Most popular international schools in Lyon

ISL is a not-for-profit independent international school in Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, set on protected woodland with purpose-built facilities on its own grounds. The campus features light, spacious classrooms around a central atrium, with dedicated spaces for art and design, music and movement, ICT, and a large library shared by primary and secondary. The school serves ages 3 to 18 and offers three programs: the IB Primary Years Programme, Cambridge IGCSE, and the IB Diploma Programme. In Grades 9–10 students take Cambridge IGCSE; Grades 11–12 prepare for the IB Diploma, with an ISL Diploma available if the full IB Diploma is not pursued. ISL emphasizes inquiry-based, real-world learning through cross-curricular projects such as Leading Your Learning, the STEAM Project, UN SDG initiatives and the Grade 8 Personal Project. The campus provides on-site PE and arts facilities, access to municipal gym and pool, and outdoor spaces including a multi-sport field and amphitheatre. ISL is regularly inspected by the French National Education Ministry and reinvests enrollment fees to improve the learning environment.

CSI Lyon is a public school in the French national system that also hosts nine language sections for ages 6 to 18. The campus comprises an elementary, a middle, and a high school, with no kindergarten. Elementary education is free and books are provided; maximum enrollment 567 students in 21 classes of about 27 pupils. Curricula run in French alongside one of nine sections: Anglophone, Arabophone, Germanophone, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Polish, and Chinese, with language-specific instruction in addition to core French subjects. The Anglophone section adds an English-language curriculum and prepares for the BFI at terminale and two iGCSEs in Seconde. ABIBAC is offered in the German–French lycée; other sections lead to OIB or BAC options. The school year runs September to July, with classes on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday; Wednesday is a non-school day. CSI Lyon provides a bus service and a swimming pool for physical education.

École Greenfield is a private Franco-English bilingual nursery and elementary school in Lyon, located in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, about ten minutes from Place Bellecour. It welcomes children from age 2 to 11 and offers enrollment for 2026/27. The school provides daily instruction in French and English with native English-speaking teachers and French teachers collaborating across languages. The preschool aims to foster a love of learning and the development of each child's personality, while the elementary program prioritises mastery of French and early mathematics. The bilingual program uses half-day blocks in French and English on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; the school day runs roughly 9:00–16:30 in maternelle and 8:30–16:30 in élémentaire. CM1 and CM2 are under State contract, guaranteeing progression to 6e. Most staff have more than 15 years' experience, supporting continuity and cross-language collaboration through projects. The founder, Isabelle Fiquet, established Greenfield in 1988 to offer early bilingual education in a family-like setting, emphasizing respect, self-esteem, tolerance and openness. Cambridge Primary is integrated, with Movers and Flyers exams for CE2/CM2 and a high success rate.

Ombrosa International School is a private, secular, non-profit international bilingual school based on the banks of the Saône in Lyon, with a dedicated Caluire campus for Elementary, Lower Secondary and Upper Secondary alongside a Nursery. The school is partly under contract with the State and integrates the French national curriculum with the International Baccalaureate, coordinating bilingual access from nursery onward. From 3e (Year 10) upward, pupils may choose between the French General Baccalaureate and the Diploma Programme; Cambridge IGCSE is offered in some pathways, and Singapore mathematics supports mathematical development. The multilingual environment includes French, English, German, Japanese, Spanish and Chinese. Facilities include a restaurant, gym, courts, a dojo, five school bus lines, libraries, IT rooms, laboratories, a drama studio, a music room and a fine arts classroom, plus a park and private forest nearby. An after-school program runs daily, with clubs spanning sport, arts, languages, leadership and service. Opportunities.

New School Lyon is a bilingual French-English school in Lyon's 8th arrondissement that follows the official French Ministry of Education curriculum. It serves pupils from TPS to CM2, with English immersion from an early age integrated into daily learning. Small class sizes enable a personalised, active teaching approach centered on thematic projects across general and scientific culture. The school environment prioritizes children's well-being and development, with spacious, soundproofed classrooms equipped with large touch screens and integrated sound systems. New premises span over 2,200 m2 and include outdoor terraces, a well-equipped canteen operated by a dietician, and dedicated spaces for cultural and sporting activities. The program blends French academic standards with robust language exposure, supported by English-speaking teachers and international trips to reinforce language and cultural understanding. Practical learning extends to coding and robotics, Verbal Aikido workshops, arts, and theatre, fostering curiosity, collaboration, and responsible digital literacy for confident global citizens.