FAQ

We are not a French-speaking family, is my child eligible to attend Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles? Yes. Our students are not required to speak French to attend the school. There is an English-language college prep educational track that is on par with other private schools in the area. As long as your children meet the admissions requirements, they can become Lycée Français de Los Angeles students.

Do the International Program students interact with the French Program students? In every grade level, all of our students integrate and socialize with each other during recess, lunch, sports, after school and during extracurricular activities and time that is not spent in the classroom. Students are separated by program only during the academic portion of the day. Many French-language students report that their best friends are in the English language section and vice versa.

What colleges do Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles graduates attend? A large percentage of our students attend Ivy League and UC schools, and the most prestigious universities abroad. We have a full-time college counselor on staff to provide individual guidance to each student. Our students have a 100 percent college matriculation rate. Graduation Results and College Acceptances

What is the student/teacher ratio and what kind of faculty does the school have? Le Lycée strives to maintain a high level of individual attention. Our private school has small class sizes of 10-15 at the earlier grade levels to a maximum of 20 in high school on average. With over 125 teachers for a student population of around 800, we can ensure our teacher-student ratio remains small.

Our faculty mirrors our student body population. Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles teachers come from all over the world and have advanced teaching credentials. Many of our teachers have been with the school for 10 or 20+ years.

How many campuses does the Lycée have? Six beautiful, age-appropriate campuses in West Los Angeles, and Pacific Palisades in Southern California.

Does Le Lycée provide Bus Service for their students?All families must arrange their own transportation to and from school. A carpool list is usually created yearly to facilitate transport between willing families. 

What is the percentage of American students vs. French students? School-wide (preschool–12th grade), approximately 60 percent of the students are US citizens only, 24% are US/French nationals, 10% are French citizens only, and 6% are citizens of other nations.  Approximately 80% of students pursues the French School Program (so many non-native French speakers, including American students, take the Bac path). Approximately 96% go onto attend US universities.

What opportunities are there to volunteer /parent involvement?
A dedicated group of parents formed Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles Parent Committee (LFPC), comprised of parents who volunteer for events and committees that involve and benefit the whole school. Participation in the LFPC is voluntary.This contribution could include being a chaperone for a field trip, volunteering to help with a fundraiser or community service program, participating in a career day event, welcoming a new family at key events, participating in focus groups, etc. These become priceless experiences as they provide an occasion for the parents to get to know the teachers and the school staff and their children’s classmates, and often families from other grades and campuses. Our parent volunteers are key to school spirit and to a vital and active community for our children.

How is the curriculum at Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles different from that of other private schools? All of our students enjoy the best practices of both the European and American educational systems. We feature an English language program and a French language program, each offering the same exceptional breadth and depth. Our English language program exceeds the criteria set forth by the University of California. The French language program follows the French curriculum, as administered by the French Ministry of Education to its network of schools throughout the world. The entire school is accredited by both the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the French Ministry of Education.

What kind of sports programs and Leagues to you participate in? There are boys’, girls’ and co-ed teams in both high school and middle school. The team sports program includes CIF boys’ and girls’ basketball, volleyball and soccer teams. Individual sports include fencing, karate, and tennis. Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles competes against other private schools of similar size in Southern California. We have won championships or advanced to finals in recent years, and we are extremely proud of our competitive sports programs.

What kind of Extracurricular activities are offered? Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles offers after-school activities at all our campuses. Some are included in the tuition and others are at an additional cost and must be enrolled on a semester basis. The offerings are updated each year and range from piano, ballet and stem club to swim lessons and study hall. In addition middle and high school students can also participate in student council, newspapers and a variety of clubs such as Model UN and Global Outreach.

What kind of Diplomas are offered at Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles? All students graduating from Le LyceeLA receive the US High School Diploma. In addition, students completing the French program can earn the Baccalaureate Diploma (Classic or French American Baccalaureate). Students can also participate in the prestigious AP Capstone program and earn the AP Capstone Certificate or AP Capstone Diploma after successfully completing the necessary Advanced Placement courses.

Does Le Lycée offer a discount on tuition for siblings? Yes, Le Lycée offers a sibling discount of $700 for each sibling.

Does Le Lycée offer financial aid? Le Lycée strongly believes in making a high-quality education financially accessible to any student who deserves it, regardless of socio-economic backgrounds. The ability to pay tuition and fees is determined by an independent party (FAST) and the financial information provided to them. In addition to financial need, the financial assistance applicant must demonstrate good scholarship, a positive attitude, excellent behavior and adhere to all deadlines.

Are Need-based Scholarships available? Yes, the Raymond and Esther Kabbaz Scholarship is available to exceptional students in grades 6^th-12^th (International Program only) that demonstrate yearly need though FAST, and keep in good academic and conduct standing.

How can I receive  a French Government Bourse? A child must be a French citizen and be accepted to the French School Program. The parents must register with the French Consulate and submit all necessary paperwork. International School Program students are not eligible.

Does Le Lycée offer a tuition payment plan? Yes, payment plans are available.

Are parents required/expected to donate money to the school beyond paying tuition? While we certainly appreciate any financial donations, parents are not required to contribute beyond tuition and paying for the standard student expenses for uniforms, books, school trips and extracurricular activities.

Does tuition cover all of the costs associated with my child’s education? As at any private school, there are standard expenses for items that tuition does not cover such as uniforms, books, school trips and extracurricular activities.

 

How will you handle a sick child/member of staff diagnosed with Covid?Lycée community members who are showing symptoms of illness are not permitted on campus. Designated rooms have been repurposed in every campus to accommodate any student with a fever or any COVID-19-related symptoms. Thus, they are not in contact with students suffering from other ailments—such as a skinned knee or other non-COVID-19 issues— so that they may be immediately picked up.

If you or a member of your household is exposed to or is diagnosed with COVID-19, you must inform the school’s campus as soon as possible. We will send a health alert via ParentSquare out to our community with details about the group(s) that may have been exposed to COVID-19; health privacy laws require that we not name the individual. Following a group’s exposure to COVID-19, they may subsequently require that that group not return to campus for a pre-determined period of time. In that event, distance learning protocols will allow for students’ continued engagement.

Will my child need to wear a mask to school? In certain grade levels, students will be required to wear masks and/or cloth face coverings when in school. These requirements will be based on prevailing guidance from local, state, and federal health authorities.

Reusable cloth face coverings must be washed after use; students should only enter the campus each day using a clean face covering. Students wearing disposable masks should throw them away after removing them. Families should plan on sending students to school with a box of disposable face masks.

How do you ensure campus cleanliness throughout the day? Teachers ensure that students are following proper hygiene requirements (i.e., coughing/sneezing into crook of elbow, washing hands after restroom, etc.). Our school employs staff who disinfects classrooms and common campus touch points between use. Every evening, our cleaning crew comes and spends several hours on campus cleaning and disinfecting all surfaces and common touch points (e.g., door handles, light switches, etc.).

How will you organize recess and physical education? For those campuses where we have learning in-person, students will go outside for recess in shifts. Under COVID-19-related restrictions designed to minimize interaction between learning groups, students may only be permitted to use certain areas of the playgrounds. The use of play structures may also be limited based on requirements from authorities and/or by the ability to disinfect between use. During inclement weather, students will have indoor recess. Our indoor recess protocols also limit interaction between groups.

When and where feasible, staff will engage students in physical education activities in open and/or outdoor spaces. Regardless of the location of recess and physical education, students must continue to respect physical distancing guidelines and will not be permitted to use common/shared material unless it is safe to do so. Students will be required to wash hands thoroughly after physical education and recess.

Will you continue to offer optional after-school care and extracurriculars?Current guidance from health authorities state that after-school care is subject to significantly decreased student-supervisor ratios. We currently (as of November 2020) are offering after-school childcare from preschool through 3^rd grade.