Spain, Malaga
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Admission takes place during commissions throughout the year for a September intake. Admissions are conducted exclusively online via the EFIM site. The process consists of five steps: 1. Submit an online application at the start of the enrollment campaign by creating an account and submitting the application dossier online on the EFIM site; 2) Family interview: upon receipt, the file is submitted to the admissions commission. If requested by the commission or by the parents, a family interview can be organized. If your child is educated in France or in a school accredited by the French Ministry of National Education, admission is granted without a placement test. Otherwise, a mandatory French language placement test takes place in June 2021. Children whose level is below A1 must participate in the mandatory French language refresh sessions in July. 3. Results of the Admissions Committee: you are informed of the outcome by email. 4. Confirmation of enrollment: if your file is accepted, an offer of a place is sent. Admission is confirmed when you have paid the first registration fee (€875). If you withdraw later, this amount is non-refundable. 5. Admission: our admissions team will send you a welcome booklet in June with essential information for the start of the school year. If you move to Marbella mid-year and wish to enroll your child, contact the admissions office who will indicate the procedure to follow. Note: the admissions procedure and admission policy may evolve from year to year. Non-French-speaking families are welcome at EFIM. The tri-lingual program in a non-French-speaking family environment requires commitment and time; all parents must be prepared to expose their children to the French language and culture outside the classroom. Through our extracurricular programs, there are many opportunities for children to speak French after school. The curriculum: EFIM follows the French National Education program while integrating added-value pedagogies. The program relies largely on the five domains of learning of the National Education and is structured into three-year cycles; Cycle 1 corresponds to kindergarten (3–6 years). The school uses multi-age classes, and language learning (French, Spanish, and English) is introduced from kindergarten. In elementary, language learning is emphasized and the collaborative, project-based approach is standard.
A school scholarship is financial aid for schooling awarded to French families whose children attend a school in the AEFE network and who apply through the Consulate; the scholarship is related to resources and is provided under AEFE guidelines. Scholarships for children enrolled at EFIM will be available once homologation by the school is obtained. Under the Education Code, AEFE can provide scholarship support to children of French nationality enrolled in French education abroad; applicants should consult the Consulate of France in Madrid for general scholarship information.
École Française Internationale Marbella delivers the official French National Education curriculum for ages 2 to 11. Preschool and primary programs are homologated by the French Ministry of National Education and operate within the AEFE framework. The school uses a hybrid model that blends the French curriculum with trilingual instruction in French, English and Spanish, delivered by native-speaking teachers. The central objective is to learn how to learn, developing executive, affective, social and metacognitive skills to adapt in a changing world. The campus is in central Marbella, a quiet residential area, opposite Parque de los Enamorados and near the sea, offering a tri-lingual, multicultural learning environment. Facilities include two outdoor courtyards, a dining hall and a multi-sport hall/gym, a media library, Fab-Lab, Archéo-Lab and Creative-Lab, plus a Nenuphar mindfulness room, a Green Space and a Pôle-Santé Health Hub. After-school programs provide opportunities to speak French and engage in varied clubs beyond regular hours.