Our Mission and Philosophy

Mission Statement

Ermitage International School of France is a cosmopolitan community of lifelong learners committed to developing individuals who are aware and compassionate, knowledgeable and responsible, and able to act in their own lives and in their world.

We strive to provide an education that stimulates the mind and develops critical thinking while imparting the values of respect and mutual understanding, honesty and cooperation, empathy and open-mindedness.

We work to create a learning environment in which our students can be creative and reflective and where they can find opportunities to demonstrate initiative, leadership and a sense of responsibility.

Objectives

As an IB World School set within a French educational context, Ermitage strives to reach the following objectives:

• To enable our students to become bilingual in English and French and to acquire at least one other foreign language to the highest degree to which the student can aspire;

• To build the ‘international classroom’ where our students can learn in different contexts, from the academic to the experiential, and benefit from academic crossovers between the various diploma programs.

• To encourage our students to participate in our many international projects: exchanges, trips and link-ups with partner schools, international service projects, international conferences, Model United Nations ... thereby opening up their horizons to different ideas and cultures;

• To build a community of learners, no matter their nationality, in which each individual is a valued member and participant;

• To help our students develop the means – cognitive, affective, and experiential - to become young adults who are capable of establishing bridges of understanding between peoples regardless of nationality, religion, socio-economic group, culture, age, and gender.

View Ermitage at a Glance (PDF)

Who We Are

Ermitage is an international day and boarding school dedicated to offering academic excellence from pre-school through Grade 12.  Nestled in the historic town of Maisons-Laffitte, just outside Paris, it is a community of lifelong learners committed to developing responsible, informed and respectful global citizens of tomorrow.

Opening its doors in 1941, Ermitage started by teaching its students to be prepared to address the issues of their day.  This tradition grounded the school, but Ermitage was resolutely “turned toward the future."  Over the years, Ermitage has grown from a small French school into a cosmopolitan learning environment with over 50 nationalities represented in both the faculty and student body.  Languages, such as Chinese, Spanish, German, and Italian are offered throughout the school.

Today, Ermitage – as an IB World School – is at the forefront of international learning. The culmination of a French / English bilingual education that starts in Kindergarten, two diplomas are now offered:

• the French Baccalaureate with an additional “option internationale,” and
• the International Baccalaureate with subjects taught and assessed in English.

In addition to work inside the classroom, Ermitage prepares its students for the challenges they may face outside the school’s walls.  As a member of leadership programs, such as Round-Square in particular, Ermitage promotes the values of internationalism, democracy, environment, adventure, leadership and service.  Model-UN networks also push students beyond the comfort of their own backyards, taking them geographically and pedagogically around the world.

Closer to home, Ermitage emphasizes family in its boarding section.  Its small “houses” in the park create an intimate atmosphere for student residents.  A strong sense of community is fostered as students are encouraged to take full advantage of Paris on their doorstep with cultural outings.

Newly renovated, the upper school library is now, as the school’s name suggests, the space for quiet, reflective study.  Both the French and English collections will grow, enhancing the learning experience in every classroom.

Finally, Eco-Development is the latest addition to Ermitage’s long history of innovative and curricula-challenging programs.  Designed to increase student awareness of today’s pressing global issues, it will push students to create lasting solutions.