The École

The École is in New York City's Flatiron District, with two campuses a short distance apart. The Maternelle Building is at 206 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. The Elementary & Middle School Building is at 115 East 22nd Street, New York, NY 10010. The campus is easily accessible by foot or bike, and a city bus service is available for eligible grades.

Maternelle (Pre-Nursery to Kindergarten), Elementary (1st to 5th), Middle School (6th to 8th), High School (9th to 12th); Léman High School with The École offers a French-American bilingual IB curriculum.

Independent, French-American bilingual day school that teaches in French and English.

Counseling Department includes a school counselor and a French psychologist; Educational Support Team (EST) provides assessments and interventions; STRIVE Department delivers differentiated instruction with both push-in and pull-out support, including support for newcomers to English or French.

France (fully accredited by the French Ministry of Education and a member of the AEFE network; affiliated with Mission Laïque Française).

Yellow School Bus is available for Kindergarten to 6th Grade; the service is provided by the City of New York and serves downtown, the Upper East Side, and the Upper West Side; OMNYCards are provided for eligible students living more than 0.5 miles from the Elementary & Middle School Building. Bus inquiries: bus@theEcole.org.

The École is an independent French-American bilingual school serving students aged 2 to 14 in New York City's Flatiron District. It offers a bilingual curriculum in French and English for preschool through middle school. The program develops bi-literate, bi-cultural thinkers who see the world from two perspectives. In 2022, a high school track was opened in partnership with Léman High School, offering a French-American bilingual IB curriculum for graduates and French-speaking middle-school students. There are two classes per grade from 1st through 8th grade, and in 2025 the Elementary & Middle School Building moved to 115 East 22nd Street.

The École adopts a holistic approach to social, emotional, and academic development. The Counseling Department includes a school counselor and a French psychologist and provides counseling in French or English for individuals or groups. Social-emotional learning is central and is delivered through guidance lessons, advisory classes, and both short-term and longer-term counseling. The counseling team is a visible presence in all grades, offering crisis counseling and support for conflict resolution as needed. Regular guidance lessons cover friendship, bullying, diversity, feelings, and kindness, and Counselor Chats for parents complement the school program.

The Educational Support Team (EST) is composed of a French-speaking psychologist, a school counselor, special education teachers, administrators, and outside providers. They meet weekly to review students who require additional academic or social support and design tailored interventions, monitoring progress. If a deeper evaluation is necessary, EST guides families and teachers and refers to outside providers. The STRIVE Department provides flexible, personalized learning with push-in support in the classroom and pull-out small-group instruction to meet students where they are. STRIVE includes two full-time certified French teachers and two full-time certified English teachers who differentiate across all subjects and support newcomers to English or French, spanning Pre-Nursery through 8th Grade.

STRIVE supports students who are newcomers to English or French. The program uses push-in support delivered in the classroom and pull-out small-group instruction for targeted language development. The STRIVE team includes two full-time certified French teachers and two full-time certified English teachers who differentiate across all subjects, including English, French, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Instruction is designed to meet students where they are and to accelerate bilingual proficiency across Pre-Nursery through 8th Grade. Language support is integrated with the school's bilingual curriculum to support overall academic achievement.

The Counseling Department centers on social-emotional learning and mental health. They provide short-term, longer-term, and crisis counseling available in French and English across all grades. Counseling lessons cover mental health topics and preventive health classes (addictions, sex education, and digital wellbeing) to support overall wellbeing. Counselors maintain a visible presence in the school and collaborate with families and outside providers as needed. The STRIVE Department complements wellbeing by creating flexible, personalized learning environments that support students' social and emotional growth.

The École requires all students and parents/guardians to sign The École's Code of Conduct and Anti-Bullying Policy at the start of each school year. Crisis counseling is available to provide immediate support after traumatic events. The Counseling Department offers guidance on safety, and safeguarding is supported by collaboration among the EST and outside providers as needed. The school provides ongoing safeguarding resources through in-class guidance and advisory programs to support student safety and wellbeing.

A simple admission process with three steps for all grades: 1. an Open House for parents, 2) an online application, and 3) an invitation for the whole family to meet the head of school. If you wish to apply for financial assistance, consult the Financial Assistance information. Maternelle age requirements for the 2026-2027 school year: Pre-Nursery two years old by September 1, 2026; Nursery three by December 31, 2026; Pre-Kindergarten four by December 31, 2026; Kindergarten five by December 31, 2026; from Nursery onward, potty-training is required before the first day of school. Required documents for online application: a copy of your child's birth certificate, a copy of your child's passport, a copy of your child's visa (if applicable), a picture of your child, report cards, and a confidential recommendation form completed by your child's current teacher. Admissions Calendar highlights: Quick Acceptance Applications from September 2025 to December 31, 2025 (decision in less than two weeks; if accepted, one week to sign the contract and pay the deposit); Standard Applications from September 2025 to January 11, 2026 (open houses encouraged; deadline to submit complete application January 11, 2026; decision notice February 2, 2026; deadline to sign the contract and pay the deposit February 9, 2026); If accepted but you prefer to wait, the child will be placed on a waiting list with the seat guaranteed only after the enrollment agreement and tuition deposit are paid; Late Applications after January 11, 2026 are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis; if spaces remain, you will be invited to a family interview; depending on the grade, the child may be accepted or placed on the waiting list; if accepted, three days to accept (sign enrollment agreement and pay tuition deposit); if on the waiting list, an enrollment agreement will be sent as soon as a seat becomes available. Language requirements: 1st through 8th Grade students must speak French. Start the online application by creating an account in the online tool and submitting the required documents.

Financial Assistance: For 2026-2027, The École will allocate $2 million to enable more students to benefit from the dual French-American curriculum. The amount awarded is based on demonstrated financial need, and both financial need and academic excellence are considered for Middle School applicants. About 20% of families receive financial assistance. Financial assistance is open to all families and can complement grants provided to French citizens attending French-government-accredited schools through the French Consulate in New York. The need assessment is processed through NAIS School & Student Services; applicants must submit via the family portal using the school code and pay a submission fee. Third-party payments do not affect eligibility, and families enrolled for less than two years are not eligible to apply until after enrollment. French citizens may also apply for a bourse through the French Consulate; applicants must be registered with the Consulate and meet with its Social Services. For help with the process, contact Mireille Desalm, Director of Admissions.

If your child is accepted and you prefer to wait before enrolling, they will be placed on a waiting list; their seat will be guaranteed only when the enrollment agreement and tuition deposit have been paid. After January 11, 2026, late applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis; if accepted, you will be invited to a family interview; depending on the grade, the child may be accepted or placed on the waiting list. If accepted, you will have three days to sign the enrollment agreement and pay the tuition deposit; if placed on the waiting list, an enrollment agreement will be sent as soon as a seat becomes available.