Our Partners

The French school of Cape Town is a member of the network of the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE) which represents 522 schools in 139 countries. The AEFE is a national public institution under the supervision of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Its main responsibility is to ensure that teaching standards are in line with the French national curriculum.

Thanks to our partnership with the AEFE, all our classes are accredited by the French Ministry of Education and recognized for teaching the official French national education curriculum. The AEFE also appoints the school Headmistress and some of the teachers.

To find out more about the AEFE, please, visit the website.

Secondary School

Originally, due its small size, the secondary school used the services of The National Center for Distance Education, (“CNED”), an institution that makes sure learners all over the world follow the curriculum of the French Ministry of Education. Founded in the 1940s, it provides students with a demanding and high quality French education. The CNED caters for 203 000 students and it prepares not only for our two diplomas (Brevet and baccalaureate) but also for some university degrees and administrative competitive exams.

Direct teaching

However, as our school got bigger and we hired more teachers, we got the approval of the French Ministry of Education and the AEFE (the Agency for French schools abroad) to proceed without the services of the CNED. For the last four years, we have been an independent school, relying on the French curriculum but without the guidance of the CNED except in 2 levels:

The last 2 levels (Grades 11 and 12) are still registered with CNED until 2019. We have applied with France to be certified since we now have built the logistical and educational capacity to be completely independent: we have qualified teachers, enough students, labs, facilities, different languages, a guidance counsellor … we are now ready for new challenges such as the new baccalaureate which is being reformed for 2021 !!

To learn more about the CNED, visit the website.

The Consulate of France in Cape Town assists the French community living in the Western Cape. It also helps South Africans wishing to visit France and operates as a local access point for the persons needing contact with the French Embassy in Pretoria. The Consulate in Cape Town plays an important role with the French School of Cape Town, itself an important asset for the French community and the influence of France. The consul is a member of the Management Committee (CDG) and thus participates in key topics regarding the school. In addition, the Consulate decides on the granting of scholarships to the French families registered at the Consulate.

For more information, visit the website.

The Federation of Associations of Parents of French Schools Abroad (FAPEE) is the only federation competent to deal with the specific problems of French education abroad. It was created in 1980 by elected representatives and parents of all nationalities, and brings together exclusively associations of parents of pupils in French educational establishments throughout the world (EGD, accredited).

For more information, visit the website.

The Western Cape Department of Education has direct authority over the public schools (government)  in the province and the French school of Cape Town, which is a private school (independent), is therefore not under its jurisdiction. However, the provincial government remains an important partner for several reasons. Our Sea Point campus, where we have a long-term lease, is owned by the Western Cape government. The local government supports us as we add diversity to the city and improve the offer of educational facilities available in the region.

For more information, please visit their website.