Budapest, Hungary Report of what it's like to live there - 12/15/16
Personal Experiences from Budapest, Hungary
School Name:
Lycee Francais de Budapest
Background Information:
1. Are you the parent of a child(ren) attending this school? A teacher at the school? Or both?
Parent.
2. What grade or grades do/did your children attend at the school? During what year(s) did they attend the school?
11th and 12th grade.
3. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
Foreign Service.
4. Are other schools available to expatriates in this city? Why did you choose this particular school?
Many other international schools are available: American, British (2), Christians (2), German, etc. We chose French for continuity of curriculum. It is also the second largest campus in Budapest after the American school.
Admissions & Welcome:
1. Are the admissions and placement procedures clearly stated to prospective families, either on the school website or through other means of communication?
Yes.
2. How would you rate the school's support and welcome/integration of new students and their families, and why?
Very good integration from long-time students to new students, Hungarian students (majority in these classes) to French students. We had the opposite in Mexico. Often students would speak English among themselves.
For families we had quarterly meetings as a group, and more individual meetings as necessary.
Administration & School Procedures:
1. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?
Information emails are sent in three languages (EN, FR, HU). School meetings (PTA) are held in French and notes are sent in French and Hungarian. Most teachers speak English well.
2. Aside from school fees, are there required expenses such as uniforms, laptops/tablets, musical instruments, or field trips that parents are expected to cover? What are the approximate costs?
No uniform. Some field trips with minimal cost compared to services.
Academics & Resources:
1. What personal or academic counseling resources are available at this school? Is there a dedicated college counselor at the school? Is he/she familiar with universities worldwide?
There is a CPE, a dedicated college counselor. The school informs the students about further studies many times during the two last years. Teachers help filing for schools, especially the English teacher for all schools in the UK, USA, etc.
2. Is there before and/or after-school daycare available? What are the costs?
School runs until 4pm+ and students can stay until 6pm. Costs are on the website.
3. Does the school have a library? How large is it? How updated are the books? Can students borrow books to read at home?
Yes a large library and students can borrow from it.
4. How are information technology resources at the school. Are they up-to-date? Is there a computer lab?
Yes.
5. Describe the physical education resources at the school. Is there a gym? A swimming pool? Are there playing fields or tennis courts available?
Huge modern campus, very well equipped gym. Students go to the swimming pool by shuttle (certain grades only).
6. What is the approximate teacher-to-student ratio in the grades that your child attended?
They were only 13 students in the class which was bliss! For language classes, they were all together in English and separated according to their second foreign language (Spanish, German, Russian, etc.).
7. Are Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses available in upper grades? If this is an IB school, is the full diploma required of all students?
It is more demanding than the IB since it is the French Baccalaureate. Students are also encouraged to pass language exams to set their level at A, B, or C.
8. Are students generally challenged appropriately by the curriculum? Please describe any particular strengths or weaknesses in this area. Do you have any thoughts how the curriculum is applied and implemented at this school?
The classes my son attended were split into two sections:
- Literary and Economic students (18 in this section)
- Scientific students (13 in this section).
He was a scientific student and he was challenged enough to achieve great results.
9. Is the amount and type of homework generally appropriate for the age and grade of the students?
The French system tends to give more homework than other systems. It was appropriate in 11-12th grade.
10. What fine arts electives are available (music, drama, visual arts)?
All are available, together with sports, regional languages or latin, etc.
11. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?
They are not required to speak English but they do, as a second language.
12. What services are available for gifted/advanced students at the school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
When the class only counts 13 students each teacher was able to offer personalized advice for gifted students.
13. What services are available for students with learning disabilities at this school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
14. What services are available for students with physical disabilities at this school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
15. What services are provided for speakers of English as a second language at this school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
Classes are by level.
16. What extra-curricular activities (including sports) are available at this school? Have your children participated in these activities? What activities do you feel are missing at the school?
Too many to list - see on the website. My son was focused on his baccalaureate exams which spans the two years of 11th and 12th grade, and on personal activities.
Social & Emotional Well-Being:
1. Do expatriate students socialize with local students at the school? Are both groups successfully integrated into the school culture?
We were happy to see how Hungarian students were extremely welcoming and despite knowing each other for years they still welcomed a new student for only the two last years of highschool. There was no cluster of French on one side and Hungarian students on the other.
2. Are there are any problems with exclusionary behavior, cliques, or bullying at this school? Please describe any problems your children may have experienced in this area.
None.
Overall Impressions:
1. What letter grade (ranging from A, excellent, to F, fail) would you assign to this school based on your overall experience? Would you choose it again?
A+
Also recommend for parents who don't speak French and have 3-years old: they could learn a new language, even two. The school organizes French language classes (around March?) for kids under 5 to be able to integrate the school in September. After 5 or 6, it is more difficult if the child has no French base.
2. Please tell us anything else you think prospective parents and students should know about this school. Thanks for your contribution!
The tuition is far cheaper than the American school tuition, especially for under 5-year-old children (e.g. not reimbursed by the USG).
It was our third high school overseas (after Dakar and Mexico City), and by far the very best school our son had.
