Ecole Francaise Internationale de Philadelphie

The french international school of philadelphia, also known as Ecole Francaise Internationale de Philadelphie (efip), offers a strong academic curriculum in french and english for students in preschool through eighth grade. It was founded in 1991 in rented space with just eight students. Eventually, as the school steadily grew, it was able to purchase two separate facilities in bala cynwyd - a lower school in 1997 and an upper school in 2006. Today there are 342 students enrolled, representing more than 50 different nationalities. Students who do not speak french can enter at age 3, 4, or 5. The french international school attracts equal numbers of french, american, and international families who want their children to receive a top quality academic education while gaining the added benefit of becoming bilingual and experiencing other cultures. The school offers a balanced program that capitalizes on the strengths of both the french and american educational systems. Its students succeed in developing their bilingual abilities because language acquisition and academic learning are occurring at the same time. The french international school is a not-for-profit independent school. It is fully accredited by both the french and american educational governing agencies. Its graduates attend the top public and private high schools in the greater philadelphia area and their equivalents abroad.