deutsche-abteilung.de

What It Is

Lycée International - Deutsche Abteilung is the German section of the international school in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France. It provides a continuous German school education for students from age 4 through high school graduation, integrated into the international campus system of Lycée International. It is not positioned as a short-term language course, but as a complete K-12 German-French bilingual education pathway.

Core Curriculum and Certification

The curriculum emphasizes German, history, German culture, reading, project-based learning, and the development of social skills. At the primary level, it explicitly follows the curriculum of the German state of Thuringia. Middle and high school course content is based on the standards of Germany’s Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs, the KMK, as well as German teaching plans. In secondary school, additional German and history classes are added each week, while the high school stage also includes Weltkenntnis. Its most important value for university progression lies in the BFI bilingue: students can obtain both the French Baccalauréat Général and the German Allgemeine Hochschulreife, or Abitur, giving the qualification strong international recognition.

Pricing and Admissions

The published application registration fee is €120 per child, and cafeteria meals cost around €5.50 per meal, but full tuition fees are not provided, so fee transparency is limited. Admission usually requires submitting materials within a fixed period and taking an entrance test; applications for mid-year entry are generally not accepted. Younger children are expected to already be able to understand and respond in German. For middle and high school, students are expected to have German listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills close to a first or second native-language level, with high school entry roughly benchmarked at B2.

Pros and Cons

The strengths are its continuous educational pathway, the high value of the dual diploma, clear alignment with German curriculum standards, and cultural activities such as German festivals, choir, and theater, making it suitable for long-term planning. The drawbacks are its high admissions threshold and limited places. This is especially true in kindergarten and primary school, where places for internal students are tight, meaning many students can only attend German section classes as external students. Families also need to consider commuting, school buses, and distance from home.

Who It’s For and Access from China

It is suitable for families living in western Paris or around Saint-Germain-en-Laye who want their children to receive a German-French bilingual education while keeping open a pathway to German universities. For Chinese families, it is better suited as a physical school option after relocating overseas rather than as a remote course. Access from mainland China is not stated in the main text, so it is considered unknown.