Luxembourg School Information

LUXEMBURG SCHOOL INFORMATION

Schooling in Luxembourg...................................................................................................... 2 General Introduction .......................................................................................................... 2 Schooling Age ................................................................................................................... 2 Public and Private Education Options................................................................................ 2 School Interviews/Admissions Tests.................................................................................. 2 Application Fees................................................................................................................ 2 Home Schooling ................................................................................................................ 2 School Year and Holidays ................................................................................................. 3 Transport........................................................................................................................... 3 Public Schools ...................................................................................................................... 3 Luxembourgish Primary and Secondary Education ........................................................... 3 Primary Education.......................................................................................................... 3 Secondary Education..................................................................................................... 3 International Primary and Secondary Education ................................................................ 4 Primary Education.......................................................................................................... 4 Secondary Education..................................................................................................... 4 Private Schools ..................................................................................................................... 4 Primary and Secondary Education .................................................................................... 4 Primary Education.......................................................................................................... 4 Secondary Education..................................................................................................... 4 Schools in Detail ................................................................................................................... 5 European Schools of Luxembourg..................................................................................... 5 Ecole Internationale de Differdange et Esch-sur-Alzette.................................................... 5 Ecole Internationale de Mondorf-les-Bains ........................................................................ 6 International School Junglinster......................................................................................... 6 Over the Rainbow School .................................................................................................. 6 St. George’s International School ...................................................................................... 6 School Structure ............................................................................................................ 7 International School of Luxembourg .................................................................................. 7 School Structure ............................................................................................................ 8 Athénée de Luxembourg ................................................................................................... 8 International School Michel Lucius .................................................................................... 9

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Luxembourg School Information

Schooling in Luxembourg General Introduction This document provides an overview of schooling in Luxembourg. Schooling Age Early learning is available from the age of three, and it is especially helpful for the children of expat families, helping them to integrate properly. It is not mandatory but highly recommended. Attending school is obligatory for the ages of 4-16. While your child may arrive in Luxembourg in the middle of school year or when the school year is already ended in your home location - the schooling obligation applies based on Luxembourgish schooling calendar. The school year runs from September until July each year – the exact start/end date will vary per school. Kindly consult with your relocation agent to ensure you remain compliant. Public and Private Education Options The vast majority of schools are state-run and free. There are some non-public schools that teach the same curriculum as state schools for the same diplomas, but charge tuition. The following five private schools teach a different curriculum: + Waldorf School (International Baccalaureate) + International School of Luxembourg (International Baccalaureate) + St. George’s School (National Curriculum of England, Wales and Northern Ireland) + Lycee Vauban (French National Curriculum) + Over the Rainbow School (International Primary Curriculum) The European Schools are public schools in the sense that they accept the children of European Union civil servants for free. The schools also accept children whose parents work for other organizations with special agreements. Other parents may send their children to the schools paying for the tuition, but special restrictions apply. The European School awards the European Baccalaureate. Note: Further details on special agreements and restrictions can be found under individual schools. School Interviews/Admissions Tests Please be aware that private schools will almost always request a personal interview and/or admissions test with your child(ren) before offering them a place at the school. Some schools are able to be flexible and offer a Skype interview if you are not able to be in the country, however this is not always the case. Please check with your relocation agent for specific requirements of your preferred school(s). Application Fees When you apply for a private school you will be expected to pay an application fee for your application to be processed. Please be aware that in the event that there is not a space for your child(ren) or you decide not to take up a place this money will not be refunded to you. Home Schooling Home schooling is permitted in Luxembourg. Currently there are around 50 children of primary age and hundreds of secondary levels being homeschooled by their parents. Further information and details of an educational inspector can be requested at the local commune. Under the 2009 law, parents wishing to teach primary aged children at home must notify

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Luxembourg School Information

their commune and explain their reasons to the school inspector who approves the homeschooling. Meanwhile, students should achieve the minimum objectives set by the national curriculum and parents must supply evidence of the learning. School Year and Holidays The school year starts on the 15 th September and ends on the 15 th July. The year is divided into three 12 - week terms by three holidays: Christmas holiday - 2

weeks, Easter holiday - 2 weeks, summer holiday - 8 weeks. + Autumn term September 15th – Christmas holiday

+ Winter term January – Easter holiday + Spring term Easter holiday – July 15th In addition, every term recognizes a 1-week short break around three festive days; All Saints, Carnival and Whit Sunday.

Schools are closed on public holidays. Private schools have their own school terms and holiday system which is provided by the school on application. Transport Both private and European school operate their own school bus system and fees may apply. There is no school bus system in operation in primary schools in Luxembourg city however, many other communes provide this service with no extra charges.

Public Schools Luxembourgish Primary and Secondary Education Primary Education + Cycle 1, elementary school (ages 3-5). Attending the first year is optional, but pre- school education (ages 4-5) is compulsory. The language of instruction is Luxembourgish. + Cycle 2, 3, 4 (ages 6-12). The main language of instruction is Luxembourgish and German. Reading, writing and mathematics are taught in German. Children begin to learn French in the second year of this cycle. + Newly arrived children of elementary school and 1st year of primary school (ages 3-6) are integrated into regular primary classes, where they learn Luxembourgish and German. From the 2 nd year of primary school (age 7) they learn German and/or French intensively (15 lessons per week) in special “welcome” insertion classes. These classes are provided by the Ministry of Education free of charge. The number of hours set aside for teaching German and/or French depends on the age and language skills of the pupil. The objective is to integrate the pupils into a regular class as quickly as possible. Secondary Education + At the end of primary school (age 12) pupils are oriented towards classic or

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Luxembourg School Information

technical secondary education. All newly arrived pupils aged 12 or older must contact the reception desk for newly arrived pupils at the Ministry of Education - Cellule d'accueil scolaire pour élèves nouveaux arrivants (CASNA) - to start the assessment and placement procedure. + Please consult their Information for foreign parents and students guide for further explanation. International Primary and Secondary Education Primary Education + Francophone school: Ecole Internationale de Differdange, Ecole Internationale de Mondorf-les-Bains (new) + Anglophone school: Ecole Internationale de Differdange, International School Michel Lucius, Ecole Internationale de Mondorf-les-Bains (new), International School Junglinster (new) + Germanophone school: Ecole Internationale de Differdange, International School Junglinster (new) Secondary Education + Francophone schools: Ecole Internationale de Differdange, Ecole Internationale de Mondorf-les-Bains (new), Lycee Technique du Centre + Anglophone schools: Ecole Internationale de Differdange, Ecole Internationale de Mondorf-les-Bains (new), Athenee de Luxembourg, International School Michel Lucius, International School Junglinster (new) + Germanophone school: Ecole Internationale de Differdange, Ecole Internationale de Mondorf-les-Bains (new), International School Junglinster (new) Private Schools Primary and Secondary Education Primary Education + Francophone schools: European School of Luxembourg, Ecole Luxembourg, Over the Rainbow School, St George’s International School + Other languages: European School of Luxembourg Secondary Education + Francophone schools: European School of Luxembourg, Lycee Vauban, Waldorf School + Anglophone schools: European School of Luxembourg, International School of Luxembourg, St George’s International School, Lycee Technique prive Emile Metz + Other languages: European School of Luxembourg Francaise, Ecole Charlemagne, Ecole Ste Sophie, Over the Rainbow School, Waldorf School + Anglophone schools: European School of Luxembourg, International School of

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Luxembourg School Information

Schools in Detail European Schools of Luxembourg + http://www.euroschool.lu/esluxone/Home/home.html + http://www.eel2.eu/en

The European Schools of Luxembourg are private-authority schools, which emphasize a multilingual and multicultural pedagogical approach to the teaching of nursery, primary and secondary students, leading to the European Baccalaureate as their secondary leaving qualification. All applicants fall under the following three categories depending on their parents’ employer: + Category I: parents work for EU institutions based in Luxembourg + Category II: parents work for a company that have signed an agreement with the European School + Category III: any other applicants who would like to study in the European School + Category I and II have different advantages, such as tuition fees being covered by the employer in full or part, the possibility of mid-year admission or a guaranteed place in school. Note: Amazon falls under Category III. Category III does not have an advantage of guaranteed places compared to Category I and II where applications are treated with priority, and Category III is not entitled to mid-year admissions. The Ministry of Education reserves some places in the main language stream every year. If a pupil is rejected by other international schools or is unable to enroll in their system due to lack of language skills, CASNA (see page 3) can be contacted. CASNA will make an appeal for a place in the European School in one of the main language sections: German, French or English. However, all decisions are made by the school board. Ecole Internationale de Differdange et Esch-sur-Alzette + http://portal.education.lu/eid/Home + http://portal.education.lu/Portals/37/downloads/DEP_EiDE_Differdange_Esch.pdf One of the newest international schools in Luxembourg has opened its gates to the public in September 2016, and in order to comply with the huge demand, in the 2018/19 school year the two school sites will provide an even wider selection of primary and secondary classes. Teaching in English, German and French languages, the school offers free education to the children of international families living in the southern part of the country. The education system is similar to the one of the European schools, but no tuition fees. 2018/19 Primary Secondary P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 S1 S2 S3 VP1 VP2 English Dd/Esch Dd/Esch Dd/Esch Esch Esch Dd Dd Dd Dd Dd French Dd/Esch Dd/Esch Dd/Esch Esch Esch Dd/Esch Dd/Esch Dd Dd Dd German - - - - - Esch Esch - Esch Esch Dd = Differdange Esch = Esch-sur-Alzette Dd/Esch = Differdange and Esch-sur-Alzette schools both have these classes VP = Preparatory classes

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Luxembourg School Information

Ecole Internationale de Mondorf-les-Bains + http://portal.education.lu/eimlb/

There are two new international schools opening their gates to international families in the 2018/19 school year, one of them is located 20 kilometers south-east of the capital in Mondorf-les-Bains, the other 12 kilometers north-east in Junglinster. They provide multilingual and multicultural education centered on the European school system. The EIMLB offers the following classes from September 2018: + Primary 1: English, French + Secondary 1: English, French, German International School Junglinster + http://lensterlycee.lu/offre-internationale/ The international department of the Lenster Lycee Junglinster is open to all students, without any registration fees. It complies with the European School’s ethos of multilingual and multicultural education. They offer the following classes from September 2018: + http://otrinternationalschool.lu/ The Over the Rainbow School is a private establishment and adheres to the objectives set forth in the Luxemburgish National Education Program published by the Ministry of National Education. The establishment welcomes children from preschool to the end of primary school in a multilingual context. The preschool cycle and primary school are an inherent part of the school system and aim to the full development and fulfilment of each student. The school offers a precise language project with French and English as main working languages. This multilingual education lets the families choose the main language that their children will use every day supported by a specialized teacher whose mother tongue is the specific chosen language. The school follows the English and French national curriculum with the support of various programs and approaches (International Primary Curriculum, Montessori, mathematical approach to Singapore). Particular significance is given to the study of the second language since one of the school’s main goals is to provide students with fully bilingual foundations. New students who don’t know English or French have daily support. St. George’s International School + www.st-georges.lu St. George’s International School provides an outstanding education in English for approximately 700 pupils of over 50 nationalities aged 3 to 18+. The school takes up to 60 new pupils every year from the age of 3. + Primary 1: English, German + Secondary 1: English, German Over the Rainbow School Preschool : English and French classes made up of children aged 3-5. Primary school: English and French classes for children aged 6-12.

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Luxembourg School Information

Pupils entering Early Year are not required to have English skills prior to starting. Older Primary students are assessed on an individual basis to determine their needs and the school’s ability to accommodate them academically. Secondary students are required to have fluency in English, both spoken and written, in order to cope with the demands of the rigorous academic program. Students are placed in year groups based on their age on the 1 st of September. Average class size in Foundation is 20, Key Stage 1 and 2 classes vary from 20-24 students. Tutor groups in Secondary are no larger than 23 students, although at I/GCSE and A-Level the numbers in subject specific classes can be substantially less. School Structure The Primary School is divided into three sections: + The Foundation includes the Early Year and Reception Class and serves children ages 3-4 + The Key Stage 1 includes Year 1-2 and serves children ages 5-6 + The Key Stage 2 includes Year 3-6 and serves children ages 7-10 The Secondary School comprises three divisions: + The Key Stage 3 comprises Year 7-9 and serves students ages 11-13 + The Key Stage 4 comprises Year 10-11 and serves students ages 14-15 + The Key Stage 5 comprises Year 12-13 and serves students ages 16-17

Section

Division

Age

Class

Early Years Reception Class

Foundation

3-4

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9

Key Stage 1

5-6

Primary School

Key Stage 2

7-10

Key Stage 3

11-13

Secondary School

Key Stage 4

14-15 Year 10 Year 11 16-17 Year 12 Year 13

Key Stage 5

International School of Luxembourg www.islux.lu

The ISL exists primarily to meet the needs of expatriate families whose children require an English-speaking education. The school also takes children with an absence of the local language that other schools cannot accommodate. A child’s ability to benefit from the school’s academic program is the prime criterion when the school board is making admissions decisions. A combination of factors and applicant categories are considered when making decisions in relation to the Waiting Pool. These include: + Moving or local family + English language proficiency

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Luxembourg School Information

+ Space availability in relevant course subjects + Siblings already enrolled at the school + Date of application completion and/or submission School Structure The Lower School is divided into two sections: + The Early Years Program includes the Preschool, Kindergarten and Grade 1 and serves children ages 3-7 + The rest of the Lower School Program includes Grades 2-5 and serves children ages 7-11 The Upper School comprises two divisions: + The Middle School includes Grades 6-8 and serves students ages 11-14 + The High School includes Grades 9-12 and serves students ages 14-18 Section Division Age Class

Preschool Kindergarten 1 Kindergarten 2 Grade 1

Early Years Program

3-7

Lower School

Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12

Lower School

7-11

Middle School

11-14

Upper School

High School

14-18

High School students in Grades 9 and 10 follow the IGCSE program in core subjects and then move on in Grades 11 and 12 to the High School Diploma with 90% of the students also pursuing the prestigious International Baccalaureate Diploma. As a result, ISL students are able to obtain admission to many of the world’s finest universities and colleges. Athénée de Luxembourg http://www.al.lu/index.php/ib/presentation The International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program at the Athénée de Luxembourg school enables students with an excellent command of English to follow academically challenging and balanced secondary studies (with English as a mother tongue) focusing on languages, arts and sciences, which gives them an excellent preparation for university studies in Anglo-Saxon countries and Europe and life beyond. The Athénée offers a 7 - year study program, which encompasses three different cycles: following the three successful preparation years (7 th ,8 th and 9 th grades) and the two intermediate years (10 th and 11 th grades), students automatically enter the actual IB Diploma Program (12 th and 13 th grades). Although they may join the program at any time (given there are still places available) we advise students to join the program in grade 7 or 10 to adapt to the standards.

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Luxembourg School Information

Every applicant will be requested to hand in a portfolio containing different documents (information regarding the portfolio will be sent to the candidates after reception of the registration form). Submission of a complete portfolio is imperative, and it carries significant weight in the application process. In addition, every applicant will be asked to sit for admission tests in the following subjects: 7 th : English, Math 10 th : English, French, Math International School Michel Lucius + http://www.lml.lu/ Lycee Michel Lucius has been offering free, high-quality, public, secondary education, entirely taught in English, since 2011. English is the vehicular language in all subjects except for French and German, which are taught as foreign languages. Students are assigned to classes based on language level. In response to a rapidly growing international student population, International School Lycée Michel Lucius has opened a new feeder primary school for its established secondary school from September 2017. Enrolment is done by application only. A certain level of English is required. The older the child, the more important a strong command of the English language is.

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Luxembourg School Information