AEFE schools and what homologation really means

What AEFE actually is

The Agence pour l'Enseignement Français à l'Étranger is a public body answerable to the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Founded in 1990, AEFE coordinates the largest national overseas school network of any country in the world, with around 580 schools serving over 410,000 pupils across 140 countries. The agency does not directly manage every school in the network; it sits at the centre and orchestrates a tiered structure that has evolved from over a century of French diplomatic, missionary and colonial educational presence overseas.

AEFE's responsibilities include the seconded teaching staff posted from France to the network, the inspection and quality assurance system that maintains homologation standards, the bursary system that supports French national families paying tuition abroad, and the partner relationships with local associations and foundations that operate many of the network's schools. The agency also publishes the official list of recognised schools and the annual statistics on enrolment, results and network growth.

Homologation in plain terms

Homologation is the formal recognition by the French Ministry of National Education that a school overseas teaches the French curriculum to the same standards required of schools in France. The status is granted following an inspection by a panel of inspectors, who assess curriculum delivery, staff qualifications, examination preparation, school governance, safeguarding and the overall academic environment against published French national standards. Homologation is renewed periodically, usually every five years, and can be removed if the inspection finds that standards have fallen below threshold.

Schools that hold homologation can describe themselves as officially recognised French schools and can issue qualifications (notably the Baccalauréat at lycée level) that are recognised on equal terms with schools in France. Without homologation, a school may follow elements of the French curriculum but cannot award qualifications that are legally recognised in France or that automatically count toward Parcoursup admission to French universities. The distinction matters enormously for families planning to use the qualification within the French system.

The three categories of school

Homologated schools fall into three categories, distinguished by the management arrangement with AEFE. The first category is etablissements en gestion directe (EGD), schools directly managed by AEFE. There are around 70 EGD schools globally, concentrated in cities with large French expatriate communities. The teaching staff are French civil servants seconded from France, the school operates under French public school governance and the line of accountability runs directly to Paris. EGD schools typically have the most stable funding and the most predictable curriculum delivery.

The second category is etablissements conventionnés, schools managed by local associations under a formal agreement (convention) with AEFE. There are roughly 165 conventionnés schools worldwide. The local association handles day-to-day operations and recruitment of locally employed teaching staff, while AEFE seconds a smaller number of French civil service teachers and provides framework support. The convention defines the obligations both sides accept and the standards the school commits to maintain.

The third and largest category is etablissements partenaires, schools that meet AEFE quality standards and follow the French curriculum but operate fully independently of direct AEFE management. There are over 345 partenaire schools globally. The partenaire schools typically operate as private associations, foundations or commercial entities, with full operational autonomy and self-funded teaching staff. The connection to AEFE runs through the homologation inspection and through participation in the broader network for examination logistics, in-service training and partner-school collaboration.

Homologation scope and what it covers

Homologation is granted by school level rather than for the whole school as a single entity. A school may be homologated for the maternelle and primaire only, or extend through the collège, or all the way through the lycée and Baccalauréat. Parents should check the homologation scope before enrolling, particularly if planning to use the school through to school leaving. A school homologated only through collège requires the family to move the child to a fully homologated lycée for the Bac years.

Homologation scope is published alongside the school's name on the official AEFE list. The standard formulation specifies the levels covered: "homologation maternelle, primaire et collège", for example. Families should compare what the school advertises with what the AEFE list shows, because some schools market themselves as French through Bac level while holding homologation only through earlier levels. The marketing claim and the formal recognition are not always the same.

Fees and the bourses scolaires system

Homologated schools sit at a fee point that is generally lower than comparable British or American curriculum international schools in the same cities, because AEFE schools receive partial subsidy from the French government and because the network often operates on a not-for-profit basis. The EGD schools receive the most direct subsidy, the conventionnés schools receive a smaller share, and the partenaires schools fund themselves largely from tuition. The funding mix translates into a fee gradient: EGD schools are usually the most affordable for French nationals, with partenaires the most expensive within the homologated network.

French national families benefit from the bourses scolaires system, a means-tested scholarship programme administered through French consulates. Eligible families pay a tuition share based on household income, with the rest funded by the French state. The system means that French families on modest incomes can afford a French school abroad that would otherwise be financially out of reach. Non-French families do not qualify for bourses scolaires and pay the full published tuition. The system explains why many French national families gravitate toward EGD schools even where alternative international options exist; the combined effect of lower headline fees and bursary eligibility makes the EGD option significantly cheaper than alternatives.

Why the difference matters for parents

The AEFE network's tiered structure matters for parents in three ways. First, admission priority: AEFE schools prioritise French nationals and families with formal French government, military or diplomatic placement. EGD schools have the tightest priority rules; partenaire schools usually have more flexibility for non-French families. Second, teacher stability: EGD schools have predictable teacher rotation through the French civil service posting system; partenaire schools recruit locally and may have less predictable staff turnover.

Third, the consequences of homologation for university admission. A pupil leaving a fully homologated school with a Bac can apply through Parcoursup on the same basis as a pupil from a school in France, with no additional verification or equivalence process required. A pupil leaving a non-homologated French-style school faces additional administrative steps and may need to convert the school qualification into a recognised equivalent before applying. Our pillar guide to the French curriculum abroad covers the broader admissions picture.

How to check a school's status

Parents should verify a school's AEFE status before enrolment using three sources. The first is the official AEFE list, published on the agency's website with the homologation scope and category for each school. The second is the school's own admissions team, who should be able to provide written confirmation of the school's status and any limitations on the homologation scope. The third is the most recent inspection report, which the school should be willing to share with prospective families and which reveals any concerns flagged by inspectors that may affect renewal of homologation.

Families relocating across the network should also check that the receiving school's category and homologation scope match the sending school's, particularly if the move happens mid-cycle of a key examination year. A move from an EGD school to a partenaire school during Première, for example, can change the rhythm of teaching and the bursary picture even though the curriculum content remains the same. The pieces on the French Bac international streams and on the French Baccalauréat set out the qualification implications.

Related guides

• The French Baccalauréat explained
• OIB and BFI streams explained
• French international schools in London

Frequently asked questions