North Seattle French School

18560 1st Ave NE, Wing F, Shoreline, WA 98155, United States. The campus is in the Shoreline neighborhood within the Seattle metropolitan area. A private bus connects the Shoreline campus to Seattle, with routes to Green Lake and Phinney Ridge; pickup around 8:00 a.m. and drop-off around 5:35 p.m.; seats are first-come, first-served and bus enrollment is separate from after-school care.

La Maternelle: Preschool, PreK and Kindergarten; L'Élémentaire: Grades 1–5.

Private bilingual school with French immersion for preschool through 5th grade.

International pupil mix with families from many countries and languages.

A Learning Specialist provides differentiated instruction and supports individual learning needs.

Affiliated with Mission Laïque Française (MLF) network.

Secular.

Maternelle runs 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. (half-day) or 8:30 a.m.–3:15 p.m. (full-day); Kindergarten runs 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.; Elementary runs 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.; After-school GLOBE runs 3:30–5:00 p.m.

Private 9-seat bus runs between Shoreline campus and Green Lake and Phinney Ridge in Seattle; pickup around 8:00 a.m. and drop-off around 5:35 p.m.; seats allocated on a first-come, first-served basis; bus enrollment is separate from GLOBE.

The school's bilingual curriculum aligns Washington State Common Core standards with the internationally recognized French curriculum, mapping overlaps and differences to integrate both. It enables bi-literacy and allows transition into either a French school or the local school system for middle school. The program emphasizes speaking, reading, writing, thinking, creative projects, and social-emotional learning in two languages. In preschool and kindergarten, instruction is primarily in French; in 4th and 5th grades, English time increases to a 50/50 ratio between languages. English and French teachers co-teach daily and collaborate on lesson plans and student growth, with regular language-department meetings and curricular projects.

NSFS integrates social-emotional development as a core element of its mission and values. The school aims to cultivate globally minded independent thinkers through bilingual education, with social-emotional development highlighted among its core values. The program emphasizes that character development is as valuable as academic learning and includes age-appropriate strategies for developing empathy, mindfulness, self-awareness, and communication at every grade level. The emphasis on social-emotional development is designed to help students become open-minded, tolerant, curious, and responsible community members. Through this integration, NSFS seeks to foster an engaged community of families and a supportive, inclusive classroom culture.

NSFS offers immersion in French within a bilingual preschool through 5th grade. The program blends the established French curriculum with Washington State standards to enable bi-literacy and fluency in two languages. NSFS supports plurilingualism and home-language development, ensuring students stay engaged and proud of their home language while acquiring another. For preschool and kindergarten, no French is required; starting in 1st grade some knowledge of French is expected, and non-native speakers are assessed on a case-by-case basis. This bilingual approach is designed to prepare students for a globally connected world.

Social-emotional development is a core value, with character development considered as important as academics. SEL is integrated throughout the NSFS program, with students learning empathy, mindfulness, self-awareness, and communication at every grade level. The school emphasizes relationships, belonging, and community involvement to support emotional well-being. The focus on DEI and family engagement further supports a positive emotional climate for students and families. This approach aims to cultivate students who are resilient, collaborative, and socially responsible.

Step 1 - Submit an Application Online. We are now accepting applications for the 2026-27 school year. Please submit an online application with the non-refundable $90 application fee per child, payable via Stripe or by check. If you are interested in the 2025-26 school year, contact admissions to know if space is available; preschool entrants must be 3 by December 31, 2026 and kindergarten entrants must be 5 by December 31, 2026.

Needs-based Tuition Assistance for K-5 is offered to help families access NSFS's bilingual education; Preschool does not currently offer financial aid. Aid is awarded as a grant and does not require repayment; awards range from 5% to 45% of tuition and are determined by the NSFS Tuition Assistance Committee using FAST, which analyzes family income, assets, family size, and other factors. The FAST online application opens January 9, 2026 and is due February 13, 2026 for new families (January 20, 2026 for returning families); multiple documents including tax returns and income proofs are required. For preschool, no NSFS aid is available; for eligible families, French Government Scholarships (Bourses Scolaires Françaises) may be available in addition to NSFS aid by applying with NSFS and consulting the Consulat Général de San Francisco site for deadlines. Tuition amounts for 2026-27: Half-day Preschool $14,480; Full-day Preschool $23,020; Elementary $23,020; Includes field trips, books, and supplies; Deposit 10% and New Family Fee $500; Sibling Discount 10%; Payment plans: Plan A (one-time payment with $100 discount), Plan B (3 installments), Plan C (9 installments).