La Petite Ecole Ho Chi Minh City

La Petite Ecole Ho Chi Minh City is located in the Thao Dien neighbourhood of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The campus sits on a green, purpose‑built site of about 4,500 m² in a family‑friendly area near local transport routes. The street address is 172‑180 Nguyen Van Huong, Thao Dien, Thu Duc City. Thao Dien is in the city's District 2, now part of Thu Duc City.

The school provides nursery, preschool (Cycle 1) and primary (Cycle 2 and Cycle 3). It accepts children from 12 months in nursery, then 3–6 years in Preschool (PS/MS/GS), 7–9 years in Primary Cycle 2 (CP/CE1/CE2), and 10–11 years in Primary Cycle 3 (CM1/CM2).

The institution is co‑educational and operates as a bilingual French‑English international school. It does not advertise boarding facilities; a daycare service is available after official hours.

The school offers targeted language support for students who do not speak French or English on arrival, including FLE and ESL in small groups. It emphasises personal development and inclusive practices to accommodate individual learning needs.

The school is affiliated with France through the AEFE network and is accredited by the French Ministry of Education.

Religious affiliation is not indicated in official materials.

The nursery (ages 1–3) operates 7:30 am–4:30 pm. Early Years and Elementary begin at 8:30 am (doors open at 8:00 am). On Mondays–Thursdays the day ends at 3:15 pm (with optional collection until 3:30 pm); on Fridays, Early Years ends at 12:15 pm and Elementary at 12:30 pm. After‑school activities are offered. A daycare service is available after hours.

A school‑organised bus service operates with six routes. Morning buses are scheduled to arrive before 8:15 am; afternoon departures are typically at 3:30 pm or 4:30 pm from Monday to Thursday, with Friday options at 12:30 pm or 3:30 pm.

La Petite Ecole Ho Chi Minh City offers nursery through CM2 in a bilingual French–English program, with Vietnamese introduced from kindergarten. The curriculum follows the French National Curriculum, organized into Cycle 1 (nursery/preschool), Cycle 2 (CP–CE2), and Cycle 3 (CM1–CM2). Two native-speaking teachers deliver primary instruction in French and English. Since 2023 the school has been accredited by the French Ministry of Education for Cycles 1–3 and is a partner of AEFE since 2020. Language support is provided through French (FLE/FLSCO) and English (ESL) programs totaling 2–5 hours per week, depending on student needs. Core curricular themes include Nature & Science, Civic Growth, and Global Awareness.

La Petite Ecole Ho Chi Minh City integrates social and emotional learning (SEL) through its Personal Development framework. Wellbeing is described as creating an environment conducive to child development, with a calm, natural setting and in-house facilities to support each child's development, guided by neuroscience that relaxed children learn better. Emotions are explicitly addressed: pupils are helped to recognise, accept, express, and manage their emotions. The school emphasizes self-confidence and self-esteem, encouraging adults to show belief in each child's ability to improve and persevere. The overall philosophy integrates mistakes as part of learning and promotes independence, curiosity, motivation, and self‑belief as core aims.

The school does not publicly disclose information about a dedicated Special Educational Needs (SEN) program or a specialist SEN unit on its public pages. The published materials describe a bilingual French-English curriculum delivered by two native-speaking educators for cycles 1–3, rather than a separate SEN provision. When non‑native language support is needed, the school provides FLE (Français Langue Étrangère) and ESL (English as a Second Language) small‑group programmes to help pupils begin to access the bilingual curriculum. La Petite Ecole Ho Chi Minh City is accredited by the French Ministry of Education and is a member of AEFE, indicating alignment with international standards, but it is not described as a specialist SEN institution in public documents.

English as an Additional Language (EAL) support is explicitly described. The French curriculum is taught in both French and English by two native-speaking educators per class, supporting immersive bilingual development (French-English). For pupils who do not speak French or English on arrival, language support programmes operate in small groups with dedicated FLE and ESL teachers to help them integrate into the bilingual programme. Vietnamese is also introduced for all students from kindergarten onwards. These elements are outlined in public materials and FAQ, and the bilingual model is reinforced by staff training and AEFE affiliation.

Mental wellbeing is supported through a wellbeing-focused environment and explicit emotional-learning provisions. The school emphasises an environment that fosters relaxation and well-being as a foundation for learning, and provides tools for recognising and managing emotions. The SEL approach includes teaching children to understand and express their emotions and to develop self-confidence and self-esteem, with adults actively affirming students' capacity to improve and persevere. The philosophy promotes valuing the learning process, encouraging independence, curiosity, and resilience as part of everyday practice.

The school does not publicly disclose information regarding safeguarding or child-protection policies on its public pages. Public materials describe a safe environment and a caring school culture, including strong communication with families and community engagement to support student wellbeing and safety.

Step 1:
Application submission via Eduka: Start the process by submitting an application through the Eduka platform and uploading the required documents as part of the application. The school teaches in a bilingual French-English program, with additional Vietnamese language support, and follows the French national curriculum through AEFE accreditation; this bilingual approach and the school's structure (Nursery through CM2) are important context for planning admissions. After you submit, you will participate in a meeting with the educational management to review the applicant's profile and placement considerations. The admission process is designed to be discussion-driven and centred on the child's needs and background.

Step 2:
Educational management meeting: Following the document submission, a meeting with the educational management is scheduled. This meeting provides an opportunity to discuss the child's learning history, language background, and any particular support requirements (e.g., language support or acceleration). It also serves to clarify placement within the school's cycles and classes. Parents should come prepared with questions about curriculum, language exposure, and assessment expectations.

Step 3:
Enrollment next steps (if admission is offered): If admission is offered, complete the enrollment process by registering for the upcoming school year through the Eduka platform (the “REGISTER NOW” option is provided on the Enrollment page). The enrollment flow is centered on the Eduka system and is clearly presented for the 2025-2026 cycle. The school's enrollment page explicitly shows the option to sign up for the 2025-2026 year, reinforcing Eduka as the official channel for enrollment. Plan to complete any required forms and confirm your child's enrollment date through Eduka.

Step 4:
Fees, payment, and confirmed start: Tuition and related fees for the 2025-2026 academic year are published in the Tuition Fees document. For Nursery, initial enrolment fees and full-rate options are listed, with the option for Early Bird and term-based payments; for Early Years and Elementary, there are initial enrolment and re-enrolment fees, annual tuition, canteen costs, and optional extras like uniforms. Any term started is due in full, and there are sibling discounts (5% for the second child, 10% for the third and beyond). Payment options include one-time annual or multiple payments, with early payment incentives where offered. The school also notes optional services such as bus transport and after-school care that can add to total costs.

Scholarships are available under AEFE guidance, but eligibility is restricted to French nationals residing in Vietnam and applying through the Consulate General of France. Key requirements include: the pupil must be of French nationality with at least one parent residing in the consular district; the child and family must be registered in the worldwide register of French nationals living outside France; the child must be at least 3 years old in the calendar year the school year begins; and applicants arriving from France should hold a CAF cancellation certificate. Applications are not auto-renewed and must be submitted each year; windows open in February/March for the upcoming year and in October for new residents or those whose circumstances have changed. The financial aid can be used to pay tuition fees, meals, or transportation, and applications are coordinated with the AEFE and the Local Scholarship Commission. An appointment can be booked with the Social Affairs Department of the French Embassy to prepare the application. For more information about the scholarship application process, contact the French Embassy's social affairs office; the school also directs interested families to the French Embassy's site for further guidance.

Waitlist or pool procedures are not publicly described on the admissions pages. The primary route to securing a place is through the Eduka enrollment/registration process, accessible from the main site's enrollment section, and possible attendance at an Open Day or information session.