The French Lycée in Prague offers a high standard international education from the early years

International schools in Prague offer opportunities for expat children and Czechs alike. For foreign students, they can provide the chance to study in a native language and gain qualifications that are internationally recognized. For Czechs, they expand horizons and foster impressive language skills.

The French Lycée in Prague is part of an international network of 566 schools present in 138 countries throughout the world. The creation of the network of French schools in foreign countries initially grew from the need for expat families to see their children follow the French curriculum abroad. Supported by the Agency for French Teaching Abroad, a public establishment based in Paris (AEFE), the school offers competitive tuition fees compared to other international schools in Prague. 

Open to pupils of every nationality, the French Lycée promotes humanist values such as equality, solidarity and freedom of speech, while educating students in critical thinking. A strong focus is put on learning French as well as English and Czech, which allows children to graduate with a remarkable range of abilities, giving them a head-start in today’s competitive world.

While the French Lycée offers education all the way up to graduation, it stands out for its provision of French-style “preschooling”. In France children attend school from the age of 3. This allows early opportunities for social integration as well as developing language fluency at an early stage. 

Running from the ages of 3 to 5, the preschool section brings young children together in a friendly and welcoming environment at the French Lycée’s premises in Prague’s Smíchov district, in a spacious new building dedicated to being a home for the little ones. 

While giving children a boost in their early years which helps with later academic attainment as well as developing social skills, the French Lycée’s preschool provides another benefit, too. Preschooling takes place in French, with an early introduction to English.

“Preschool has its own curriculum, which allows children to get ready for elementary school where they will learn how to read and write,” says Céline Allâtre, headmistress of the Lycée. “Importantly, we focus on combining play with development, so that children learn while having fun. Meanwhile, being exposed to both French and English is the best possible preparation for later studies.”

Children’s health and wellbeing are given special attention, and this is also visible through the school’s partnership with the Zatisi catering group, which offers premium services.

“More than a year ago, when we decided to send our son Tomášek to the French Lycée in Prague, we considered three factors and food was one of them. The past year has underlined that this was a good choice (also, of course, considering other matters related to education and the environment of the school). Our son, although otherwise very conservative in his food choices, is not afraid to try new dishes in school. Praise for the lunch is usually one of the first things he happily tells us when leaving kindergarten," says Mr Tomáš Hudeček, father of Tomášek.

After preschool, the French Lycée in Prague offers complete schooling all the way up to graduation. Elementary school runs from the ages of 6 to 11, before middle and secondary school which last until the age of 18. From the age of 9, children can also join the British International Section of the school, in which 25 percent of the curriculum is taught in English, leading up to the new “French International Baccalaureate.”

At the same time, unlike other international schools, the French Lycée has an agreement with the Czech Ministry of Education facilitating the recognition of educational achievements and levels of Czech so that children can easily switch to a Czech school if they wish to do so.

The French baccalaureate, typically gained on the completion of school studies at the age of 18, is equivalent to the Czech maturita. Lycée students can subsequently pursue higher education in the Czech Republic, in France, or elsewhere.

It’s no surprise that graduates of the French Lycée make up an impressive international network, given that the school’s current students come from 40 different nationalities. 46 percent are French, 36 percent are Czech, and the remaining 18 percent have other citizenship.

At the French Lycée in Prague, developing kids’ language capabilities goes hand-in-hand with their wider academic development. By the time they graduate, students can speak French, English and Czech fluently, while also learning an additional language, such as German or Spanish. From the preschool playground all the way up to discussions between pupils preparing for final exams, students switch between French, English and Czech with ease.

At the same time, the French curriculum develops knowledge and ability across all major subject areas, with a focus on individual growth and monitoring of each child’s progress. In keeping with the style of education favored in France, the school helps develop scientific knowledge as well as analytical skills and creative thinking that are vital in higher educational study and in the world of work.

With personal fulfilment considered just as important as academic attainment, the school focuses on providing space for extracurricular activities. Kids can choose from various afterschool activities, including theater, a school web radio, dance, art, singing, playing sports, and more.

Madame Debord-Lazaro, the mother of two children at the school, says: “What I appreciate most at the French Lycée in Prague is the quality of the teaching, and the fact that classes are on a human scale, which allows close monitoring of the children. I also appreciate the benevolence of the teaching and administrative staff, who are always available for children and their parents.”

With registrations now open, those interested in a French education in Prague for their children should not hesitate to contact the school for further information and ask for a visit.