A Brief History

THE ANGLOPHONE SECTION OF FONTAINEBLEAU – A BRIEF HISTORY

The Anglophone Section, as its name implies, is not a British or an American school, but an English-speaking section which is fully integrated within three French state schools situated on the same campus.

• Ecole Elémentaire Internationale Léonard de Vinci (6-11 years)
• Collège International de Fontainebleau (11-15 years)
• Lycée François Premier (15-18 years)

The original International School was created in the late 1950s to provide specialised facilities for the education of the children of personnel from SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe), then headquartered in Fontainebleau. Several international sections operated within the French system, with up to 1000 students aged 5 to 18. When France pulled out of NATO in 1967, SHAPE was obliged to leave France and relocated to Belgium. Educational facilities for all international students in Fontainebleau, with the exception of the German section, were withdrawn.

In the 1970′s, because of the international origins of many families in the Fontainebleau area, and the increasing presence of international organisations such as INSEAD,  there was a need for the establishment of a specialised system for the education of English-speaking students. At the initiative of several families, an approach was made to the French Education Ministry, and the Anglophone Section was established in September 1979.

The Section started life with a handful of families and students. Over the years, with the arrival of more families and increased demand for this type of education, student numbers have grown to more than 400 today, representing over twenty different nationalities. In 2004, the Anglophone Section celebrated its 25 ^th anniversary.