École Primaire Française de Genève

The school is located at Chemin des Vergers 3, CH-1208 Genève, Switzerland. It sits in the heart of Geneva, in the Eaux-Vives district. Contact: T. +41 22 735 60 20; epfg@bluewin.ch.

Levels include Grande Section (GS) through CM2. This spans part of maternelle and primary education. There is an equivalence with the Swiss system: GS maps to 2P, CP to 3P, CE1 to 4P, CE2 to 5P, CM1 to 6P, and CM2 to 7P.

France (AEFE network)

Secular; no religious affiliation

School hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:30 to 12:00 and 13:30 to 16:00. There is no after-school care.

The programs applied are those of the French National Education (Eduscol). They are organized into cycles: Cycle 1—PS, MS, GS (GS only at EPFG); Cycle 2—CP, CE1, CE2; Cycle 3—CM1, CM2 and 6e (only CM1 and CM2 at EPFG). The objective is for all students to master a common core of competencies and knowledge by the end of compulsory schooling; 25 hours per week are taught annually, with additional language hours built in. The French language is the language of instruction for most teaching; English starts in GS with 30 minutes per week, 45 minutes per week in CP, 1 hour per week for CE1 and CE2, 1 hour 30 minutes per week for CM1, and 3 hours per week for CM2, including 1 hour of a subject taught in English. German is taught to support Swiss-system integration (CM1/CM2 have 1 hour 30 minutes of German weekly; the school aims to offer Goethe-Institut A1 certification within two years). Assessments use the LSU and other progress records in line with the French system, with bridging provisions to link to the Swiss system in the larger classes. Information technology and digital literacy are integrated through a computer room, interactive whiteboards, tablets for CM1, iPads for CM2, and Thymio robots; cross-cutting activities in English and other subjects support language and digital skills.

The school has no secondary cycle; students continue at another establishment after CM2. There is no French AEFE secondary in Geneva; the nearest is Institut Sainte-Marcelline (Institut Valmont) in Lausanne. Many private Swiss or private French-system schools in Switzerland welcome EPFG graduates and prepare for the French baccalaureat. Other private Swiss or international establishments may offer continuation from the Orientation cycle to maturité, often within networks such as GESBF or AGEP. Students may reintegrate into the Swiss public system after tests and dossiers, with placement rules based on birth date (birth after July 31: 8P; birth before July 31: 9CO), though early transfers have become difficult. EPFG also organizes an annual Forum des Ecoles d'après in November to support families in choosing a path after EPFG.

Built around the values of tolerance, mutual aid, and secularism, EPFG's school project defines an ambitious and innovative pedagogical policy oriented toward fundamental axes for the School of Tomorrow. The curriculum emphasizes languages, citizenship, mastery of digital tools, science and the arts, which contribute to shaping students' learning journey and helping them face future challenges with confidence.

Foreign language learning is one of the pillars of EPFG's education. Teachers have long been committed to developing multilingual competence among students. From Grande Section (GS), an English language teacher provides weekly sessions in half groups to foster exchanges. Additionally, 1 hour 30 minutes of German are taught to CM1 and CM2 students in full-class settings. This instruction facilitates integration into the Swiss system.

The school has limited capacity. To enroll a child in the school, you must meet two criteria: be domiciled in the canton of Geneva, and for an enrollment in Grande Section (GS) or 2P, the child must have already attended school for a minimum of one year (in PS or 1P). For pre-registration, you can email admission@epfg.ch and fill the form attached to the following link (for each child if you wish to pre-register multiple). An open-house morning will be organized on Saturday, November 8, 2025 from 9:30 to 12:00 to visit the school and meet members of the teaching staff. For families concerned with a possible admission for the 2025-2026 intake, you must assemble a file to be presented to the admissions committee, which will meet on Monday, February 2, 2026. The committee will decide on your admission request based on available places and the following priorities, in this order: 1) a sibling in the school; 2) a student from the French system or AEFE; 3) French nationality; 4) date of pre-registration. Documents to be provided electronically between January 5 and January 31, 2026 include: a) a copy of the family booklet or a birth certificate showing parentage; b) a child's identity document (ID card or passport) for each nationality declared at registration; c) proof of domicile in the canton of Geneva (less than 3 months) such as a water, electricity, or internet bill or a residence certificate; d) a certificate of schooling from the child's current class and school. After completing the administrative and financial registration, the final step is an integration morning for your child at the school in your presence, where the child will meet future classmates and participate in activities. Chemin des Vergers 3, CH-1208 GENÈVE. Tel. +41 22 735 60 20; Fax +41 22 735 96 00; epfg@bluewin.ch