Why Auckland has no AEFE French school
Auckland is unusual among Pacific cities in not having an AEFE-accredited French international school. AEFE, the Agence pour l'enseignement francais a l'etranger, runs the global network of French national curriculum schools abroad. The closest AEFE school to Auckland is Lycee Jean Mermoz in Buenos Aires, with the wider Pacific AEFE network anchored on Lycee Francais Jules Verne in Sydney and Lycee Francais de Singapour. The Auckland francophone community, at around 4,000 to 6,000 French citizens plus a wider Francophone presence from Quebec, Belgium, Switzerland and the Pacific Island nations of New Caledonia and French Polynesia, has not been large enough or stable enough to anchor a full-time AEFE accredited school.
Wellington hosts the French Embassy to New Zealand, but the consular and cultural infrastructure for francophone families is split between Wellington and Auckland, with the Auckland Consulate-General coordinating most of the family-facing services. For the wider French school context see our French curriculum hub.
Four routes francophone families take
The first route is the Ecole Francaise Internationale d'Auckland, which runs as a Saturday and after school programme rather than a full-time school. Children attend a mainstream Auckland school during the week and add French language, French history, French literature and French maths through the Ecole Francaise programme. The second route is Alliance Francaise d'Auckland, which runs the standard French language teaching framework for children and adults across Auckland. The third route is choosing a mainstream Auckland school that offers French as a strong subject through to NCEA Level 3, IB Diploma or A Level. The fourth route, for families committed to a French national transcript, is CNED distance learning from the Centre National d'Enseignement a Distance in France, sometimes combined with the Ecole Francaise weekend programme.
Keeping French alive in Auckland?
Take our 5 minute school finder quiz. We shortlist three Auckland schools and pathways based on your child's year group, your district and your French language priorities.
DELF, DALF and the IB French B option
The Alliance Francaise d'Auckland runs the official DELF and DALF French language certifications, recognised in France and internationally. DELF, Diplome d'Etudes en Langue Francaise, is split into A1, A2, B1 and B2 levels. DALF, Diplome Approfondi de Langue Francaise, covers C1 and C2. Many francophone Auckland families sit DELF B1 or B2 by Year 11 and DALF C1 by Year 13, as a portable confirmation of French level for return to France or for European university applications. The IB Diploma cohort can also take French as a Language B Higher Level subject, which is generally considered to sit close to DELF B2 or DALF C1 at the upper end. Auckland Cambridge schools offer Cambridge IGCSE French and Cambridge International AS or A Level French.
Cost of keeping French alive
The cost of keeping French education alive in Auckland sits on top of standard schooling rather than replacing it. The Ecole Francaise weekend programme runs at roughly NZD 2,500 to NZD 4,000 a year depending on age group. Alliance Francaise childrens classes sit at NZD 600 to NZD 900 per term, with three to four terms a year. CNED distance learning sits at EUR 300 to EUR 1,200 a year depending on the level and the subject load, with full inscription reglementee for a Year 9 cohort sitting at EUR 1,000 to EUR 1,300 a year. Standard Auckland schooling is free at state schools for permanent residents, NZD 16,000 to NZD 21,000 a year at state schools for international students and NZD 18,000 to NZD 35,000 a year at private schools. For total cost mathematics see our Auckland fees guide and the cost calculator.
Where French families live in Auckland
Auckland francophone families cluster in three rough geographies. The Eastern Bays, including Mission Bay, Saint Heliers and Kohimarama, are popular for the harbour-front lifestyle reminiscent of the French Riviera, with proximity to the Ecole Francaise weekend venue and a relatively strong French presence in Auckland Grammar Zone for senior schooling. Devonport on the lower North Shore is the second cluster, with the village feel and ferry access to the CBD attracting French families on diplomatic or corporate postings. Mount Eden and Epsom in the central isthmus form the third cluster, with the Double Grammar Zone covering Auckland Grammar and Epsom Girls Grammar and the strongest French subject offer in the Auckland state sector. Four-bedroom family rentals sit at NZD 1,200 to NZD 2,400 a week across these suburbs.
Returning to France and CNED transcripts
Families planning to return to France after a posting in Auckland often layer CNED distance learning onto a mainstream Auckland school day so the child holds a recognisable French national transcript. CNED offers two main routes. Inscription reglementee, the official enrolment route, applies to families resident abroad who want a full French national year, including French Education Ministry oversight and a French transcript. Inscription libre, the open enrolment route, lets families take CNED subjects alongside a non-French main school without a full French transcript. Most francophone Auckland families use the open enrolment route at primary, then the reglementee route in the years immediately before a planned return to France, especially if the child is targeting a French Baccalaureat for university entry in France.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a French school in Auckland?
Auckland does not have a full-time AEFE-accredited French international school running the French national curriculum across all year groups. The francophone community in Auckland is served primarily by Ecole Francaise Internationale d'Auckland, which runs a French-language weekend and after school programme, by Alliance Francaise d'Auckland for language classes, and by CNED distance learning for families who want a French national transcript. Most francophone children attend a mainstream Auckland state or private school during the week and add French through these out-of-school routes.
How can my child learn French in Auckland?
There are four common routes. The first is the Ecole Francaise weekend programme, which runs on Saturdays from preschool through to upper primary. The second is Alliance Francaise, which runs childrens classes after school and on weekends. The third is choosing an Auckland school that offers French as a subject from Year 7 or Year 8, then sitting NCEA Level 1 to 3 French. The fourth is CNED distance learning for a full French national transcript.
Are there bilingual French schools in Auckland?
Auckland does not run an immersion French bilingual school of the type found in larger international markets. A handful of Auckland early childhood centres run a French immersion track and a small number of primary schools offer French as a regular subject. For full bilingual immersion families typically combine an English-medium Auckland school with the Ecole Francaise weekend programme and CNED French distance learning at home.
How much does French education in Auckland cost?
The Ecole Francaise weekend programme runs at roughly NZD 2,500 to NZD 4,000 a year depending on age group. Alliance Francaise childrens classes sit at NZD 600 to NZD 900 per term. CNED distance learning from France runs at EUR 300 to EUR 1,200 a year depending on year group and subject load. These costs sit on top of standard Auckland state school enrolment, which is free for permanent resident students, or private school fees, which run NZD 18,000 to NZD 35,000 a year.
Can my child take French at NCEA in Auckland?
Yes. A growing number of Auckland state and private schools offer French as a subject from Year 7 or Year 8, building to NCEA Level 1, 2 and 3 French in Years 11 to 13. The Cambridge IGCSE and A Level cohort also offers French, and the IB Diploma cohort offers French as both an Ab Initio subject and as a Higher Level Language B option. The Alliance Francaise also runs the official DELF and DALF French language certifications, recognised in France and internationally.
Will French families relocating to Auckland find a French community?
Yes. Auckland hosts a small but active francophone community of around 4,000 to 6,000 French citizens, with concentrations in the Eastern Bays, Devonport and Mount Eden. The French Embassy in Wellington and the French Consulate-General in Auckland coordinate the community. The Ecole Francaise weekend programme is the central francophone school hub for children, with the Alliance Francaise running the adult and broader cultural calendar.
