Over 30 years' experience in bilingual Montessori education, from nursery to baccalauréat in Bailly (78)
From a bilingual kindergarten in the 78 district of Paris to an international Montessori school
Sylvie d'Esclaibes set up her first school for her children. Pioneer of Montessori education in France, she opened a bilingual kindergarten in the Paris region of 78.
The school is expanding to keep pace with the needs of its pupils. From primary to collège, all cycles are gradually covered to meet the needs of Sylvie's 5 children.
This was the birth of International Montessori School in Yvelines.
Since 1992, the Lycée International Montessori Athena has welcomed several thousand students. Many of the 400 graduates have gone on to great professional and personal success. Some enrol their own children in Athena Montessori schools.
Many former students still visit their teachers. They regularly send friendly messages to the teaching team to tell us about their experiences. This is a source of pride for our entire team. And the journey continues, with around 150 students flourishing and succeeding every year.
A shared passion for Montessori education and child development
Sylvie d'Esclaibes, Montessori expert
Sylvie d'Esclaibes is a pioneer of Montessori education in France.
In 1991, she founded her first school with a nursery class for her own children.
Over the years, Montessori expert Sylvie d'Esclaibes has developed the different levels using this teaching method.
After the bilingual nursery school and elementary school, it's on to the bilingual collège near Paris, and then the international Montessori lycée in the Ile-de-France region.
In 2004, its first class took their Montessori general baccalaureate.
More than 20 years later, almost 400 students have obtained their baccalaureate in science, economics or humanities (formerly section S or ES) with very satisfactory results. But we mustn't forget the artistic and linguistic baccalaureates.
Sylvie is the founder and director of the Montessori training centre, «Learning Montessori». She created, including Montessori courses for 0/3, 3/6 and 6/12 year-olds. Apprendre Montessori offers face-to-face training, e-learning and qualifying courses.
Sylvie initiates educational partnerships with school founders, such as Be Happy in Guadeloupe, MJIS in Abidjan, crèches HappyKidz in Abidjan, Nursery school in Ghana, All you need is love in Paris, Phoenix School in Reims, Ecole et collège Talentree in St Ouen.
Sylvie has set up a Montessori bachelor programme at the ESCE business school.
Sylvie believes that if she is to offer the very best to her pupils, she needs to be in daily contact with them, and to fulfil her passion, she also teaches an elementary class.
Sylvie is the author of numerous books published by Hachette, Hatier, Leduc, la Librairie des Ecoles, Balland, Retz, Bordas, First... These books are still the reference in the field of Montessori education.
With her daughter Stéphanie, Sylvie has created the podcast «Adults of Tomorrow» interviews with personalities specialising in education and parenting.
Sylvie hosts weekly «educational breaks». She shares her advice on how to help children and teenagers achieve their full potential.
Discover the podcast
Joël Philippin co-founded the Athena International Montessori School with Sylvie d'Esclaibes. Before becoming the administrative and financial director of these establishments, he was a renowned master craftsman in marquetry and cabinet-making.
Joël Philippin also co-founded the Apprendre Montessori training organisation with Sylvie d'Esclaibes. He is currently Administrative Director of the Athena group of Montessori bilingual schools.
Joël Philippin won the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France competition in marquetry. Joël is very attached to the principles of Montessori education, which favours a caring approach to learning and uses high-quality wooden teaching aids, so he created Art Montessori.
In collaboration with Sylvi, many Montessori nurseries and schools have been entirely designed by Art Montessori.
The teachers at our bilingual alternative school, whether in nursery, elementary, collège or lycée, are driven by passion. They are committed to helping students succeed, with the greatest possible benevolence.
A real passion for teaching is the driving force behind the teachers and educators at our bilingual Montessori nursery and elementary schools and our alternative secondary schools. They give the best of themselves to the students of the Lycée International Montessori Athéna, because they enjoy great freedom of action in their working methods. This sets them apart from the teachers who teach in more traditional systems.
Very often, for nursery and primary classes, it's a question of retraining. So it's a real choice to pursue this profession.
Our teachers come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Most have high-level qualifications (agrégation, doctorate, engineer, etc.). Some have taught in the French education system, while others have worked in business or government.
What drives them is d'teaching differently using methods adapted to the personality and abilities of each of their students. They are committed to establishing relationships with their students based on trust and dialogue. This gives our students a feeling of security and serenity, and a desire to progress through academic success towards a world of exemplary, peaceful adults.
The baccalauréat, a crucial stage in the educational career of many students, is based on demanding tests, including the famous grand oral. For many candidates, this test can be a real challenge. However, under the supervision of our economics and social sciences teacher, Frédéric DUBERN, examiner and corrector of the baccalauréat tests, this exercise takes on a whole new dimension. Frédéric is a key figure in this process, combining rigour and kindness to offer students a fair and informed assessment.
The baccalauréat oral is undoubtedly one of the most dreaded tests for secondary school students. Requiring excellent preparation and the ability to express oneself with ease and confidence, this test represents a decisive stage in obtaining the precious diploma. As an examiner, Frédéric doesn't just judge the students' performance. He creates a calm environment in which the candidates can give their best. His professionalism ensures that the assessment is fair and balanced, taking into account the efforts and skills of each candidate.
In addition to his role in the oral examination, Frédéric is also responsible for marking the written tests for the Baccalauréat. This role is far from trivial, as it represents a fundamental aspect of student assessment. Thanks to his expertise, he ensures that each paper is marked rigorously, but also in a sympathetic way. His corrections are not limited to a simple assessment of knowledge: he includes constructive feedback, so that students can learn from their mistakes and progress. This attention to detail and support helps candidates to understand their weaknesses and improve their skills.
What really sets our teacher Frédéric DUBERN apart is his ability to combine professionalism and empathy. During the oral exams, he does everything possible to ensure that students feel comfortable and confident. His aim is to help them express themselves confidently and defend their ideas clearly and convincingly.
But beyond the exams themselves, it is his approach to teaching that makes him a key player in the success of his students. His involvement is not limited to exam time: he follows his students throughout their school career, giving them invaluable advice and sincere encouragement.
Both examiner and corrector of the baccalauréat tests, Frédéric is a model of dedication and professionalism. Thanks to his expertise, his students are as well prepared as possible for the oral exam and succeed in overcoming the challenges of the written tests. More than just a player in the education system, he provides invaluable support to each and every one of his students, helping them to succeed and flourish.
Frédéric, a teacher at the Lycée International Montessori Athena for over 10 years, is now Head of School. With over a decade's experience at the school, he brings valuable insight and essential continuity to the management team, working every day to maintain the educational excellence that is our hallmark.
Jorge Felix has worked alongside Sylvie d'Esclaibes as a maths and physics-chemistry teacher for 25 years. As he explains in this video, he implements a totally individualised programme in 3th and lycée courses in a highly innovative way. He also shows a great deal of kindness which, combined with his personalised teaching approach, enables our students to achieve excellent results at the Diplôme National du Brevet and the baccalauréat, and then to go on to pursue high-level scientific studies (engineering, doctorate in paediatrics, etc).
Svetlana has been working alongside Sylvie for 15 years and runs the English section at the Lycée International Montessori Athena. She is also responsible for organising and preparing Cambridge exams for all the pupils, who achieve excellent results. In elementary school, every year, all pupils obtain a mark of 5 out of 5 in the oral test at all levels.
With a 7-year degree in English from Moscow University and a Montessori diploma for children aged 6 to 12, she has a very solid background that enables her to provide high-level teaching.
Melodie Candéal, our Spanish teacher, has been working at our school for almost 10 years. She has a wealth of experience in teaching Spanish and is a native Spanish speaker. Every year, her high-quality teaching enables many of her students to obtain a mark of 20 out of 20 in the 2nd language test of the baccalauréat.
Magali Cachon, our French-speaking nursery teacher, has been working in our nursery class for almost 10 years. A Montessori qualified teacher and trainer, she has a wealth of experience in providing high-quality teaching with a passion for helping young children aged 2 to 6 to flourish, be happy and learn well.
In their teaching, our teachers respect the precepts of Maria Montessori's philosophy. Whether in nursery, elementary, secondary or high school, they value the individuality of each pupil. They build on these differences with a view to academic and personal success. They take into account the skills and competencies of each individual, respect their individuality and create a very caring environment. This fosters pupils' self-confidence and the discovery of their potential.
Most of our foreign language teachers are natives of the country whose language they teach.. This enables them to pass on both language and culture. Our students acquire a good knowledge of several languages. This opens doors for their professional and personal career by giving them access to universities in France and abroad.
Our Montessori school in the Paris region, our international lycée and our bilingual collège are all within easy reach of Paris, Saint-Germain and Versailles.
Thanks to the 13 express tramway, our Montessori school in Île-de-France and its bilingual lycée and collège are very quickly and easily accessible. A tramway line running from the Saint-Cyr RER station to Saint-Germain-en-Laye stops at Bailly, a 5-minute walk from the Lycée International Montessori Athena.
During rush hour, a tram runs every 10 minutes, linking St-Cyr RER station to Bailly in 8 minutes.
St-Cyr station itself is connected to Paris Montparnasse in 32 minutes. This makes our school easily accessible from Paris and intermediate stations. Students can make this journey independently.
From Montparnasse, the train stops at Vanves, Clamart, Meudon, Bellevue, Sèvres Rive Gauche, Chaville Rive Gauche, Viroflay Gauche and Versailles Chantiers.
The train journey from Versailles Chantiers to Saint-Cyr RER station takes 5 minutes.
For students living in Versailles, the journey to the Lycée International Montessori Athena de Bailly is therefore very short:
or less than 30 minutes to get to our Lycée international en Île-de-France.
The tram journey between St-Germain-en-Laye RER and Bailly takes 23 minutes with stops.
This tramway serves the stations of :
At peak times, the frequency is 10 minutes. At off-peak times, it increases to 30 minutes.
For families living in St-Germain-en-Laye, the journey to our school takes less than 30 minutes from the RER station.
So getting to our school from many cities is quick and easy. Even for young children, the tram really is a safe way to travel.
Two pupils, aged 12 and 5, both come to the school every morning, easily living in Chaville.
Line 13 of the Paris IDF tramway is a great advantage for families living in towns on the outskirts of Paris. St-Germain-en-Laye, Versailles, Fourqueux, Viroflay, etc. are now well served.
