French International School
The first admissions decision you need to make is whether to apply for the French or international stream. Find out what French International School offers in terms of curriculum, campuses, and more, so you can make sure you choose the best fit for your child. You can also visit the school to experience the FIS environment for yourself. Make a visiting appointment by clicking here or enjoy a virtual tour here. You can apply at any time, provided you have your child’s birth certificate and/or your move to Hong Kong has been confirmed. Click here for applications to the international stream and here for applications to the French stream. The date you apply affects your child’s position on the waiting list, so we recommend you apply as soon as possible.
Annual tuition fees: HK$123,244-205,107 (depending on stream & grade)
Private redeemable debentures: HK$120,000
Corporate redeemable debentures: HK$250,000
Head's Up
Why French International School?
I was attracted by the mission of the school: joining a bilingual learning environment that allows students to achieve their full potential, with a focus on personal development, compassion, and global mindedness. After a hiatus of six years leading at the Shanghai American School, I am also pleased to hereby return to the French international education system.
Also, as I considered which community to join and serve, FIS’s vision struck me as a perfect match for my aspirations: a close-knit community of spirited and confident students, talented and supportive professionals, and engaged and diverse foreign expatriates and local families, together in the environment of a dynamic, leading East Asian city. In addition, my encounter with students during the interview process was revelatory: I knew I wanted to work with and for such articulate, self-aware, and mindful young people who demonstrate agency and a commitment to change.
Finally, I do not shy away from the complexities of a school with two streams and four campuses, nor from the trials posed by the current local and regional context. I thrive in turning challenges into opportunities and aspire to help FIS build its capacity for a glorious future.
What will you bring?
With close to 25 years in education, including 18 in international education, I am well prepared to lead FIS in its next chapter of excellence. I bring a student-centered approach to school leadership: When choices and decisions have to be made, children’s learning and well-being always provide the true north. It also means that being visible and approachable to students, as well as everyone in the community, matters to me.
My deep understanding of the French education, combined with a strong background in the IB and the American International standards-based system, give me a framework to process educational issues that matter at FIS. My long experience of governance in international schools, working in leadership positions in partnership with Boards for over ten years, as well as my strategic and system-thinking mindset will be an asset to steer a large institution like FIS.
I am also a gifted listener who thrives in and knows how to develop a culture of collaboration. My belief in professional learning helps foster an environment where every faculty, leader, and staff member should grow over the course of their tenure at FIS.
Finally, I also bring a passion for language learning, including Chinese, and a deep interest in the Chinese culture. My six years in Shanghai provide me with strategies to navigate the complexities of leading a school in a very unique regulatory context.
Meet Dr Bonin
The inside track from a current parent
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE FIS?
Back in 2010, I chose FIS because it provided continuity with my children’s education in France and Japan. The ability to pursue a curriculum recognised by the French Ministry of Education offers comfort and security to expats who may one day return to France or live abroad somewhere else, like London or New York.
When it came to Hiroki and Akira, we chose FIS for quite different reasons. We had seen their two eldest brothers thrive here and wanted that for them too.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE THING ABOUT FIS?
FIS has demonstrated that it can teach the French national curriculum while also preparing our children to work in an international environment. My two eldest are flourishing in their studies in the UK. They have friends from all four corners of the globe yet also appreciate their French roots.
More recently, I have been able to see the primary school teachers’ hard work during the pandemic. I appreciate the efforts they have made to be creative, in order to motivate our children in this unprecedented situation, with both teachers and students working from behind their screens. Hats off to them.
WHAT IS YOUR CHILDREN’S FAVOURITE THING ABOUT FIS?
Alexandre and Julian are particularly grateful for the invaluable advice and help they received when choosing their university studies in Terminale. The university guidance team were great. Now they are both studying degrees that suit them, and their ambitions, to a tee.
As for Hiroki and Akira, they are just happy to go to school, see their friends and their teachers. You simply need to see how eager they are to put on their uniform to know they feel good at FIS.
DO YOU HAVE A HIGHLIGHT OR STORY ABOUT FIS THAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE?
With encouragement and training from their teachers, Alexandre, Julian and two friends took part in the HKUST-Orange Hackathon, coming in third place. Over the three days, they worked under pressure for more than 12 hours a day, learning to develop their creativity, collaborate, take on board expert advice and present their work. This gave my sons an appreciation of hard work and a taste for entrepreneurship.
As parents we love...
- Seeing how happy my children have been at FIS.
- The enthusiastic, dedicated and supportive team of wonderful teachers.
- The well-rounded education that children graduate with and the skills necessary to flourish in a future international environment.
As pupils we love...
- What we learn and how we learn. We've formed a strong bond with our teachers and take part in everything the school organises, from trips and shows to assemblies and more.
- The school facilities. The learning environment is top notch, from the facilities to the powerful IT systems which helped us study from home without any technical or organisational difficulties.
- And we appreciate that the teaching and administrative staff are there when you need them, be it the admissions, accounts or vie scolaire team.
What makes us different
If you were to ask current parents why they chose FIS, they would probably tell you that our confident and spirited students are happy, well-educated, open-minded, and at ease with themselves and each other. As a diverse and engaged community, we value kindness, integrity and equality. We are proud to celebrate diversity as we know that children learn best in an equitable and inclusive society. At FIS, we are fortunate to welcome students and staff from around the world and from all socio-economic backgrounds.
Students are given the opportunity to explore three different languages due to the school’s one-of-a-kind multilingual education(French, English and Mandarin). Following the French, British and International Baccalaureate Curriculum, FIS is proud to have students and staff who could communicate fluently in at least two languages.
Our talented and supportive team nurtures and expands our students’ skills and attributes by providing a first-class academic and collaborative learning environment where the importance of the individual is paramount. Our students are pushed to think and to explore within our broad and varied academic curriculum and extensive extracurricular programme. They have a strong sense of ethical, environmental and social responsibility and will go on to become people who will make a positive impact on the lives of others.
FIS students enjoy great success in public examinations and these outcomes, a testament to our students’ success, allow the best foundation for their future. However, it is important to us too that learning at FIS be deep as well as broad, and we encourage the development of the whole person.
Life here is multi-dimensional and no website can fully capture the spirit of FIS. The best way to get to know us is to come and visit. There are admissions events held throughout the year and you will be made most welcome.
Admissions
Contact French stream admissions on inscriptions@lfis.edu.hk or (852) 2892-3631 and International stream admissions on admissions@lfis.edu.hk or (852) 2892-3677.
Useful Dates
International Stream:
January: Y1 assessments and secondary assessments.
Late January/early February: Y4 to Y6 assessments.
March: Y2 and Y3 assessments.
French Stream:
We assess on a rolling basis applicants who have not attended a French state school or a school in the AEFE network.