paris

[annam]

does anybody know anything about lennen school paris or marymount?

[La pomme d'Eve]

From what I have observed both are quite American in their terms of pupil intake and community which might suit or may not. The Lennen school is actually located in the American church in Paris. It is a relatively small player in terms of the other Parisian bilingual educational establishments as the EAB, EABjm and Lycee International all of which provide similar provisions but are longer standing. Entry is more competitive at the latter 3 and so standards are high wheras I think that Marymount and Lennen tend to accept the fallout. Again, this may suit, it may not.
On the France teaching/learning circuit I would say that they are known but not amongst the biggies so to speak! Hope this is of help!

[annam]

thank you pomme d'eve. may i just ask you one question. Is it true that EAB and EABJM can be a little 'heavy going' with regards to pushing children for results from an early age (like 5 or 6 yrs old)?

[La pomme d'Eve]

From what I know, entry is competetive and standards are high. I think that any bilingual education is rigorous for children particularly at CP when they are mastering the phonics of both languages though.
Not sure if you are wanting insight as a teacher or parent. From a teacher point of view I think that we would teach with the same standards irrespective of the establishment and assuming the children gained entry then they would have a certain level of English and ability and the children would be challenged with a pace of teaching and subsequent tasks according to this. From a parent perspective, if you are looking for a suitable school, I would perhaps look to the percentage of curriculum time devoted to the second language. For example, a 50/50 split that EAB/JM get close to is complete bilingual/biculturalism so likely to be demanding whilst 10 percent of a daily timetable devoted to the second language is likely to lead to a less pressured environment. I suppose it then depends on what you are looking for educationally.
If a teacher then I think that bilingual systems are interesting places to work as opposed to a straight British/Ameican curriculum and if a parent then look to where you want your childen to be in the long term and see if the provisions at the school you are interested in will provide the educational level and structure to get them there in the shorter term.
Good luck!

[annam]

thanks a lot. i am actually a parent. i have spent the past 3 months running around in circles looking for somebody to give me any information re. bilingual school curriculum vs. one lang plus 10% second lang learning. there is not a lot of helpful information out there to make wise decisions.
expats in paris are very often negative about the french education system and the alternative international pseudo-schools which function more like business corporations than educational establishments. there is not one international school in paris where i haven't me an unhappy parent whose child is attending (or no longer attending).

thanks again..

[La pomme d'Eve]

I can sympathise totally- it is a minefield out there! Having taught across the board, I think that the bilingual system offers a good balance of teaching and learning styles and can encourage creativity to counterbalance the somewhat Victorian teaching style in a purely French educational system. That said, the French schooling does have high behaviour expectations and produces quite a cultivated population. A bicultural approach also supplements more formal instruction with education in the wider sense that is perhaps a little more holistic.
EAB/jm have good academic reputations but I think it may be too late for next academic year and applications are closed. I would say beware of SOME of the 10 per cent options as sometimes the level of English that is on offer to English Mother Tongue pupils caters for French pupils too so is not challenging and purely oral. If you have a bright child this can be demotivating.
Ecole Masaillon appears to have a good reputation if you are seeking an American based curriculum and I know that Sevres has a British Section in addition to the above options mentioned.
Have you heard of Fabert? If you speak French, they are an educational consultancy in Paris and may be able to offer guidance as they will assess your child and have a good working knowledge of French and bilingual options. If you have any other questions that I can help with, feel free to hollar!

[La pomme d'Eve]

Also the Lycee International has a very good reputation for both the British and Americn sections although it is in the Yvelines and I am not sure if this would be an issue for you.