Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou Sharjah

Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou (LFIGP) was established in 1978 to meet the educational needs of French expatriates in the UAE. LFIGP Sharjah in Al Abar is a part of the Agency for French Teaching Abroad (AEFE). Its sister branches LFIGP Oud Metha and LFIGP Academic City are rated outstanding by KHDA. The French Ministry of National Education approves all the phases of education at this school. It is a private non-profit school offering kindergarten and elementary education to students.

The educational programme at this school is an amalgamation of French and Ministry of Education (MOE) curricula. About 400 students are enrolled in the Sharjah campus. There are 25 full-time teachers, ten teaching assistants and six nursery assistants at the Sharjah campus.

Besides education, the school offers plenty of non-academic opportunities for students. Read this detailed guide by Bayut to find out more about this school.

Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou Sharjah is located in Al Abrar, Sharjah. Al Abar is a quiet residential community in Sharjah that is home to many educational institutes and museums. Its proximity to the Cultural Square makes it an incredible option for residence. Most residential options at this community are spacious and luxurious villas with dedicated parking areas. The communities surrounding the school are:

• Al Falaj
• Samnan
• Al Ghubaiba
• Al Ramla West
• Al Khezamia

Al Falaj is the nearest residential community to LFIPG Sharjah. Al Falaj is one of the popular residential communities in Sharjah known for its spacious villas. This family-friendly community has easy access to key amenities. Another alluring option for those seeking residence near LFIGP School Sharjah is Al Ramla West. It is a 6-minute drive from the school and has high-end villas with attractive features. Other options include villas for rent or sale in Samnan, Al Ghubaiba and Al Khezaima.

Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou Sharjah has a spacious campus with decent facilities. The classrooms and other academic facilities are sufficient for kindergarten and elementary grades. There are 14 classrooms: 4 nursery classes from Petite Section (PS) to Grande Section (GS) section and 10 elementary classes from Cours Préparatoire (CP) to Cours Moyen (CM2). Each classroom is equipped with age-appropriate furniture, computers and interactive screens to aid in students’ learning. LFGIP Al Abrar also has an infirmary, library, computer lab and science room.

The school has an impressive range of sports facilities. There are two outdoor football fields and a gym for physical activities. LFIGP also shares some facilities with the German International School, including the swimming pool.

Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou Sharjah is located near the Sharjah Science Museum in Al Abrar. Those interested in visiting the school can access it through Sheikh Rashid Bin Saqr Al Qasimi Street and Sheikh Zayed Street connecting the school with the nearby residential communities.

French expatriates living in Sharjah have limited opportunities to enrol their kids in French curricular schools. Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou Sharjah is one of the few available options in Sharjah that caters to the academic needs of students in kindergarten and elementary stages. This makes it a popular school among parents interested in enrolling their kids in French curricular schools.

It follows the French National Curriculum, which focuses on delivering quality education to students, mostly in the French language. However, the school also follows the guidelines of the Ministry of Education (MOE) curriculum for a few subjects. The school creates an atmosphere where children can learn French and UAE culture. All the phases of education at the Sharjah campus are approved by the French Ministry of Education. Thus, students completing their education at this school can easily get admission to French institutions throughout the world.

All the campuses of Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou, including its Sharjah branch, have a rich history of delivering top-notch education to students. With an experience of over 40 years, the school strives to prepare students for the modern-day world. Students of this school are responsible for their surroundings and take the initiative to solve real-world problems.

Besides contemporary education, Lycee Francais Sharjah also focuses on developing the non-academic skills of students. For this purpose, the school has a comprehensive extracurricular programme that allows them to find hidden potential among students.

Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou Sharjah is a kindergarten (Cycle 1) and Elementary School (Cycle 2 and Cycle 3). The phases of education in a typical French educational system are as follows:

The educational programme at Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou Sharjah is based on the French national curriculum. The key aspects of this curriculum for each phase of education are as follows:

Kindergarten Curriculum

The kindergarten curriculum at Lycee Francais Sharjah is also based on the French National Curriculum. The school follows a unique curriculum that focuses on the development of oral and motor skills of students. It aims to prepare students for compulsory education that usually starts from the kindergarten stage.

The kindergarten stage of LFIGP ensures:

• children love going to school
• develop personality
• showcase their emotions

The lessons taught in the kindergarten stage focuses on the following five learning areas:

• Mobilise language in all dimensions (building initial oral and writing skills of young learners)
• Express, act and understand through artistic activities
• Express, act and understand through physical activities
• Building tools to structure thinking
• Explore the world

The last two areas of learning allow students to understand the world around them and use their inquisitive nature to learn.

Teachers use various teaching methods, including acts, language situations, play and training, to assist students in learning fundamental concepts.

For more information, read the kindergarten curriculum guidelines of LFIGP Sharjah.

Elementary Curriculum

Students enter the elementary stage when they are six years old. It is a compulsory phase of education in the French education system. Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou Sharjah has five stages of education based on two cycles:

• CP (Cours Préparatoire) – equivalent to Grade 1
• CE1 (Cours Élémentaire 1) – equivalent to Grade 2
• CE2 (Cours Élémentaire 2) – equivalent to Grade 3
• CM1 (Cours Moyen 1) – equivalent to Grade 4
• CM2 (Cours Moyen 2) – equivalent to Grade 5

The elementary curriculum is based on the guidelines of the French National Curriculum and Ministry of Education (MOE) curriculum. The training provided to students in the elementary school ensures students have fundamental oral, writing, reading, problem-solving and arithmetic skills. Furthermore, the elementary curriculum at this educational institute promotes the development of artistic sensitivity, general intelligence, manual skills and sports. Students also learn virtual art, music and modern foreign languages.

• Cycle 2, also known as the basic learning cycle, consists of the first three years of elementary education: CP, CE1 and CE2.
• Cycle 3 is the last cycle of elementary education that consists of the last two years of elementary education: CM1 and CM2.

For more information, check out the details of the elementary education offered at LFIGP School Sharjah.

The academic year at Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou Sharjah starts in August and ends in July. There are three terms in an academic year with the following important events:

• The first term starts in the last week of August and ends in the second week of December. This is followed by a winter holiday that ends in the last week of December. The mid-term break is in the third week of October.
• The second term starts in the first week of January and ends in the fourth week of March. This is followed by a spring holiday that ends in the second week of April. There is a mid-term break for the second term in the third week of February.
• The third term starts in the third week of April and ends in the first week of July.

The school also observes holidays on various Islamic and national holidays. The exact dates of these events are subjected to change as per the announcement by the government. For more information, check out the academic calendar of LFIGP School Sharjah.

The admission process at Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou Sharjah is straightforward. The registration usually starts at the beginning of November.

You can start the registration process by submitting an online application. For this purpose, create an account Eduka platform and create a new file. The school advises parents to upload documents in PDF format for quick and effective processing of your file. The documents required for this process are:

• A copy of the student’s passport
• A copy of the parents’ passports
• A copy of residence visa and [Emirates ID](Update the table and text as French Curriculum in UAE " word document") (both front and back) of student and parents (if a resident of UAE)
• Proof of work, i.e. letter of professional transfer, proof of business creation or any other relevant document (if not a resident of UAE)
• Proof of residence (Copy of DEWA invoice)
• A copy of the family book (Birth certificate might work for countries that do not issue a family record book)
• Transfer certificate
• A copy of the previous academic record
• A copy of vaccination record
• A recent passport-size photograph (in JPEG format)

Once the registration form is submitted along with the aforementioned documents, the school will email with the status of your application.

Once the file is complete, the school will offer admission to the applicant. The following proposals are usually offered by the school:

• Applicants that are already part of the AEFE network do not need to participate in the placement test. The school will inform the parents regarding the deposit necessary to secure a seat for your child.
• If the applicant is not a part of the AEFE network, then he or she has to undergo a placement test. The school charges AED 500 for the placement test. The result of the placement test is usually emailed in a few working days.

Afterwards, parents need to pay the required deposit and submit school reports and DNB transcripts. After signing the agreement, the registration is completed.

The age-grade guideline is as follows:

This is based on the age of the students on 31st December (for schools beginning in September). Source: LFIGP Sharjah

* This is to cater to students transferring from systems that admit students of a younger age)

For more information, read the admission process of Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou Sharjah.

The fee structure at Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou Sharjah is as follows:

Students of any French School in the UAE, including the Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou Sharjah, are eligible for the scholarship programme. The Consulate General of France in the United Arab Emirates provides the scholarship to French students. The deadline to apply for the scholarship is March 10. The application must first be approved by the head of LFIGP. For more information, read the complete details for the scholarship at LFIGP Sharjah.

The school has a canteen where students can access food items at an affordable cost. LFIGP has outsourced its canteen operations to Ansamble Middle East Catering and Services. Ansamble is a French catering company that provides quality catering services to schools, colleges and offices throughout the UAE. Plenty of options are available for students to choose from. Ansamble ensures that all the food items are nutritious and made from fresh raw materials. The school also allows students to bring home-packed lunch boxes.

For more information, Mr Pierre Vallez by emailing at operation2@ansamble.ae.

Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou Sharjah offers safe and reliable transportation service to its students. The school has outsourced its transportation service to School Transportation Service (STS) LLC for its Sharjah campus. It is a renowned transportation company that is an expert in providing quality transport services to top schools in the UAE. Parents must provide a complete and authentic address as it offers door-to-door transport service.

The transportation charges are as follows:

• One-way door-to-door service in Dubai and Sharjah – AED 1,900
• Two-way door-to-door service in Dubai and Sharjah – AED 2,500

For more information, contact the STS Representative on sde-lycee@stss.ae and +971 05 63691269.

Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou Sharjah does not offer any boarding facility at this school. For those unable to reach school on time can opt for the school transportation service. Also, they can relocate to nearby residential communities. Read the residential communities near LFIGP Sharjah at the beginning of the guide.

The school arranges several holiday camps for its students on seasonal holidays.

Sport is an important part of the non-curricular activities offered to students at LFIGP School. The Sharjah campus has a range of sports facilities available for students in kindergarten and elementary stage. The school has a gym and two outdoor football grounds where students can practice their dribbling skill on a soccer ball. The school also uses the outdoor sports facilities for other physical activities. LFIGP Sharjah shares some sports facilities, such as a swimming pool, with its neighbouring school – German International School.

LFIGP also has a sports committee that arranges several sporting events at all the campuses of Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou in the UAE. For more information, read the major events covered by the Sports Association of LFIGP.

Several extracurricular activities are available for students. Most activities are age-appropriate and focus on the development of all-round students.

Little Gallery of Sharjah arranges several opportunities for students to explore the artistic world around them. For more information, check out the Little Gallery of Sharjah page on the official website of LFIGP.

• Ann Restout peint le temps qui passe
• L’école d’hier et aujourd’hui, Quand Doisneau inspire les élèves de Charjah
• Conférence avec le  journaliste et auteur franco-iraquien Feurat ALANI
• Conférence avec l’écrivain Marc Alexandre Oho Bambe dit Capitaine Alexandre
• Exposition  Des Femmes

For more information, check out the Little Gallery of Sharjah page on the official website of LFIGP.

Another popular activity arranged at this school is the Arab World. Under this programme, the school arranges several events that teach students about the Islamic and UAE culture. This includes visits to:

• Calligraphy workshops
• Arabic Language Day
• Conference on Dubai’s candidacy for Expo 2020
• Celebration of national and religious events

The school arranges several field trips throughout the year. The popular field trips arranged by LFIGP are:

• Masdar City
• Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Centre for Cultural Understanding
• Burj Khalifa

Currently, the only after-school care offered to students at this campus is in the form of extracurricular activities.

The school has a medical centre with nurses that takes care of students and staff.

Several modes of communication are available for parents and teachers to communicate. Parent-teacher meetings are often arranged by the school where teachers and parents discuss the progress made by students. The school has a news tab on its website where they share recent information with parents and the wider community. The official website is another source of information for them. Here, parents can seek vital information such as fee structure, admission process and curricular information. Parents can also check the social media platforms of the school for the latest developments. The school also has WhatsApp groups where teachers and parents of students studying in a classroom can share their concerns.

• Address: Al Abrar, Sharjah, UAE

Telephone Number

• For general information: +971 06 5673430

Email Addresses

• Management: dirprimaire-shj@lgp.ae
• Secretariat: sec-shj@lgp.ae
• Language Coordinator: langues-primaire@lgp.ae
• Parent representative: representants-parents-shj@lgp.ae

Official Website and Social Media

• Official website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram

Note that the cover image belongs to Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou Sharjah