions policy and procedures, please click here.