Anne-Marie Thommeret
Founder
 

In 1941, during WWII, Ermitage was founded at a time when access to education in the Paris region was restricted under the Occupation and resources for civilians were very limited. It was in this context that Mrs. Anne-Marie Thommeret, a university student in French literature, began giving classes to local students. This experience would mark the beginning of her long career as the founder and head mistress of Ermitage School. After the first school was destroyed by an ally bombing intending to target the city's railroad tracks, students quickly relocated to one of the many abandoned buildings in Maisons-Laffitte. With just a handful of students at the start, the school grew year after year through the same resilience that had allowed it to survive and succeed during the war years. Today, 80 years later, Ermitage has become a leader in bilingual and international education in France.

In 1987, Mr. Hunter became Ermitage’s second Head of School and led the transformation to become a renowned international institution with a strong accent on open-mindedness, student led service projects, arts & sports, and academic excellence.

 

Under his leadership, Ermitage expanded its educational programs by offering the IGCSE and A-levels. These programs were later replaced by the International Baccalaureate programs and also the OIB for the Lycée. His tenure also saw the expansion of the campus with a number of building acquisitions that now form our school today.

 

Notably, Mr. Hunter pioneered the ICU2 Eye Camps, one of many transformative leadership and humanitarian opportunities available to students under his leadership. During his almost 35 years at the helm of Ermitage, students were encouraged to look beyond the classroom and engage with the world.