5 Best European Schools in Luxembourg and other English Speaking Schools

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European schools system

European schools system is like a never-ending maze of paperwork and bureaucracy.

It’s as if they believe that the more forms you fill out, the smarter you become. Secretary general and deputy secretary general are too busy worrying about their pensions and summer vacations to actually produce anything useful.

It’s a system where children are just tiny cogs in a big bureaucratic machine, and education takes a backseat to administrative tasks.

It’s time for a major overhaul, because right now, the European schools system is about as effective as a chocolate teapot.

When relocating to Luxembourg, navigating the education system can feel overwhelming, especially due to the language barrier. However, there is good news. Luxembourg offers a variety of national and international schools where you can enroll your child. Specifically, European schools in Luxembourg deserve special attention.

These schools follow a European curriculum and provide multilingual education, making them a great option for expat families. Additionally, European schools in Luxembourg offer a diverse and inclusive learning environment, promoting cultural exchange and understanding. With their emphasis on European values and high academic standards, these schools ensure that students receive a well-rounded education that prepares them for a globalized world.

The government runs most schools for free. Nearly every school in Luxembourg is a melting pot of German, French, Luxembourgish, and little English.

Below is a compilation of all the European schools in Luxembourg, including English-speaking schools, in case you are moving with your children to Luxembourg.

Please click here if you prefer to watch a video instead of reading it.

EUROPEAN SCHOOLS IN LUXEMBOURG

EUROPEAN SCHOOL LUXEMBOURG 1

The ESL1 is a private international school in Luxembourg founded in 1953 on the initiative of officials of the European Coal and Steel Community. Currently, Luxembourg 1 is located on the Kirchberg Plateau in Luxembourg City.

The first European Baccalaureate was held here in 1959. The qualification was recognized as fulfilling the basic entrance qualifications by all the member state universities.

Luxembourg 1 has a Francophone. Anglophone and German-speaking section and teach Irish. If your child speaks any of the following mother tongues or comes from these sections, they are automatically enrolled into Luxembourg 1:

  • Swedish
  • Spanish
  • Portuguese
  • Polish
  • Lithuanian
  • Latvian
  • Finnish
  • Estonian
  • Dutch
  • Bulgarian

ESL1 combines nursery, primary, and secondary education. Students can take classes in the above mother tongues. However, from the start of primary school, the curriculum introduces a second language; French, German, or English. The second language then becomes the teaching language of certain subjects.

WEBSITE: www.euroschool.lu

EUROPEAN SCHOOL LUXEMBOURG 2

The European School Luxembourg 2 is the second of two European Schools in Luxembourg. School opened in a phased manner, with only the nursery and primary cycles functioning between 2004 and 2012.

Luxembourg 2 also offers three cycles; nursery, primary, and secondary education. It also provides prominent French, German, and English sections. Just like ESL1, ESL2 also offers Irish.

Children are mainly taught in their mother tongue, except in exceptional cases. The second language is either English, German, or French, and a third language can be introduced gradually in secondary. To facilitate integration, ESL2 provides language support classes.

Given the high linguistic levels of graduates from this school, which is an attractive feature among many European universities, your child may not be required to take language entrance exams such as IELTS.

European School Luxembourg 2 prioritizes children whose mother tongue includes:

  • Croatian
  • Slovak
  • Slovene
  • Romanian
  • Maltese
  • Italian
  • Hungarian
  • Greek
  • Danish
  • Czech

WEBSITE: www.eel2.eu

European Schools Luxembourg 1 and Luxembourg 2 have the same administrative structure, and pupils are usually directed to either of the two when they join the European Schools in Luxembourg. They both also follow the same curriculum, which ends with a European baccalaureate.

They give priority to your children if you are a European civil servant. However, application and enrollment are still open according to the seats available.


ENGLISH SCHOOLS IN LUXEMBOURG

ATHÉNÉE DE LUXEMBOURG

It is perhaps the most prestigious academic high school in Luxembourg. The school offers classes that lead to the International Baccalaureate. The program allows students with a splendid command of English to go through secondary studies focusing on sciences, art, and languages. Its international section has six subject groups, including mathematics, arts, societies, and literature.

WEBSITE: www.al.lu

ST. GEORGE’S INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

St.George’s International School follows the Welsh and English curriculum with an A-Level study completion exam. It is a private European school in Luxembourg that teaches English. If your child’s mother tongue is not English, they can receive tutoring in their early years until they get to the required level. French and other languages such as German are also taught in pre-school.

WEBSiTE: www.st-georges.lu/

DIFFERDANGE & ESCH-SUR-ALZETTE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

It is a public school that offers both secondary and primary education. The school operates according to the European Schools system and teaches based on the European Systems programs. Your kids here will have a wide choice of languages. You can select a language as early as the first year of primary education. The school offers English, French, and German.

WEBSITE: portal.education.lu/eid/

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF LUXEMBOURG

The school is open to students from all nationalities globally. It teaches English, French, and German. The school is divided into two establishments; the upper and lower school. Its curriculum culminates in the International Baccalaureate. Luckily, the school provides language tutoring for kids whose mother tongue is not English.

WEBSITE: www.islux.lu/

LËNSTER LYCÉE

The international section of this establishment follows the European School of System. The school is open to all students with zero registration fees. It offers primary classes from age 6 to 11 and secondary classes from age 12.

It offers English and German-speaking classes that comply with the International Baccalaureate system.

WEBSITE:l ensterlycee.lu/

MONDORF-LES-BAINS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

It offers students an equivalent of Luxembourg’s ESC diploma. The school teaches classes in German, French, and English, depending on the student’s choice. Moreover, it is a state school, meaning it provides both secondary and primary education free of charge. The school also teaches Luxembourgish and follows individual learning plans instead of grade retention.

WEBSITE: www.eimlb.lu/

MICHEL LUCIUS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

It is a state-funded secondary institution with an international English language stream. The school teaches an international English-medium curriculum throughout the school leading to GCSE qualifications and GCE A Levels.

It has a primary school with core subjects in mathematics, sciences, and English. The school also teaches German, French, and Luxembourgish.

WEBSITE: www.lml.lu/

THE OTR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

International Baccalaureate OTR School is also an authorized IB Middle Years Programme school. The school promotes language learning, math, and science knowledge. It also promotes the acquisition of digital skills and general culture.

WEBSITE: otrschool.lu/en/


All Accredited European Schools in Luxembourg Following the European Baccalaureate Curriculum

In a nutshell, below is a list of all schools in Luxembourg that follow the European Baccalaureate Curriculum:

  • Mondorf-les-Bains international school. It has German, English, and French sections at the secondary and primary levels. Website
  • European International School in Differdange and Esch-sur-Alzette. It also provides German, English and French education at secondary and primary levels. Website
  • European School Edward Steichen in Clervaux. It has German, English, and French-speaking sections in secondary education. Website
  • International School in Junglinster or Lënster Lycée. It has an English and German section in kindergarten, primary, and secondary. Website
  • International school Mersch Anne Beffort. It has German, English, and French-speaking sections in secondary education. Website
  • Gaston Thorn International School. It will open on 15. eptember 2022. It will have German, English, and French-speaking sections in primary (P1 and P2) and secondary (S1 and S2) education The primary school will be set up in Cessange (rue Verte) in a building integrating both the school and the foyer scolaire. The secondary will be located in the “Blumm” building on the Geesseknäppchen Campus in Merl and will share this building with the National School for Adults. Website

TIPS FOR ENROLLING YOUR CHILD IN AN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

A great international school should have excellent support systems and staff. Support staff are available to aid students in need and work collaboratively with teachers, parents and students to develop programs that meet the individual needs of each student.

Check for a slot and apply as early as possible. Unfortunately, slots in international or European schools in Luxembourg are usually limited. An entrance exam or the study of a school file is mostly mandatory to allow your child to change schools during school attendance.

Therefore, ensure you check with the school months before directly or via their website to get the dates for registration and submission or registration forms. Moreover, it would help if you asked around fellow parents to recommend the best institution for your child’s education needs.

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Aim of the European Schools

Educated side by side, untroubled from infancy by divisive prejudices, acquainted with all that is great and good in the different cultures, it will be borne in upon them as they mature that they belong together. Without ceasing to look to their own lands with love and pride, they will become in mind Europeans, schooled and ready to complete and consolidate the work of their fathers before them, to bring into being a united and thriving Europe.

Marcel Decombis, Head of European School, Luxembourg between 1953 and 1960