Find all the answers to your questions about the Athéna Montessori School in Bailly: enrolment, teaching methods, timetables, bilingualism and school life.
Athéna International Montessori School has been founded in 1991 by Sylvie d'Esclaibes. She laid the foundations for what has become the school group comprising the Montessori bilingual nursery and primary schools and the Athéna Montessori International College and Lycée in Bailly.
Today, Sylvie d'Esclaibes and Joël Philippin have joined forces to manage the school's teaching and administration.
The school is located in Bailly, in the Yvelines department (78), in the Paris region, just outside Versailles. The establishment is located on the edge of the Marly-le-Roi forest, in a peaceful setting close to nature.
The T13 express tramway links Saint-Germain-en-Laye to Saint-Cyr, with a stop in Bailly just 5 minutes' walk from the school.
The school welcomes around 150 students from kindergarten to the baccalauréat, in an international setting where all ages mix. Classes are at small staff At the lycée, classes very rarely exceed 15 students, and at the lycée, classes have around 10 to 12 students.
Montessori International Athéna is a non-contracted public school which does not receive any state subsidies and retains an independent status. total educational freedom. There are many advantages:
The school's fundamental values are :
The aim is to train students happy AND performing in an environment where personal development and academic excellence are mutually supportive.
The school implements the authentic Montessori pedagogy while adapting it to the specific needs of today's young people. The key principles are :
The school complies with the French national education curriculum, introducing the concrete materials created by Maria Montessori for each concept studied.
Montessori International Athéna at collège and lycée accompanies each student towards autonomy and excellence, in a structured, demanding framework that is fully aligned with the national curricula, in order to guarantee solid preparation for the Diplôme National du Brevet and the Baccalauréat.
The nursery classes offer all the material created by Maria Montessori in the five areas:
Yes, school is a inclusive alternative school. She has many years' experience in hosting :
A number of former «dys» students now work in intellectual professions such as lawyers, legal directors or architects.
The school welcomes children from 2 years in nursery. A nursery school is available for children aged 18 months and over.
Children can then follow their entire schooling up to baccalauréat in the same establishment.
The three nursery levels (petite, moyenne and grande section) are in the same class. The main objectives are :
By the end of nursery school, the majority of pupils know how to read, count to 9999 and perform the 4 operations with the help of teaching materials.
The 5 levels from CP to CM2 are in the same class. The teaching is bilingual 4 half-days in French, 4 half-days in English.
The children work according to a individual work plan that matches their needs, learning pace and interests.
Subjects on offer include art, music, sport, drama, animal care, vegetable gardening and a weekly forest apprenticeship.
Students are introduced to Cambridge Young Learners exams as soon as they are ready, from CE1.
The college follows the official national education programmes and prepares students for the Diplôme National du Brevet with excellent results every year.
The courses are individual or group depending on the subject. For some subjects, the classes are double-level (e.g. 6ème and 5ème together).
Class sizes range from 10 and 15 students maximum. The emphasis is on language learning, with a minimum of 6 hours of English and 3 hours of Spanish from Year 6.
Students who do not speak French (FLE) are offered appropriate support.
The lycée prepares students for general baccalaureate. It is one of the few schools just outside Paris to apply Montessori teaching methods.
Classes count 15 to 20 students maximum. Particular emphasis is placed on relations with the teachers, who are very attentive, teach in a caring way and establish a relationship of trust. reciprocal use of the familiar form.
From regular white bins are organised in 1ère and Terminale. External teachers come in to give mock orals to prepare for the exams.
From 1ère onwards, students choose to 3 specialities among :
They validate one at the end of 1ère and keep 2 in Terminale.
High school students can also take a speciality at the CNED other than those proposed: grades and assessments are included in the school report.
From nursery school onwards, teaching is 50/50 bilingual French-English :
All subjects are taught in both languages: maths, science, history, geography, art, etc.
Teachers teach their classes in their mother tongue. Learning takes place naturally, through sensory and active immersion.
Spanish is introduced from Year 6, in addition to reinforced English. Students benefit from 3 hours of Spanish per week.
They may be taken for examinations at the Cervantes Institute.
School is a Cambridge examination centre. The courses are aligned with the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).
Examinations offered :
The results are excellent: 100% success rate and oral marks of 5/5 for the youngest.
No, this is not a problem. For students who do not speak French French as a Foreign Language (FLE) courses can be put in place to accelerate their command of the language.
The school has many bilingual students (foreign or expatriate), which creates an authentic environment for practising languages on a daily basis.
Nursery and Primary :
College :
High school :
The school does not have a canteen. Pupils bring their meals in a lunch box and can heat it up in the microwave.
They have lunch in the classroom with their teachers, or in the playground on sunny days.
School lunches are not compulsory, but they do help children to develop their independence.
Morning: home free of charge from 7.50 am to 8.30 am.
In the evening: after-school care from 4.30 pm to 6.30 pm at a cost of 5.50 per hour per family (not per child).
A typical day in nursery school (half in French, half in English) :
The procedure is simple:
A single form for all levels: nursery, elementary, collège or lycée.
Yes, the school accepts students throughout the year as long as there are still places available in the level requested.
Please contact us for availability.
We have decided to move away from the traditional format of open days to one-to-one meetings. This allows families to discover our school in the authentic setting of a school day.
At Montessori International Athéna, you can see and meet the pupils at work and talk to the teachers.
This immersive approach gives you a real insight into our day-to-day operations, our small classes and the close attention paid to each student, so that you can better understand our high standards of teaching and our tailor-made support.
Yes, the school offers a distance learning for primary, secondary and high school pupils who :
Courses are transmitted live thanks to computers and cameras installed in each classroom. Remote students take part in all lessons and complete assignments and assessments in the same way as their classmates.
An WhatsApp group class encourages exchange between students present and at a distance to avoid isolation.
100% success rate at the baccalauréat in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 for students who have attended classes regularly, with de numerous mentions (including Very Good and Good).
All baccalaureate holders obtained the desired higher education Sciences Po, Oxford, preparatory classes, business schools, medical careers, etc.
100% of students have passed their "brevet des collèges", with a large number of honours Very Good and Good.
No, The administration registers students for examinations. They are never registered as independent candidates.
For the baccalauréat, students are also registered on French Baccalaureate and supported in their career planning.
The preparation is very rigorous:
The teachers have a wealth of experience and are fully aware of the exam requirements.
In the nearly 20 years that the school has been putting forward candidates for the baccalaureate, former students have had a great deal of success. exceptional career paths :
Their success can be measured in both their professional and family lives.
Thanks to the T13 express tramway, The school is easily accessible:
High school students can make this journey on their own.
From Versailles Chantiers, The journey is very short:
Or less than 30 minutes in total.
Since the Saint-Germain-en-Laye RER station :
Or less than 30 minutes in total. The tram also serves Noisy-le-Roi, Saint-Nom-la-Bretêche, l'Étang-la-Ville, Mareil-Marly and Fourqueux.
Yes, the school offers bilingual activities (English-French) open to all children aged 2 to 12, even those not attending the school:
The programme is varied: language activities, science, history and geography, mainly in English, in a Montessori style.
Students bring their own lunch box and have refrigerators and microwaves provided for them to store and heat their lunch. In nursery school, children are supported and encouraged to develop their autonomy during mealtimes.
From elementary to high school, students eat lunch in their classroom under supervision, in a calm, structured environment. Weather permitting, they also have the opportunity to eat their lunch in the playground.
Yes, the school organises cultural trips and school outings regular :
These outings open students' minds, enrich their general culture and give meaning to their learning.
Our team will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
