Our program is oriented towards the French Baccalaureate and follows the French National Curriculum.  The French system is one of the oldest and most respected educational structures in the world.  This program, when blended with an American English curriculum, allows the school to deliver a dynamic course of study that is rigorous and disciplined, while at the same time nurturing creativity in order to create a balance.  Emphasis is placed on building a solid foundation of basic skills and learning tools.  The program stresses that teachers work to stimulate intellectual curiosity, encourage independent thinking, and foster individual responsibility.  Small class sizes provide students with a supportive learning environment and a great deal of personal attention.

A System of Cycles

The French program for preschool and elementary school is organized in a system of cycles providing a flexibility, which takes into consideration children’s diversity, their expectations and rate of development. Cycles with set objectives help to keep a continuity and smooth progression in the learning process.

Preschool and Kindergarten Program

The Austin International School’s youngest students enter at age three, the same age that children in France enter the National Education System. Preschool classes for three and four year olds and kindergarten are collectively called maternelle. This exceptional early childhood program, which is tri-lingual in nature, creates a unique environment where children establish the foundation for all future learning. This program is comprised of activities that are designed to stimulate the development of fine and gross motor skills, as well as children’s emotional, relational and intellectual capacities. Teachers and teacher’s aides interact with the children in a nurturing manner.

Elementary Program

The elementary school years (CP – CM2) are important formative years that ensure the instruction and understanding of all fundamental skills. During this period, children learn to read, write and communicate in French and English, and then expand on that knowledge in order to be prepared for secondary studies. At this stage, mathematics is also considered extremely important in the development of logic skills at a young age. Civics, Arts, Science and Technology, Spanish, History, Geography and Physical Education round out the curriculum. Toward the latter part of the elementary program, students become increasingly autonomous, and greater emphasis is placed on the discovery of interconnectedness of various subject matters.