Australia is a popular destination for many foreigners from around the world to move too. In particular, it is a popular place for citizens of France to move to either on temporary work arrangements or to migrate permanently with their families.
New South Wales in particular, has one of the largest French communities in the country.¹ If you're making your way downunder from France and bringing your family along for the ride, you are probably wondering what sort of education providers are available and if your kids can access a French curriculum.
Let’s check out what options you have for French International Schools in Sydney.
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Touching down in Sydney from a large global city like Paris can feel like a real culture shock. However, Sydney is a bustling cosmopolitan city that boasts a high standard of living, world class landmarks, and has a large multi-cultural population from all over the globe. As with any big city, there is a huge selection of restaurants, cafes, bars and events to attend all year round. Sydney is also one of the safest cities in the world, making it an easy city to live in.
Residents enjoy being able to live on or close to the coast but also being able to access beautiful national parks such as the Blue Mountains. Sydney is also a hub for many inward and outward international flights, making it an easy entry point to Australia for foreign visitors. Many French expats choose to live in Maroubra or Randwick which is where one of the most popular French Schools are.²
The education system in Australia is designed, assessed and overseen by the Department of Education and the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA).³ Most schools are state-owned but there are private schools also available that each come with their own fees, enrolment procedures and can have extensive waiting lists.
All authorised education providers are required to deliver the current Foundations - 10 (F-10) curriculum. This curriculum covers school-aged children from ages 6 to 16 which is the compulsory schooling years.⁴ This covers kindergarten, primary school, and secondary school up to year 10.
To receive their high school certificates (HSC), students must complete a further two years of schooling. Years 11 and 12 are comparable to the Baccalaureate in many European countries.
In France, the education system has been highly regarded as one of the best systems in the world. It is compulsory for all children between the ages of 6-16 to attend school.⁵
Fortunately, the education system does resemble some elements of the Australian system as it includes primary, secondary and higher education institutions. Many of these are offered as part of a public system that is largely funded by the French Government. There is also private education and pre-school education that is also partly subsidised.⁵
In many countries, there are French schooling institutions that are part of the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE). These institutions are designed to offer French expats an option to still access formal French education.⁶
Whether you are still deciding which type of school is best for your family in Australia, here are the benefits of enrolling your kids into an International French School in Sydney. They will be able to⁵:
Children will be a part of a like minded cultural community, a huge benefit if they are moving from France in their later schooling years.
French Schools in Australia mix the required Australian curriculum with traditional French curriculum used in France which is broken down into 5 cycles. This also means that classes are taught mostly in French but do have compulsory subjects in English. Here is a brief outline of the French curriculum.
This is the optional cycle one of the National French curriculum and caters to children 3-6 years of age. Children learn to socialise with their peers and foster independence before their compulsory schooling years.⁷
Compulsory schooling starts in cycle two where children between ages 6 to 11 learn to acquire written language skills. Elementary schooling also consists of cycle three which has the goal of mastering both French and English language skills.⁸
From ages 11-15, children enter the fourth cycle and secondary school. Children must have acquired a minimum level of French by these years to learn a variety of subjects such as Maths, English, Sciences, history, sport and technology. This sets students up to be ready to move into the next cycle and acquire the National French Diploma or French Baccalaureate (BAC).⁹
From 15 to 17, students come to the end of their high schooling education in order to attain the BAC. Students are required to choose their subjects based on credits and are subject to written and oral exams at the end to get their diplomas. Students can also opt in to complete an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma instead which is more rigorous.⁹
Anyone can enrol their children into French Schools, especially if they are coming from a non-french speaking or private school. However for some schools, those coming in primary school children will need to undergo an assessment. For families looking to enrol their children into secondary school, they must be able to speak French at a working capacity.¹⁰
Fortunately for French families migrating to Sydney and wanting to keep their children with a French curriculum school, there are options available. Here is a quick breakdown of the options available.
| School | Lycée Condorcet Sydney¹¹ | Killarney Heights Public School with (F.A.N.S.)¹² |
|---|---|---|
| Website | https://www.condorcet.com.au | https://www.fanssydney.org/ |
| Location | 758 Anzac Parade Maroubra, Sydney | Tralee Ave Killarney Heights, Sydney 2087 |
| Ages catered to | 3 to 18 years of age | 6 to 18 years |
| Curriculum | French and Australian up to age 16. | Bilingual program integrated into the Australian curriculum |
| Language taught | Full school curriculum in French, but subjects offered in English | English curriculum with French after school and language classes |
| Average school fees | Enrolment application fee: $250 Enrolment fee: $1500 Tuition fees:
| Fees undisclosed |
| School year |
|
|
| Contact details | 02 9344 8692 | 02 9451 9547 |
For families not looking for a full bilingual program, Taren Point Public School offers French language as part of their curriculum. Some schools offer discounts available for large families and scholarships available from the French government.¹¹
If you aren’t interested in either of the above and yet to pick which city you are moving to, here are some other schools that offer bilingual programs or French language options in Australia.¹³
Each school comes with their own fees and enrolment procedures.
By attending French schools students will have access to after school care and extracurricular activities including Diplôme d'Etudes en Langue Française (DELF) preparation programs. Like in Australia, to be able to move directly into University, students will have to attain their high school certificates or Baccalaureate Diplomas.
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Sources:
Sources checked on: 02 October 2023
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