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A Simple Guide to Schools & Colleges in Annecy

  • Bernie
  • Oct 15, 2024
  • 8 min read

Updated: Jan 24

If you've decided to move to Annecy with children of school age and you're not sure about whether a public school would be better than a private one, you've come to the right place. This post will look at the various schools in and around Annecy so that you can make an informed decision.

Private Schools in Annecy

Aside from the more 'general' private schools, there are also bilingual, Montessori and specialist schools. Let's take a look at each of these in turn.


The 'general' private schools are Catholic run albeit less stringent than what I remember from the Catholic schools that I went to in the UK. There are no nuns for a start and although the schools include religion in their curriculum and celebrate the main religious festivals, I feel it's done in a more subtle way.


Here is a list of the local private schools in alphabetical order:


Ecole de l'Annonciation, Annecy (kindergarten and elementary)

La Foret des Lucioles, Annecy (elementary forest).

La Salle, Annecy Le Vieux (kindergarten, elementary and secondary).

La Salle, Pringy (kindergarten, elementary and secondary).

La Vertu, Annecy (elementary and secondary).

Les Moulins, Menthon Saint Bernard (elementary).

Les Tilleuls, Annecy (kindergarten, elementary and secondary).

Saint Anne, Annecy Le Vieux (kindergarten and elementary).

Saint Joseph, Annecy (kindergarten and elementary).

Saint Michel, Annecy (kindergarten, elementary, secondary and college).


This is not an exhaustive list but it gives you an idea of the kind of options available to you.


N.B.: Some school fees are based on your revenue 2 years prior to the school inscription. E.g. If you register your child for September 2025 intake, they will ask for your tax records from 2023. Other smaller fees are fixed and usually relate to the supplies that need to be purchased per child, subject specific costs and contributions to the school's associations, religious or otherwise.

Picture of a piggy bank with a graduation hat on and sitting on top of a pile of money bills..

You may be happy to know that the fees for these private schools are by no means as high as the private school fees in the UK, USA and Australia. For example; if you earn more than €5,500 per month, you will pay approximately €1,300 in school fees plus maybe another €900 depending on what option your child chooses.


Montessori schools

For those of you who don't know about Montessori schools, this type of education focuses on a child's natural interests. Emphasis is on hands-on learning and independence whilst traditional methods of teaching and conventional measures of achievement, such as grades and tests are discouraged.


Unfortunately these schools are few and far between:


 

There are other Montessori schools in the region but the ones I've mentioned here are the closest to Annecy. These are only elementary schools, there are no secondary Montessori schools in the area!


As far as I know, these schools are privately run and therefore the fees are a bit higher and are not based on revenue. You can expect to pay around €6,000+ per year.


Specialist Schools

L'École Meeo in Annecy Le Vieux is an elementary and secondary school which helps children who are autistic, have Asperger's or other specific learning difficulties. I think the curriculum might all be in French but I can't be sure as I have no personal experience of this school.


Bilingual Schools

If you prefer to put your child into a private bilingual school, you will need to be near the northern end of the lake. They are:


  • École Bilingue International de Haute Savoie (EBiHS), Annecy Le Vieux offers nursery, elementary and secondary schooling. EBiHS is in the process of building a new complex for 500 pupils at Sillingy, approximately 13km from Annecy. This complex will include classes from nursery up to secondary level. I believe transport will be arranged for picking up and dropping off children who live in Annecy.

  • The Red Apple, Argonay. This is a nursery and elementary school.


As with the Montessori schools, the fees of these schools are fixed at €6,000-€7,000 per year.


That's a brief summary of the private schools, now lets look at the public ones.

Public Schools in Annecy

If you want your child to go to a public school, your child will be assigned to the school nearest to where you live. If you don't know which school this is, you can ask at your nearest town hall. They have access to a list of all the street names attached to each school.

Photo of a grand French school with the French flag flying from the roof.

If you don't live in the catchment area for the school that you want your child to go to, you can request an exemption or dérogation. This means filling in some forms which ask for your family details and your motivation as to why you want your child to go to that particular school. The chances of getting a place as a result of a dérogation are quite slim but it's not impossible. For instance, a school will only consider these requests once the majority of places have been filled by the feeder schools within the catchment area, followed by applications for siblings of pupils already at the school and children with a handicap (who may or may not live outside the catchment area).


If you decide to put your child into a public school but worry about his/her level of French, I know of English speaking children who have been offered extra French tuition during normal school hours but I'm not sure if this is something that all French public schools offer, it's something you can ask when you meet with the head master/mistress.

Cartoon drawing of a man's head in the form of a white china teacup with the top open and a teapot with English written on it, pouring liquid into the head and a glass bottle with French also pouring liquid into the head.
A perfect mix of French & English. Source: James Braithwaite/thebathwater.com

Once you know whether your child should be in maternelle, élémentaire, collège or lycée, you can start researching the schools in Annecy. 


N.B. There are three public elementary schools in Annecy which offer half of the curriculum in French and the other half in English. They are located in suburbs north east of Annecy and are:


Secondary Schools

Annecy has 16 secondary schools located around the city of which 10 are private and 6 public. I've already mentioned some of the private schools above but here is the complete list:



*These schools are 'non-contractual' private schools. This means that the school has not signed an agreement with the State but it must declare its opening to the education authority in which it is established. Contracted schools on the other hand have signed a contract of association with the state. Under this contract, schools are entitled to subsidies to cover operating costs and in particular to pay teachers' salaries.

**This is a children's social care home (MECS) and provides boarding and day care for 174 young people aged 0 to 18 entrusted to it by the 'Aide Sociale à l'Enfance'.


The public secondary schools are:


If you are living on the west or southern end of the lake, there are public secondary schools closer to you. For instance:


On the east side of the lake, depending on where you live, there are the following public schools:

  • Les Aravis, Thônes

  • Les Barattes, Annecy Le Vieux


The nearest private schools are:

  • La Salle, Annecy Le Vieux

  • St Joseph, Thônes


Public Colleges (lycées)

There are 11 colleges located in Annecy, 7 of which are state-run and 4 private. Of these, 4 are general colleges, 3 are technological and 5 are vocational (the same establishment can offer several types of education). The town also has 2 comprehensive lycées. See below for details:


Private Colleges


Public Colleges


The choice of college depends on the direction your child wants to take and your place of residence. If you move to Annecy before the start of the new school year, you have to ask your local education authority to enrol your child in the college in the area where you live. If you wish your child to attend a public college other than the one allocated to you, you have to apply for an exemption or dérogation as mentioned earlier in this post. The process is the same whether it be for a school or college.


The method of learning at a vocational college alternates between in-class teaching and work placements with a company in a particular trade, in various sectors and at different levels. After completing a vocational training course, students can enter the world of work or continue their studies.


Children sitting behind wooden desks in a sparsely furnished high ceiling class room, in black and white.
Former French classrooms looked like this?

Registration

If you decide to put your child into a public school, registration can only be done at your nearest town hall, online applications are not possible. You have to make an appointment and you have to go in person with the following documents:

  • passport or id of you, your partner and your child

  • proof of address in Annecy

  • proof of medical records showing that all vaccines are up to date

  • proof of any allergies especially if your child is going to be eating at the canteen.

Once the paperwork has been completed, you will be given the name and contact details of the head of the school. You must call to make an appointment. this will be the opportunity to learn about the school day, the relevant protocols for dropping off and picking up, the canteen, the start date and any concerns you might have. If possible, you should also get a tour. It is a good idea to bring your child with you so that they get a feel for the place and of course meet the head personally.


If you decide on a private school or college, contact them directly as soon as you can to find out about availability and the application process.

To conclude....

Depending on your motive for moving to Annecy e.g. short or long term and whether or not you want your children to be fully immersed with the language, there is quite a variety of schools in the Annecy area although there is a noticeable lack of Montessori and bilingual schools in general. The demand for EBiHS is high and I often hear from parents who struggle to get a place for their child as the classes fill up rather quickly.


That just about covers the topic of schools in and around Annecy. If there's something you'd like to add, if you have questions or specific concerns, feel free to drop me a line or call me as I'm happy to help in any way I can.


À bientôt......


                               


Tel: 06 28 13 82 60






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