Your children, our skills, together for their future!
Founded in 1962, the French School is housed in a former mill on the grounds of the Residence of the French Ambassador to Switzerland. The school was created as a non-profit association on the initiative of a group of parents, with the support of the French Embassy. EFIB is financially managed by a volunteer committee of parents. The school is conventionnée avec l'AEFE (Agence pour l'Enseignement Français à l'Étranger), approved by the French Ministry of l'Éducation Nationale Française (French Ministry of Education), and authorized by the DIP (Direction de l'Instruction Instruction) of the Canton of Berne. The school is also under the patronage of the French Embassy.
In 2016, the French school changed its name to theInternational French School of Berne (EFIB), underlining the school's international character. At the start of the 2021 school year, EFIB moves to 93 Jubiläumsstrasse, in magnificent, bright, functional and modern premises, suitable for students of all ages.
Management
The Management Committee
What is the Management Committee?
The Management Committee, whose members are parents elected for 2 years at the Annual General Meeting, are responsible for the smooth running and finances of the school, which are managed on a day-to-day basis by ae manager.
Bilingual kindergarten
Thefirst stage of French education, nursery school welcomes children from the age of 3, the age of compulsory schooling in France. It is organized into small, medium and large sections, depending on the age of the children. Our aim is to prepare the youngest children as effectively as possible for their entry into elementary school, by giving them the tools they need to learn and master the French language.
Since 2021, the entire kindergarten has offered bilingual teaching on an hourly parity basis, enabling children to complete their entire kindergarten in French and German, while also benefiting from English instruction.
Elementary
Elementary schools cater for children aged 6 to 11. The teaching programs are those of the French national education system, and focus on two main areas: mastery of language and the French language, and education for citizenship. In addition to the International French School of Berne ongoing learning of English and German in elementary school, already acquired in the early grades
College
The collège is the secondary school for all students who have completed elementary school. The priority is to ensure a relationship of trust between the school, the student and his or her parents, in order to help the student and support them in their schooling. Middle school is a place for training individuals and future citizens. To achieve this A great deal of emphasis is placed on teaching responsibility, as well as the need to respect people, rules and the environment.
Students with special educational needs (EBEP)
Visit AEFE network aims, within the framework of an inclusive school, to take better account of the specific needs of all students with special educational needs. The aim is to develop pathways for the inclusion of students with special educational needs, and provide them with supportThis includes the possibility of leaving the school whenever it can no longer be of benefit to the pupil.
EFIB in a nutshell...
Excellence
Curiosity
Kindness
Open-mindedness
Teamwork
Age range
Number of students
Average class size
Languages taught
Number of classes
Welcoming students with special educational needs
Triple certification
(P.A.R.L.E – EFE3D – No littering)
Welcoming non-French-speaking students
Conventionné A.E.F.E
Inclusive schools for all
Our latest news
L’EFIB prend sa pause estivale !
Le secrétariat sera fermé du 11 juillet au 25 août 2025.
100 % de réussite au brevet
Bravo aux élèves !
Rencontre avec une autrice et traductrice : un projet autour du manga et des langues
Tout au long de l’année, les élèves de la classe de CM2 de l’EFIB ont lu et étudié Ren le Ninja, un manga jeunesse écrit par Miyuki Tsuji, également connue pour être la traductrice officielle des tomes de Naruto en allemand. Récit d’une rencontre avec Madame Tsuji.
Upcoming events calendar
Testimonials from parents
First graders
"Dear ladies and gentlemen of EFIB - Thank you for welcoming L and J to your school! When we arrived, L spoke no French (and J was out of practice). We are grateful to the intrepid school management for accepting our English-speaking children, to their excellent teachers, and to all the patient staff who supported and loved us! Best regards, the B's."
Kindergarten students
We're about to leave for new horizons in South America. We've had a great three years with EFIB. Our daughters A and N have not only learned a lot, they have gone to school every day with great enthusiasm and motivation inspired by the whole EFIB team... What better way to give a child than knowledge and joie de vivre? EFIB has totally succeeded in both respects, and for that we thank you immensely... We wish EFIB a very bright future, we'll have fond memories of it and, who knows, maybe we'll go back one day. AP
Students in 3rd grade
“Nous tenons à remercier de tout cœur l’EFIB de cet accompagnement de grande valeur auprès de nos enfants L et T dans leur apprentissage scolaire, mais aussi sur la vie. L’EFB était pour eux un endroit qui leur permettait d’évoluer de grandir et surtout aussi de s’épanouir. Merci mille fois! Famille S-G”
Alumni
"If J and P are flourishing today, it's because they were lucky enough to cross your path - understanding, benevolence are definitely part of you - Thank you a thousand times over. S and S"
La crèche de Berne, propose une pédagogie qui favorise l’autonomie et l’épanouissement des enfants selon leurs propres rythmes, en s’inspirant de différents courants pédagogiques tels que Pikler et Montessori.
French-German bilingualism offers children a linguistic opening right from the start of their daycare.
Our institutional partners
Our associative partners
Our certifications and programs
Jubiläumsstrasse 93, 3005 Bern, Switzerland
+41 (0) 31.376.17.57
secretariat@efib.ch