A European School () is a type of international school emphasising a multilingual and multicultural pedagogical approach to the teaching of nursery, primary and secondary students, leading to the European Baccalaureate as their secondary leaving qualification. Each European School is set up, financed, and operated by the international organisation, the "European Schools", controlled jointly by the member states of the European Union and the European Commission. The schools prioritise, for enrolment purposes, the children of EU staff.
The first European School, founded in Luxembourg, in 1953, had the objective of providing an education to the children of employees of the institutions of the European Coal and Steel Community — a forerunner of today's European Union. Originally, a private initiative of employees of the ECSC, the concept attracted the attention of EU founding father, Jean Monnet as capturing the spirit of the post-war effort to reconcile and integrate Europe.
As of September 2017, there are thirteen European Schools located in six EU member states in close proximity to European institutions.
Since 2005, upon a recommendation of the European Parliament, the title of an "Accredited European School" has been available for schools under national jurisdiction and financing, which have been approved, by the Board of Governors of the European Schools, to offer the European Schools' curriculum and the European Baccalaureate.
Legal status The schools, despite their close connection to the EU, are neither EU bodies, nor under the full jurisdiction of the individual member states of the European Union. They are instead administered and financed through the international organisation "The European Schools", established by means of an intergovernmental treaty, the 1957 Statute of the European School, since repealed and replaced by the 1994 Convention Defining the Statute of the European Schools. All EU member states, as well as the EU itself, and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) are party to this agreement. As part of the UK's withdrawal from the EU, it will remain party to the convention until the end of the academic year ongoing at the end of the transition period. The Schools are legally recognised in all participating jurisdictions as public bodies.
Locations
There are thirteen European Schools, (sometimes designated as "Type 1" European Schools in official documents) found in eight municipalities, across six EU countries, in close proximity to EU institutions, or in the case of the European School, Munich, the European Patent Organisation. There are currently five European Schools in Belgium (four in Brussels and one in Mol) and discussions are currently being held about building a fifth school in Brussels, to open in 2027.
In 2017, with the relocation of European Union-seconded researchers and their families following the formation of the successor project to the Joint European Torus fusion energy research programme, the European School, Culham was closed. The school affirmed this move was not connected with Brexit.
On 9 July 2021 the decision was made to move the Netherlands-based school from Bergen, to Alkmaar.
School Country Founded/Opened in European School, Luxembourg I (Kirchberg) Luxembourg 1953 European School, Brussels I (Uccle/Ukkel) Belgium 1958 European School, Mol Belgium 1960 European School, Varese Italy 1960 European School, Karlsruhe Germany 1962 European School, Bergen Netherlands 1963 European School, Brussels II (Woluwe; Evere) Belgium 1974 European School, Munich Germany 1977 European School, Brussels III (Ixelles/Elsene) Belgium 2000 European School, Frankfurt am Main Germany 2002 European School, Alicante Spain 2002 European School, Luxembourg II (Bertrange/Mamer) Luxembourg 2004 European School, Brussels IV (Laeken/Laken) Belgium 2006European School, Culham United Kingdom 1978 (closed on 31 August 2017)
Curriculum +Age/Year equivalency table Primary School Age Name Abbreviation 6–7 First Year P1 7–8 Second Year P2 8–9 Third Year P3 9–10 Fourth Year P4 10–11 Fifth Year P5 Secondary School Age Name Abbreviation 11–12 First Year S1 12–13Second Year S2 13–14 Third Year S3 14–15 Fourth Year S4 15–16 Fifth Year S5 16–17 Sixth Year S6 17–18 Seventh Year S7 The curriculum is common to all thirteen schools and is centrally controlled by the Board of Inspectors and the Board of Governors.
Secondary level Compulsory subjects for Years 1–7 of the secondary school: First language (normally mother tongue) Second language (Usually one of English, French or German, with some schools providing a local language such as Spanish, Italian, Danish or Dutch as alternate option) Mathematics History (instructed in second language from Year 3) Geography (instructed in second language from Year 3) Ethics/religion (instructed in second language from Year 3) Physical education (instruction in second language is possible from Year 3) Compulsory for Years 1–3 of the secondary school: Art Music Compulsory subjects for Years 1–5 of the secondary school: Third language (any EU official language, as long as a minimum number of students choose it in the same school) Natural sciences: physics, chemistry and biology (usually combined for Years 1–3) Compulsory subjects for Years 6–7 of the secondary school: Philosophy Physics and/or chemistry and/or biology (at least one science subject is obligatory) Optional subjects: ICT (instructed in second language) and Latin in Year 2—3 and 4—5 (you can stop between the first and second cycle of Latin) Economics (instructed in second language), music, or a fourth and fifth language in Years 4–7
Foreign language education All modern foreign languages offered are taught using the direct method where the lessons are taught in the language being learned, and the use of the student's native tongue is discouraged. These foreign languages lessons are shared with pupils from other language streams. The idea is to encourage the pupils to use the language they are learning as a means of crossing the communication barrier between themselves and pupils from other language streams. From Year 3 onwards of the secondary school, History and Geography as well as other secondary subjects such as Music are taught in each student's second language. Many of the pupils find themselves in a foreign country, so are surrounded by a foreign language. Some pick it up through language immersion, hence some lessons are taught in the national language of the host country.
European Baccalaureate
The European Baccalaureate is the leaving certification of the European Schools, and should be distinguished from the International Baccalaureate (IB) and the baccalaureates of various national systems. It is a two-year course assessing the performance of students in the subjects taught in Years 6–7, and culminating in a final series exams taken at the end of Year 7. As per the multilingual ethos of the Schools, certain subjects are instructed and assessed in each student's respective second language. Details of the examinations are set out in the Annex of the Statute of the European School and in the regulations for the European Baccalaureate.
Those students undertaking the European Baccalaureate are required to study at least 8 and up to a maximum of 11 academic subjects, in addition to physical education and moral/religion, with different weightings according to the course choices made when commencing the Baccaluareate. The final mark is calculated as a percentage, where 50% is the minimum for a pass.
The European Baccalaureate is administered and directly supervised by an external examining board appointed annually by the Board of Governors. The examining board consists of up to three representatives of each member state, who must satisfy the conditions governing the appointment of equivalent examining boards in their respective countries. It is presided over by a senior university educator appointed by each member state in turn, assisted by a member of the Board of Inspectors of the Schools.
Article 5 (2) of the Statute provides that holders of the Baccalaureate shall:
enjoy, in the Member State of which they are nationals, all the benefits attaching to the possession of the diploma or certificate awarded at the end of secondary school education in that country; and be entitled to seek admission to any university in the territory of any Member State on the same terms as nationals of that Member State with equivalent qualifications.
The first awards of the European Baccalaureate were made in 1959.
Common extracurricular activities and events Sports teams of the European Schools compete in the biennial Eurosport event, with the schools alternating as hosts. In addition, students of the schools have the opportunity to take part in the annual European Schools Science Composium, the winners of which represent the European Schools in the European Union Contest for Young Scientists.
The European Schools also cooperate to take advantage of their unique relationship to EU institutions to provide students on an annual basis with the opportunity to take part in political simulations of EU meetings, held on the premises of the institutions themselves. Students get the opportunity to role-play as delegates of EU member state governments in a Model European Council, MEPs in a Model European Parliament, or international journalists covering the meetings.
The federation of student representatives of the schools, CoSup, organises a "Europarty", held in a different European city each academic year, and open to any student of the European Schools over 16 years of age to attend.
Notable alumni
Chris Adami (Brussels I) is a German professor of microbiology and molecular genetics, as well as professor of physics and astronomy at Michigan State University. Tommaso Allan (Culham) is a rugby union player for Italy and Perpignan Dick Annegarn (Brussels I) is a Dutch songwriter who worked most of the time in France. In his youth he lived in Brussels and he celebrated this city in his most famous song, called "Bruxelles". Juan Becerra Acosta (Brussels I) is a Mexican journalist and TV anchor. Henry Brett (Culham) is a British champion polo player. Ulrich Daldrup (Brussels I) is a German politician and academic. He is Professor of Business Administration and International Management at the Aachen University of Applied Sciences and a former Mayor of Aachen (1994–1999). Eric Everard (Brussels and Luxembourg I) is a Belgian manager, who created in 1988 the European Student's Fair. In 1997 he founded Artexis, one of the largest organizers of exhibitions and trade fairs in Europe. Giovanni Ferrero (Brussels) is an Italian business manager, chief executive of Ferrero SpA Max Gazzè (Brussels II) is an Italian songwriter and musician who worked in Belgium, France and in Italy. He has worked with many European artists including Stephan Eicher and Stewart Copeland. Karin Giegerich (Varese) is a German actress, who worked in Italy, Germany, Switzerland and France. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (Brussels I) is a German film director who worked in Germany and in the United States. He is best known for writing and directing the 2007 Oscar-winning film The Lives of Others and The Tourist. Boris Johnson (Brussels I) is a British politician, former leader of the Conservative Party, and former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (July 2019 – September 2022). He previously held the offices of Mayor of London (2008–2016), and Foreign Secretary of the UK (July 2016 – July 2018). Jo Johnson (Brussels I) is a British politician and former UK Minister for Universities and Science (May 2015 – January 2019) (July – September 2019), and Transport (January – November 2018). Rachel Johnson (Brussels I) is a British editor, journalist, television presenter, and author. Bas Kast (Munich) is a German journalist and writer.