Two campuses.
Ages 6 to 11.
From CP to CM2, the five years of French primary school. We are not looking for perfect pupils: we are looking for families who share our conviction that a demanding morning and a genuine sporting or personal project are worth more than a whole day spent at a desk.
How admissions work
A meeting with the family
We meet parents and child, in person or by video call, to talk about your plans and ours, and to check honestly that the format suits your child.
Your child's project
Your child tells us about their sporting or personal project: club, discipline, ambitions. A committed project is an advantage, not a requirement — motivation counts for more than a list of trophies.
Securing a place
A registration fee secures the place. It is charged in addition to the school fees and is not deducted from them. If the campus opening is postponed or does not go ahead, it is refunded in full.
What the school fees cover
The fee schedule is shared with each family at our first conversation.
What is included
- All morning teaching, four days a week
- The early-afternoon workshops: Spanish, art and music
- Adaptive learning platforms and licences
- Sessions with an English-speaking specialist
- Preparation for external English certificates
- Mastery dashboard, portfolio and termly meetings
- Supervision at lunch, during quiet time and on the way to the club
What families pay separately
- The registration fee, due when the place is confirmed
- Sports club membership and licence fees, paid directly to your club
- Lunch, prepared by a caterer for all pupils and charged separately
- Examination fees for external certificates, at cost
As an independent school outside the state-funded sector, Top Académie receives no public money: it is funded by school fees and local donors.
What parents ask us
Will my child be able to move on to a mainstream secondary school afterwards?
Yes. Like every pupil coming from an independent school of this kind, your child will sit a level assessment to enter a state or state-contracted secondary school; it is organised by the French education authorities and covers the national common core. Our curriculum covers that core in full, and French mathematical vocabulary is reinforced alongside the lessons taught in English. Each pupil will leave CM2 with a detailed record: what they have mastered, skill by skill, and their external certificates.
What exactly is an independent school (école hors contrat)?
It is a private school that opens after filing a declaration with the regional education authority (rectorat), which passes it on to the mayor, the prefect and the public prosecutor (Articles L. 441-1 et seq. of the French Education Code). Each of these authorities has three months to object. Once open, it is inspected by the State to check that pupils are acquiring the common core, but it is free to decide how it is organised and how it teaches: that freedom is what makes academic mornings and sporting afternoons possible. Its pupils have the full legal status of schoolchildren. Top Académie is currently being established and is following this procedure for each of its campuses.
My child is not a competitive athlete. Is this the right school for them?
Yes, as long as their afternoons go into a real project — sporting, artistic or personal — within a structured setting. The format suits any child who thrives on a short, focused academic day. Afternoons at a club bring the teamwork, discipline and stamina that the morning format does not claim to replace.
Why only four mornings, and why keep Wednesdays free?
Because we have made a choice: a shorter week, but in small groups, tailored to each pupil and with no time spent waiting. That is the heart of our approach. Keeping Wednesdays free follows the children's real sporting calendar, since tournaments, training camps and competitions take place on that day. It also gives them a genuine breather in the middle of the week.
Who looks after my child between lessons and the club?
A member of our team whose job it is. At the end of the morning they supervise lunch and quiet time. After the early-afternoon workshop, they take the pupils to their partner club, where the session starts at 2.45 pm. Your child is always in the care of a named adult: their teacher in the morning, the lunchtime supervisor at lunch and on the way to the club, the specialist teacher during the workshop, then their club coach.
How do you track progress without marks?
More precisely than marks can: each skill is recorded as “in progress”, “secure” or “exceeded” on a dashboard that families can consult; pupils' real work builds up into a portfolio; and external assessments (including Cambridge English qualifications) measure their level objectively every year. There is also a one-to-one meeting every term.
What happens if my child falls behind, or the format does not suit them?
In small groups, a difficulty shows up within days, not at the end of term. If, after talking it through together, the format really is not right, we help the family find another school, even during the year. The child's interests come before the school's.
Lessons taught in English: how does that work for a child who is new to the language?
Under CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), maths and science are taught in English, with plenty of pictures, gestures and hands-on work at first: children understand from context, just as they would in an international school. English becomes a tool, not just a subject. French maths vocabulary is reinforced alongside it every week.
Request a meeting
Tell us in a few lines your child's first name and age, their club or project, and which campus you would prefer. We will get back to you within 48 hours.