Cambodia, Phnom Penh
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The Lycée Français René Descartes is located at Rue Christopher Howes (Rue 96), Wat Phnom, BP 1132, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The campus sits in the Daun Penh district in central Phnom Penh, near the Wat Phnom area, with access to local transport such as taxis and tuk-tuks. The address is publicly listed as part of its Phnom Penh footprint.
The school serves preschool through terminale (the final year of lycée). Classes range from petite section (maternelle) to terminale, and the curriculum includes the Brevet des Collèges and the Baccalauréat.
The school is a co-educational day school; there are no public indications of boarding facilities.
The school follows an inclusive education approach. For students with special educational needs, LFRD provides three specialized teachers, an orthophoniste (speech-language pathologist), and a school psychologist who work with families to create an action plan and an individualized support arrangement.
The school is affiliated with France through the AEFE network (Agency for French Education Abroad) under agreement with the French government.
Religious affiliation is not listed; the school operates as a secular French international school.
Exact start and end times are not published publicly. The school provides on-site meals: Kindergarten meals around $3.60 per meal; Primary/Middle/High school meals around $4 per meal.
A publicly listed school bus service is not indicated on the site.
Application and registration fees
- First (initial) enrolment fee: USD 2,300 for students of Cambodian and/or French nationality; USD 3,042 for students of other nationalities.
- Re-enrolment (registration) fee: USD 496 for Cambodian and/or French nationality; USD 571 for other nationalities.
Annual tuition fees by school level
- Primary (per year): USD 5,526 for Cambodian and/or French nationality; USD 7,415 for other nationalities.
- Collège / Middle school (per year): USD 6,512 for Cambodian and/or French nationality; USD 8,720 for other nationalities.
- Lycée / High school (per year): USD 7,362 for Cambodian and/or French nationality; USD 9,855 for other nationalities.
Billing schedule and per-term amounts (annual fees split over three terms)
- The school bills fees in three periods (trimesters) and applies the standard split of 40% of the annual tuition for the first term, 30% for the second term and 30% for the third term. Invoices are issued at the start of each period and are payable within 15 days of the invoice date.
- Per-term amounts calculated on that 40% / 30% / 30% basis (amounts shown in USD):
- Primary (Cambodian/French): 1st term USD 2,210.40; 2nd term USD 1,657.80; 3rd term USD 1,657.80.
- Primary (other nationalities): 1st term USD 2,966.00; 2nd term USD 2,224.50; 3rd term USD 2,224.50.
- Collège (Cambodian/French): 1st term USD 2,604.80; 2nd term USD 1,953.60; 3rd term USD 1,953.60.
- Collège (other nationalities): 1st term USD 3,488.00; 2nd term USD 2,616.00; 3rd term USD 2,616.00.
- Lycée (Cambodian/French): 1st term USD 2,944.80; 2nd term USD 2,208.60; 3rd term USD 2,208.60.
- Lycée (other nationalities): 1st term USD 3,942.00; 2nd term USD 2,956.50; 3rd term USD 2,956.50.
- Standard trimester calendar: 1st term = September–December; 2nd term = January–March; 3rd term = April–June.
Billing and payment terms (key points)
- Families may choose to pay annually or by trimester; invoices for each period are issued in advance and are payable within 15 days of the invoice date.
- A family may request exceptional monthly instalment arrangements; such requests must be submitted in writing and require approval by the school's management/board.
- Arrivals or departures during a trimester are handled on a prorata temporis basis with the rule that any month begun is due in full.
- Consequences of non-payment include suspension of participation in activities, temporary exclusion from classes, and possible cancellation of registration if invoices remain unpaid beyond the stated deadlines.
Boarding (internat) fees
- Boarding is available for students in third (3ème) to terminale. The annual boarding fee (including accommodation and meals) is USD 5,200 per academic year. Pupils receiving school bursaries receive support on the same scale as their awarded bursary; transport for bursary students to family homes is included at the bursary rate.
Other costs and typical ancillary fees
- School meals: USD 3.60 per meal for kindergarten (maternelle); USD 4.00 per meal for primary, collège and lycée.
- Extracurricular activities: charged per semester; indicative price ranges by activity are published (examples: homework help USD 55–70 per semester; various sports and arts activities typically USD 20–120 per semester depending on level and frequency).
- Exam/registration-related fees and some other charges (exam entries, specific activity fees, certain material fees) are billed separately when applicable; exam fees are billed when registrations are made and are not refundable once the school has completed the registration with the examining authority.
- The standard tuition fee covers several items: membership to the parents' association, loan of textbooks, civil-liability insurance, school supplies for primary and art materials for collège, as specified in the school's financial regulations.
- No uniform charge is listed as a compulsory school fee on the published fee schedule; costs for optional items or specific equipment (sports kit, special materials) may apply and are billed separately when required.
Refunds and non‑refundables
- Initial enrolment (first-inscription) fees are non‑refundable. Exam registration fees are not refundable once the school has processed the entries with the examining authority.
- For families leaving the school during a trimester, a prorated adjustment is applied with the policy that any month started is payable in full; the school requires account settlement and return of loaned materials before final departure formalities are completed.
Accepted payment methods and practical notes
- Accepted payment methods include bank transfer (bank details are provided on invoices), payment by cheque where applicable, and cash deposits following the instructions printed on the invoice; bank transfer fees are borne by the payer. Credit-card payment is not listed as a standard method in the published financial regulations.
- Bank transfers must include the pupil's name, class and the period being paid so the school can allocate the payment correctly. Families whose fees are paid by an employer remain contractually responsible for timely payment and should ensure the school receives the funds by the invoice due date.
Sibling discounts and reductions
- Sibling reductions are published: discounts on first-inscription fees (e.g., a USD 50 reduction for the third child and USD 100 per child from the fourth child onward) and reductions on annual tuition (for example, 2nd and 3rd child: 8% annual reduction; 4th child and beyond: 10% annual reduction) as set out in the fee schedule.
Contact for finance matters
- The school's finance department can be contacted by phone at +855 77 414 965 or by email at finance@lfrd.net for invoice queries, payment instructions and confirmation of bank details.
(Amounts and procedural rules are given in USD as published in the school's official fees and financial regulations.)
Lycée Français René Descartes (LFRD) is an AEFE‑homologated French school in Phnom Penh, founded in 1951. It provides French national curriculum teaching from maternelle through terminale and runs a Section Internationale Américaine (SIA) with options leading to the Baccalauréat Français International (BFI). The school's language pathways include daily Khmer lessons and instruction/support in English, Spanish and Chinese; the SIA offers additional English‑language instruction. In September 2023 LFRD opened a small internat (boarding house) for élèves de 3ème à terminale (capacity up to 15); boarders are transported to/from school each day by the internat shuttles. Annual tuition (2025–2026) ranges from USD 5,526 (primary, French/Cambodian nationality rate) up to USD 9,855 (lycée, other nationalities). The school publishes details on fees, language pathways, SIA and the internat on its website.