Choosing the right school for a child can be a defining decision, especially for expatriate families seeking a blend of academic excellence and cultural richness. For the Chow family, the Shanghai French School proved to be the perfect choice.
Thomas Chow, an American-born Chinese architect, and his wife, Cici, a French citizen, sought an international education for their son Theodore that would celebrate diversity, foster multilingualism, and instill a love of learning. Today, Theodore is thriving in his third year at Shanghai French School, navigating a truly international environment.
Let's meet the Chow family!!!
Can you tell us about yourself and your family?
I'm an American-born Chinese architect working in Shanghai. My wife spent 14 years in France, studying and working there, and is a French citizen. While our son Theodore was born in Shanghai, by virtue of his parents' nationalities he is a dual citizen of France and the United States. He's currently in G1 (1st grade) at the Shanghai French School, and this is his third year here. We're expatriates, so all three of us are foreigners in China.
What motivated you to choose the Shanghai French School?
Being expatriates, when looking for schools we focused on international schools. We looked at different systems—American, British, French, and so on. A bit about my background: even though I was born and raised in the US, I attended the United Nations International School in New York City, from kindergarten to high school. It was a uniquely international environment, and it wasn't until I attended Cornell in college and Harvard in graduate school that I "joined" the American education system. My experience at UNIS shaped that way I perceived the world and I very much wanted my son to have a similar experience.
What really stood out to us about the Lycée Français de Shanghai was that it was the only truly trilingual school we found in Shanghai. Most international schools are monolingual, with English as the main language and other languages as additional courses. While some are bilingual, Shanghai French School is unique in that they don't just teach languages—they use them as mediums for other courses. I think language is not just about ability, it's about shaping ways of thinking and exposing kids to culture, giving them a more global perspective.
We also looked at the diversity of the student body, which is very international at Shanghai French School. It's not just French families; there are students from all over. That was really important for us because we want Theodore to have a sense of belonging to a global community, and not be limited in his identity as a virtue of a singular nationality.
How do you feel about the curriculum here at Shanghai French School?
Our experience over the last three years has been very positive.
For me, choosing a school is as much about what they learn but also how they learn it. I think education suffers when it focuses too much on standardized tests as the only way to measure performance. That kind of testing can really take away the joy of learning, especially in early childhood. And to me this kind of standardized testing is the end of the joy of learning. We know the best way for kids to learn is to play, it's our natural way of learning. When I attended Architecture school at Cornell and later at Harvard, I realized that I had to re-learn how to "play" to be able to perform design work and excel at complex problem solving.
Of course, in the French School you have the baccalaureate which is also a standardized test but my experience at Shanghai French School so far with Theodore in Kindergarten, is that there was very much a sense of learning through play still present. Theodore always came home happy and excited to talk about what he learned. As long as I can extend his joy of learning I wish to do that. The environment, teachers and curriculum in Early Childhood is good for that.
How is Grade 1 going for Theodore so far?
Now in G1, while he's starting to do more reading, writing, and even homework, yet he still retains that childhood love of learning. I think the way the curriculum incorporates things like learning math through cooking or vocabulary through art lessons is a good way to keep children's interest through participation. These multidisciplinary activities are such a great way for kids to learn.
When the teachers presented the curriculum for G1, they said there wouldn't be much homework during the week. For some parents, that was a bit of a cultural shock—it seemed like the school might not be rigorous enough. But for me, if you understand learning as retaining the joy of discovery, then you realize that homework and tests may be a good means of measuring learning but may not be the best means of retaining knowledge and sparking curiosity.
The way they approach teaching at Shanghai French School is refreshing.
How has Theodore's language development been?
Before joining Shanghai French School, Theodore's mother tongue was Chinese. The FLSco program at the school is excellent—it helped him transition into French very smoothly, and they really managed parents' expectations well. It's a very successful program.
Now, Theodore speaks to me in English and Chinese, and to his mom in French and Chinese. He switches between languages naturally, depending on where we are or who we're talking to. He can even watch movies in any of the three languages without any issue!
Beyond the lessons, what does Theodore enjoy most at the school?
The ASC (after-school activities) program are great! Theodore does Coding Robots and Little Architects on Wednesdays, and he loves arts and crafts. He also does cooking, which he enjoys because we cook together at home, and violin. These activities really make him excited to go to school.
Thank you, Tom, for sharing your family's story and your experience at Shanghai French School. It's inspiring to see Theodore thriving during his important transition from kindergarten to G1. Shanghai French School stands out as a truly unique international school in Shanghai. Let's take a closer look at what makes it special.
SHANGHAI FRENCH SCHOOL (LYCÉE FRANÇAIS DE SHANGHAI)
"Today, in Shanghai, excellence for everyone. Tomorrow in the world, success for all"
As one of the top 10 best French schools in the world, based on its excellent academic results at the French national exam and Concours Général, Shanghai French School is an international nonprofit institution that welcomes more than 1460 students, from Pre-kindergarten to the French Baccalaureate (ages 2 to 18), on its Qingpu and Yangpu campuses. It is part of the AEFE (Agency for French Teaching Abroad) network that reunites 580 schools in 139 countries.
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Date founded: 1996.
Grade level: Pre-Kindergarten to High School
Conditions of admission
- One of the two parents holds a foreign passport
- Chinese citizens but Children born abroad
- Children with at least 2 years of study experience in a foreign country, and all family members have obtained permanent residency abroad
- Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau citizens
Languages Taught: Mandatory languages: French, English, and Chinese.
Tuition fee: 112,000 – 190,000 rmb / year
Curriculum:
From Pre-K to Grade 12, Shanghai French School offers the curriculum of the French Ministry of National Education enriched with unique linguistic streams. Accreditation by AEFE (Agency for French Teaching Abroad) guarantees the quality of the teaching and its conformity to the French education curriculum.
LFS offers the French National program with unique streams (general stream, European stream, International American and International Chinese Streams), as well as a program dedicated to non-French speaking students (FLSco).
Non-native families embracing French education.
The French as Language of Instruction (FLSco) program allows students who begin in French to fit in the French education system. Courses target children from K3 on. A lot of non-French speaking students currently enrolled at shanghai French School went through the FLSco program.
This curriculum, which generally takes two years, allows students to gain access to the basic learning required at school.
A wide range of after-school activities for all
Sports and cultural activities (ASC) are an integral part of school life at Shanghai French School. LFS offers over 70 activities on both campuses, all supervised by skilled contributors, from K3 to Grade 12, in English, French, and/or Chinese.
French Baccalaureate (BAC)
The French Baccalaureate is a rigorous, internationally recognized program that prepares students for higher education worldwide, including in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and across Europe. In France, it also provides a distinct advantage when applying to prestigious institutions.
Spanning the final two years of high school, the program allows students to specialize by choosing three main specialties while still following a balanced core curriculum. It is renowned for fostering critical thinking and academic rigor.
Assessment is based on a combination of continuous evaluation and final written and oral exams, providing a well-rounded measure of students' abilities. Compared to other diplomas, the Baccalaureate places greater emphasis on language proficiency as a graduation requirement.
Additionally, the French Baccalaureate is a standardized diploma, ensuring consistency across all schools offering it—including 580 schools outside of France—making it easier for students to transition between schools or countries.
The French Baccalaureate opens the doors to worldwide prestigious schools and universities: McGill, Oxford, Fudan University, NYU, Jiao tong University, Sciences Po, HEC.
Shanghai French school Open house day!
Interested about Shanghai French School? Welcome to the French School Open House Days on the Qingpu and Yangpu campuses!
This is the occasion for families to:
- Meet the LFS team including the school leadership
- Benefit from a detailed presentation of the curriculum, the language streams, as well as the program
- Meet non-French speaking students
- Ask all your questions
- Discuss with families who have enrolled their children at the LFS
- Visit the campuses, discover the LFS infrastructure
If you want to join one of the open houses, simply scan one of the QR codes below:
Do you have any questions? Scan the QR code to contact our Admissions team directly!
admissions@lyceeshanghai.com
+86 (21) 3976 0555 ext.501
+86 (21) 6897 6589 ext.758
+86 130 5203 8803
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