A school that grows with its students!
Since its opening in September 2017 in the 2nd arrondissement, with a class of 27 students from 8 to 11 years old CE2 to CM2, the Lab School Paris has gradually grown: opening of the middle school in 2018, the first levels of cycle 2 - CP/CE1 - and the 5th level in 2019, moving in 2020 to new and more spacious premises in the 11th arrondissement and opening of the 4th level. In 2021, for the first time, all elementary and middle school levels are covered and our first class of 3e students is preparing to take the brevet! This adventure would not have been possible without the trust of many people, the support of generous donors and the Liberté Living Lab, which facilitated access to our first premises. The Lab School Paris team wishes to express its gratitude to them.
On the way to high school!
"But you're not going to stop there, are you?" some parents say, "Our kids don't want to change schools. What about high school?"
This was a new challenge to take on, one that involved careful thought to refine our vision of what the high school years should offer students to best prepare them for higher education and entry into the workforce, regardless of their career choices. In particular, in the current context of In particular, in the current, very uncertain context of the reform of the lycée and the baccalaureate, which is rather unfavorable to non-contractual establishments, we have been led to consider various options, by looking at what exists elsewhere, in France and beyond our borders.
For the first year, a general and technological seconde is proposed, with a pedagogy in line with the Lab School Paris elementary and middle school approach: a bilingual French-English education that respects the common base of skills, knowledge and culture of the French National Education, while accompanying the socio-emotional development of the students and promoting the acquisition of autonomy. Upon graduation, students will be able to enter the lycée of their choice to prepare for the baccalaureate or remain at the Lab School.
The schedule in seconde will be based on the schedule of the classes with adapted timetables, with a long morning - from 9:00 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. - centered on "common compulsory lessons" so as to allow students who have a passion and/or a professional project in a sports or artistic field to participate at least two afternoons per week in training or to take courses at the conservatory, in an art school, in theater, etc. For the other students, the afternoon program can be defined according to their needs, with different proposals: a limited number of optional courses such as Spanish, personalized support in the form of tutoring in small groups, or more in-depth English for students who are not bilingual.
The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme
After 10th grade, we have chosen to prepare students for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program, which corresponds to the Première and Terminale of the French National Education system. There are several reasons for this decision:
the IB programs are underpinned by pedagogical principles that are fully consistent with the values of the Lab School Paris and the approach it seeks to implement, in particular research-based teaching, focused on conceptual understanding, embedded in local and global contexts, differentiated, teamwork and collaboration
the curriculum is both rigorous and balanced, and seeks to develop not only the cognitive skills but also the social and emotional skills of students: the IB's mission is "to develop in young people the intellectual curiosity, knowledge, and sensitivity necessary to help build a better and more peaceful world, in a spirit of mutual understanding and intercultural respect
the expectations for students' work are precise and the latter are subject to a shared evaluation between the school and bodies designated by the IB, which guarantees greater impartiality compared to the current situation of the baccalauréat in France, which we have seen can be unfavorable to non-contractual schools
Finally, this diploma, offered by more than 2,400 schools in 157 countries around the world, is internationally recognized and allows students to enroll not only in most universities and grandes écoles in France, but also in foreign universities.
We have begun the accreditation process to be able to offer IB courses: some teachers have begun to be trained and the school will be accompanied throughout 2022 by an IB-accredited consultant in order to meet all the requirements in terms of teacher training and building layout.
This is the beginning of a new adventure, which will also take place in a new location that we will present to you soon, near the Croix de Chavaux metro station.
Other posts will follow in order to introduce you to this new location and to present the components of the curriculum leading to the Diploma Program. If you want to know more, in the meantime, you can consult the IBO website, which is richly documented.
If you would like to enroll your child in the Lab School, you can register for our next information meeting on November 15 and fill out the pre-registration form on the Scolana platform.
For more information...
A meeting to introduce and co-construct the project will be held on Saturday, November 27, 2021 from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm at the Lab School Paris - 46 rue de Montreuil - 75011 PARIS. If you wish to attend the meeting, please sign up by following this link :
www.helloasso.com/associations/lab-school/evenements/new-high-school-opening-informational-meeting