You arrive in Luxembourg and want your child to continue his or her education in his or her original school system? Do you prefer a solution other than the Luxembourg public school system?
Luxembourg has a strong educational system with a wide range of international and private schools. They provide high quality education in several languages and curricula.
When choosing a school for your child, it is important to consider factors such as curriculum, location, admission policies and cost, as well as family support.
Here you will find all the information about private and international education offers as an alternative to the Luxembourg public school system.
Alternative school systems to the Luxembourg system
The Luxembourg school system is essentially a public system. It is free for families, except for food services and other miscellaneous expenses.
This school system offers the advantage for children to learn the 3 official languages (Luxembourgish, German, French) and English from 13 years old.
It is quite difficult to change school systems while in school. Even when transferring from theLuxembourg basic school (6 years of education) to another secondary school, admissions are made on the basis of a minimum file study. students may even be required to take a supplemental examination.
International schools in Luxembourg
There are several international schools in Luxembourg. They offer instruction in English, French or German. Among the best-known international schools in Luxembourg are the International School of Luxembourg (ISL), St. Gallen University, and the University of Luxembourg. St. George’s International School, the European School, the French School and Lycée Vauban.
Private schools in Luxembourg
Private schools in Luxembourg offer a variety of pedagogical approaches and languages of instruction. Among the most popular private schools in Luxembourg are the private school Notre-Dame Sainte-Sophie, Fieldgen and the Waldorf School in Mersch.
Which school system should be preferred?
It is important to research and compare different schools before making a decision. This should take into account factors such as location, curriculum, language of instruction and extracurricular activities.
Program of study
International schools in Luxembourg generally offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, the British, European or French program. Private schools in Luxembourg can offer several programs of study, including the French or German program, as well as the IB programs.
School Admissions
Admission policies vary by institution. However, international and private schools in Luxembourg generally require students to apply on the basis of academic records. The admissions process may also include interviews, tests and/or essays. Some schools also require students to demonstrate proficiency in the language of instruction.
Cost of schooling
International and private schools in Luxembourg are not free. The costs are higher than public schools. Tuition fees can range from about 5,000 to 25,000 euros per year, depending on the school and the level of education.
Location
Luxembourg’s international and private schools are spread throughout the country. Many schools are located in or near the capital city of Luxembourg. It is important to consider the location of a school when choosing a school for your child, as transportation can be a factor in getting to and from school. Choose your neighborhood based on your children’s schools.
Support for international families
International schools in Luxembourg can offer support to families who are new to the country. Students can take language courses and cultural orientation. Social events are also organized for families. Private schools in Luxembourg may also offer support for international families, but this varies by school.
We have listed for you the private and international schools where you can send your child to school in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. These schools offer an international curriculum and prepare for a secondary school diploma recognized outside Luxembourg.
French and French-speaking schools, French high schools and colleges
You want to enroll your children in a French or French-speaking kindergarten, school, college or high school? There are several choices available to you. We list the main possibilities below.
Only 2 schools in Luxembourg offer French education recognized by the French Ministry of Education and the AEFE: Vauban and Notre Dame Sainte-Sophie. To date, the French baccalaureate is only prepared by the Lycée Vauban.
English schools and British high schools
Given the multicultural nature of Luxembourg, the range of schools with a British curriculum is quite large. Students prepare for the A-Level.
These include the following schools:
- Saint George’s international School, located in Luxembourg-Hamm,
- ISL, International School of Luxembourg located in Luxembourg-Merl
- theEuropean School located in Luxembourg Kirchberg and in Mamer
- the Luxembourg high school Michel Lucius located in Luxembourg-Limpertsberg.
International and European high schools
International and European high schools prepare students in Luxembourg for higher education abroad. The diplomas awarded are internationally recognized. Students prepare for the International Baccalaureate or the European Baccalaureate.
At the end of secondary school, students have the choice of continuing their higher education in Luxembourg or at international universities.
International schools
Several Luxembourg public high schools and private fee-paying schools offer international baccalaureate degrees in Luxembourg. It is recognized by many higher education institutions around the world.
- Public high school Athenée de Luxembourg in English
- Lycée public Technique du Centre in Luxembourg in French
- Public high school Mathias Adam in Lamadelaine and Differdange) in French
- Private school International School of Luxembourg in English and in conjunction with IGCSE
- Private school OTR International School in French and English
- Private Waldorf school in German and English.
European Schools
The European School I (Luxembourg-Kirchberg) and II (Mamer) are European schools, especially dedicated to the children of European civil servants. However, they accept other students, depending on the number of places available in each section specifically.
Several public high schools in Luxembourg also offer a European curriculum (primary and secondary), leading to the European Baccalaureate at the end of the last year. This is the case for the following institutions:
- Lenster International High School in Junglinster LLIS
- Edward Steichen School in Clervaux EIES
- international school of Differdange and Esch-sur-Alzette EIDE
- Anne Beffort International School in Mersch EIMAB
- international school of Mondorf les Bains EIMBL
- International school Gaston Thorn in Luxembourg EIGT.
For more information on the International Baccalaureate, visit www.ibo.org.
To enroll your child in an international school
Places in private or international schools are limited. A review of academic records or an entrance exam may be required in order for your child to change schools during the course of his/her schooling.
Remember to check several months before the start of the school year in September for the application dates! Open houses are usually offered starting in March to visit the schools.
Consult the school platform Mengschoul.lu to have the complete school map in Luxembourg: synthetic overview of the different school systems and the particularities of each school, college or high school.
To learn more about Luxembourg primary education
More information on Luxembourg’s high schools and secondary education
Private international schools in Luxembourg
Vauban French Campus, school, college and high school
Campus Vauban is a private educational institution in Luxembourg, approved by the French Ministry of Education. It is part of the AEFE network of French schools abroad. The programs followed by the students are in accordance with French requirements and prepare them for the French educational diplomas.
International German and English classes are also offered.
Thanks to a competent and attentive team, the school offers a personalized follow-up of all its students to establish a relationship of trust with their parents.
French kindergarten and primary school Vauban
The Vauban Nursery and Primary School (formerly the French School of Luxembourg EFL) welcomes children from 3 years old (from kindergarten) to 11 years old (CM2). German is taught from the first year of school.
French College and High School Vauban
The school welcomes children from 11 to 18 years old, from the end of primary school, in order to prepare them for the Brevet des Collèges and the French Baccalauréat exams.
The success rate for the 2020 baccalaureate was 100% in all sections: ES, L, S and STMG. The baccalaureate exams are held on the school premises.
Language learning, international and European sections
At Vauban College and High School, languages are at the heart of the teaching team’s concerns. In this school, the learning of foreign languages such as German, Italian, Chinese or Spanish is central. The school prepares students for Cambridge, Goethe and Cervantes certifications.
The school offers a European section (British and German) which is accessible from the second year of secondary school. The baccalaureate diploma will thus be annotated “European section” with an indication of the language.
The international section (British and German) is accessible from the 6th or 10th grade. The French baccalaureate then has an OIB option with a mention of the language. The German Ministry of Education issues the Abitur to German OIB students.
Registration at Vauban and open house
To enroll at the Lycée Vauban, online pre-registration is required for all students starting in February for the following school year.
Please note: for students coming from a different school system, an entrance test is mandatory. Pupils in the 5th year of the Luxembourg school system can apply for entry to the 6th year of the Lycée Vauban. Once pre-registration is complete, children will be invited to come and take entrance tests in several subjects. These tests are based on the French National Education curriculum for the years from CM2 (last year of primary school) to sixième (first year of secondary school).
During its spring open house, the Lycée Vauban presents not only its premises and its courses of study. It also allows students and their parents to meet teachers and students already enrolled, to witness experiments or to observe work done by students. The open house is also an opportunity to learn about the various registration procedures.
Notre Dame Sainte Sophie, French school and college
The French school Sainte-Sophie is open since 2007. It is approved by the French Ministry of Education. It is a partner school of the AEFE, Agency for French Education Abroad. It has 600 students.
In the French school system, children are welcomed from the age of 3 (kindergarten level) to 11 (CM2) and learn strictly according to the French National Education programs. German is taught from the first year of school.
Sainte-Sophie College offers a French education for a possible reintegration of students in a French college or high school abroad. Luxembourg’s multiculturalism and multilingualism provide a suitable environment for equivalent learning of German and English from the 6th grade. One hour per week is devoted to learning the Luxembourgish language and culture.
Registration opens in January for the next school year.
Please note: if your child comes from the Luxembourg school system, and if you want him/her to join the French College Sainte-Sophie, he/she must have completed the 6 years of basic school.
More information on Luxembourg’s high schools and secondary education
Changes exist between the two systems in France and Luxembourg.
Notre Dame Sainte Sophie is a Christian institution.
European School
Course of study at the European School of Luxembourg
The European School welcomes children from 4 to 18 years of age, throughout their schooling: from kindergarten to the end of secondary school. The European School’s graduation diploma is the European Baccalaureate which is recognized throughout Europe.
Two campuses are open, one in Kirchberg, European School I, the other in Mamer, European School II, depending on the place of residence of the parents and the school section chosen.
The two European Schools I and II offer the three cycles of kindergarten, primary and secondary and each has an English, French and German section. Irish is taught in both schools.
The European School I welcomes students with Bulgarian, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish as their mother tongue. The European School II welcomes students with Czech, Danish, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Maltese, Romanian, Slovenian, Slovakian and Croatian mother tongues and sections.
In most cases, the teaching is done in the child’s native language, except in special situations. The second language of primary education may be chosen from English, French or German. A third and fourth foreign language are gradually introduced in secondary school classes.
Children who speak a language that is not taught in the European School will be directed to one of the German, English or French sections. In order to facilitate the linguistic integration of these children, language support courses are offered.
The high language level of the European School’s graduates is recognized by many universities in Europe which do not require additional language entrance tests such as IELTS.
Registration for the European School
Priority in enrollment is given to children of European officials, but depending on the availability of space, other children may be accepted upon application.
Applications are made between April and May for the beginning of the school year in September. Parents will be informed by the school about the validation of the application in mid-July.
Tuition varies according to 3 categories:
- category I: pupils of whom one parent is employed by one of the European institutions or an equivalent organization for the school year in question, these pupils are exempt from paying the minerval
- Category II: students who have a parent employed by a company or organization that is committed to paying the child’s tuition
- category III: other students
International School of Luxembourg - ISL
The International School of Luxembourg, in Luxembourg-Merl opens for the International Baccalaureate. It is recognized by the European Council of International Schools and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. ISL welcomes children from 3 to 18 years old (end of secondary school).
ISL offers university preparatory courses leading to the International Baccalaureate (IB) or IB certificate and ISL secondary school diploma. French and German are taught from the primary level.
ISL’s stated goal is to teach ISL students the knowledge and skills they need. The objective is to enable them to evolve within the school, but especially in today’s multicultural and multilingual societies. The intellectual, physical and emotional balance is privileged. The school offers a variety of sports, recreational and creative activities.
The registration procedure is done one year in advance. Parents must fill out an online form, based on which each family will be invited to an individual interview. The admission procedure is based on the individual study of the file. Depending on the class the child is entering, the requirements for language levels vary, namely:
- Grade 8 (corresponds to the 4th grade in the French school system): ability to work with an English level – Advanced Beginner
- Grade 9: Ability to work at a Higher Intermediate level of English
- Grade 10/11: Ability to work at an English level – Academic level.
An entrance test is provided at each level. The student to teacher ratio is 8 to 1.
Registration fees vary depending on the class.
ISL was founded in 1963 under the name of Ecole Privée Dupont de Nemours in order to educate the children of Dupont de Nemours employees. Supported by the Luxembourg government, the school was able to benefit from larger and more suitable premises before being bought by Goodyear. Ell is renowned as the English language school in Luxembourg. The school currently has about 1,300 students of 50 different nationalities.
St George's International School
Located in Luxembourg-Hamm, Saint George’s School is a renowned educational institution for British education in Luxembourg. She is preparing for the GCSE General Certificate of Secondary Education and A-level.
Students are welcomed from the age of 3 in elementary school and from 11 to 18 in secondary school.
Many extracurricular activities are also offered.
OTR international school
Formerly Over The Rainbow, OTR International School is a private international school in Luxembourg-Belair. It offers bilingual French and English education.
The school welcomes children from the age of 3 up to high school. Students choose between a French and an English section. The learning of a third language is offered from secondary school onwards.
The OTR International School promotes language learning, science and mathematics knowledge, general culture and digital skills.
Les Poussins, French nursery and pre-school
Les Poussins is a French-speaking nursery and kindergarten located in Luxembourg Bonnevoie. The Mini-Collège nursery school is located in the Kirchberg district.
The facility welcomes children from 18 months to 6 years old from 7:45 am to 6:15 pm Monday to Friday. The school is managed by a team of kindergarten teachers and a nurse.
Charlemagne School, French nursery and elementary school
Ecole Charlemagne is a French nursery and elementary school located in the commune of Walferdange.
The teaching and methodologies are offered in a traditional, family style. Please note that the school is not approved by the French National Education.
Waldorfschoul Lëtzebuerg
The Waldorfschoul Lëtzebuerg School is an international private school in Luxembourg offering kindergarten, primary and secondary classes in Luxembourgish, German and French.
English is taught as a foreign language.
The pedagogy is that of Steiner-Waldorf based on the freedom of man and the recognition of the individual. It offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) program of study.
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