Ecole Francaise Internationale Auckland, Remuera

Key facts

About Ecole Francaise Internationale Auckland

Ecole Francaise Internationale Auckland (EFIA) is a bilingual primary school in Auckland delivering both the French national curriculum (Éducation Nationale) and English-language instruction. The school operates under accreditation from the AEFE (Agence pour l'enseignement français à l'étranger), the French government agency responsible for French schooling abroad, which requires teaching staff to hold qualifications recognised by the French Ministry of Education.

Instruction is structured around two teaching roles: French-qualified teachers deliver the French curriculum, while a native English-speaking teacher leads English lessons and teaches non-linguistic subjects such as sport, art, technology, and science.

The school's principal, Stéphanie Layec, holds a French master's in education and a bachelor's degree in international business administration, and has taught in New Zealand since 2016. Deputy Principal Elodie Rodriguez holds a Master of Education, began her career as a Physical Education teacher in France, and has worked in New Zealand schools as both a classroom teacher and team leader.

Curriculum

Ecole Francaise Internationale Auckland (EFIA) is a bilingual primary school delivering the French national curriculum alongside New Zealand curriculum approaches. The school covers Year 0/1 through to Year 6 (equivalent to Grande Section through CM2 in the French system).

The curriculum is structured in two stages. In the first cycle (Grande Section / Year 0/1), teaching is organised around five learning areas:

• Mobilising language in all its dimensions
• Acting, expressing, and understanding through physical activity
• Acting, expressing, and understanding through artistic activities
• Building the first tools to structure thought
• Exploring the world

From Cycle 2 onward, the curriculum is organised around five core domains:

• Languages for thinking and communicating — covering French, other modern or regional languages, mathematical and scientific languages, and languages of the arts and the body
• Methods and tools for learning — including individual and collective study, accessing information, use of technology, and project work
• Personal and civic development — moral and civic education grounded in the values and principles of the French Constitution
• Natural and technical systems — scientific and technical understanding of Earth and the Universe
• Representations of the world and human activity — geography, history, and the interpretation of human cultural expressions

EFIA is seeking accreditation from the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE), which would formally certify that the school delivers the French national curriculum in accordance with French Ministry of National Education standards.

Co-curricular Activities

The school offers the following named co-curricular programmes:

• BORN TO MOVE™ — a Les Mills physical activity programme delivered by certified instructor Elodie Rodriguez, with classes for children aged 2–5 and 6–16
• Water Safety Awareness & Survival Skills Programme — run in collaboration with King's Swim School, aligned with the national Water Skills For Life (WSFL) framework developed by Water Safety New Zealand
• Sports sessions at Remuera Rackets Club, located five minutes from the school, using facilities including nine floodlit tennis courts, six glass-back squash courts, one padel court, a fitness centre, and a swimming pool