The decision to raise a bilingual child in Paris is, before anything else, a decision about the school. The right institution will produce a child who reads Camus and Faulkner with equal ease by sixteen; the wrong one will produce a child who speaks French only with their classmates and reverts to English the moment they leave the school gate. The Paris bilingual school landscape in 2026 has more strong options than at any point in its history — but the differences between them matter.
This is our editors’ working guide to the bilingual school options for English-speaking families in Paris in 2026 — written for families relocating, families with children already in French education making a switch, and families weighing the immersion-vs-bilingual decision.
The four archetypes
Bilingual schools in Paris fall into four useful categories:
- French national schools with international sections — public schools (free or nominal fee) where children spend most of the day in French but receive several hours weekly of English instruction at near-native level.
- Private bilingual schools — fully fee-paying institutions where instruction is split roughly 50/50 between French and English from the earliest years.
- Anglo-American schools — schools where English is the primary language and French is taught as a strong second language, following the American, British, or IB curriculum.
- Specialised language-program schools — niche options with particular philosophical or pedagogical foundations.
The French-section standard: Lycée International Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Lycée International in Saint-Germain-en-Laye is the gold standard for French bilingual education and remains free at the elementary level (international section fees are charged separately, around €5,000-6,500 per year). The school combines a full French curriculum with an “international section” in which 6-8 hours per week are taught in the partner-language stream (English American, English British, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Polish, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish).
Children who complete the full Lycée International programme leave with bilingual fluency at native level in both languages and the option of the Option Internationale du Baccalauréat (OIB). Competition for places is extreme; the school is in the Yvelines, which is the practical commute consideration for families.
The private bilingual contenders
École Jeannine Manuel (16e and 15e arrondissements)
Founded in 1954, École Active Bilingue Jeannine Manuel is the most established private bilingual school in Paris. The school operates from maternelle through high school, with instruction split between French and English in roughly equal measure throughout. Strong record of placement at French grandes écoles and top international universities. Tuition for 2026 runs approximately €13,500-€17,800 depending on year group; entrance is by assessment and the waitlist is long.
EaB (École Active Bilingue Jeannine Manuel sister schools)
Three Paris campuses with similar pedagogical approach, sized smaller than the flagship.
The Anglo-American option
International School of Paris (7e arrondissement)
International School of Paris follows the full IB curriculum (PYP, MYP, DP) in English with strong French as a second language. The school is centrally located, smaller in scale than the suburban alternatives, and appeals to families intending to send children to U.S., U.K., or Canadian universities.
American School of Paris (Saint-Cloud)
The oldest American-curriculum school in continental Europe (founded 1946), ASP follows American curriculum with AP and IB options. The school is in Saint-Cloud, which requires a school bus commute from central Paris but offers a substantial campus.
British School of Paris (Croissy-sur-Seine)
Following the English National Curriculum and offering IGCSEs and A-Levels, BSP is the established British-curriculum school in the Paris region. Particularly strong for families intending to return to the UK independent school system or apply to UK universities.
The immersion question
The most important strategic question for English-speaking parents new to Paris: should the child go into French immersion (a French-only public or private school with no English instruction), or into a bilingual or anglophone program?
Educational consultants in Paris generally advise: full immersion works best for children who arrive before age 7 and have at least 2-3 years before any major school transition. Children who arrive at 8 or later, who will return to an English-speaking country within 3-4 years, or who have specific learning differences may struggle in pure French immersion and are typically better served by a bilingual or Anglo-American program.
What to ask on the school visit
- What percentage of native English-speaking children in the elementary years are actually conversational in French by Year 4?
- What is the school’s approach to children entering mid-cycle with no French?
- How much homework is in French versus English per week, by age?
- Where do graduates go to university — and what is the year-on-year split between French grandes écoles, U.S. universities, and U.K. universities?
The Paris school decision is consequential. Visit five schools before deciding on two, and visit those two twice.
