École Jeannine Manuel
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École Jeannine Manuel is a private and co-educational day school founded in 1954, with locations in Paris, Lille, and London. The school's
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
campuses, located in the 7th and 15th arrondissement, are home to 2,400 students of 80 different nationalities. Its
Lille Lille (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city in the northern part of France, within French Flanders. Positioned along the Deûle river, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Prefectures in F ...
campus, located in the town of Marcq-en-Baroeul, has more than 1000 students including 120 boarders. The Paris school was ranked the best high school in France for the eighteenth consecutive year in 2019, while the Lille school came in third place nationwide for 2019. École Jeannine Manuel's
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
school opened its doors in 2015 in the heart of Bloomsbury. It currently has 700 students from Nursery to Year 13. Like its French counterpart, the London school offers a bilingual curriculum and its students sit the French and International Baccalaureate exams. The school has over 20,000 alumni.


History


Jeannine Manuel

Jeannine Manuel joined the French Resistance and became a member of the Free French in London in 1940. She returned to France in August 1944. In 1954, Jeannine Manuel founded the Ecole Active Bilingue in a former townhouse on Avenue de La Bourdonnais in Paris. For Jeannine Manuel, the aim of education was to help shape "whole" people, by which she meant, "individuals aware of their presence in this world, engaged in its history, and ready to play a part in world affairs".


Expansion

The school opened its doors in September 1954 with 9 students enrolled, a number that grew to 100 by January 1955. The school continued growing at such a rate that, by 1960, there was a lack of available space to accommodate its growing student body. Jeannine Manuel consequently created special bilingual classes for her secondary students and teachers at the Lycée de Sèvres in collaboration with her friend, Edmée Hatinguais, who was Inspector General, former head of the École Normale Supérieure de jeunes filles de Sèvres, and the first director of the International Center for Pedagogical Studies ( Centre international d’études pédagogiques). The bilingual curriculum and pedagogical approach offered at the Lycée de Sèvres closely mirrored that developed by Jeannine Manuel. A few years later, Jeannine Manuel opened a new school near Parc Monceau with the help of a new investor. However, in 1979, a conflict between a need for return on investment and Jeannine Manuel's pedagogical principles led to an official split between the two schools. Jeannine Manuel consequently left the school on the Parisian right bank but kept the two small schools on Avenue de la Bourdonnais and Avenue de Suffren. Jeannine Manuel opened another school on 70 Rue du Théâtre in the
15th arrondissement of Paris The 15th arrondissement of Paris () is one of the 20 arrondissements of Paris, arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, it is referred to as ('the fifteenth'). The 15th arrondissement, called , is situated on the Rive ...
. In 1999, at Jeannine Manuel's behest, her eldest son Bernard Manuel regrouped the recently opened school in Marcq-en-Baroeul (Lille) and the new Dupleix site in Paris into a single non-profit association together with the other pre-existing schools. Bernard Manuel remains president of the association.


Creation of the Fondation Jeannine Manuel

In 2004, one year after Jeannine Manuel's death, the Fondation Jeannine Manuel was established under the patronage of the
Fondation de France The Fondation de France ("Foundation of France") is an independent private organisation, recognised as being in the public interest, and created at the instigation of Charles de Gaulle and André Malraux in an effort to stimulate and foster the g ...
. The Fondation's mission is to support École Jeannine Manuel and to encourage the development of other schools with a similar mission and pedagogical approach. They host
gala
every year.


School renamed in honor of Jeannine Manuel

In 2014, on the occasion of its sixtieth birthday, the school was officially renamed École Jeannine Manuel.


École Jeannine Manuel opens its doors in London

In 2015, with the financial support of the Foundation and in honour of Jeannine Manuel's formative years in London, the school opened its first site in
Bedford Square Bedford Square is a garden square in the Bloomsbury district of the London Borough of Camden, Borough of Camden in London, England. History Built between 1775 and 1783 as an upper middle class residential area, the square has had many disti ...
, London. The
Russell Square Russell Square is a large garden square in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden, built predominantly by the firm of James Burton (property developer), James Burton. It is near the University of London's main buildings and the British Mus ...
premises for the Upper School opened in 2019, and a new Primary School building opened on the south side of the square in 2022.


Administrative structure


1901 association & American International section

The school is a 1901 non-profit association and is under contract with the French state since 1959. Both the Paris and Lille schools are official international sections. Students consequently have the opportunity of sitting the international (US) option of the French Baccalaureate (the OIB), a demanding bilingual and bicultural exam taken by only 1% of students sitting the Baccalaureate. In 2010, Elisabeth Zéboulon, Director of École Jeannine Manuel, and Sean Lynch, Head of the American Section at the Lycée International of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, founded the Association of American International Sections (AAMIS) to help develop the OIB exam in schools. With Bernard Manuel as its president since 2012, AAMIS now includes more than 40 member high-schools that offer the OIB in Shanghai, San Francisco, Beirut, Johannesburg and other cities across the world.


IB World School with CIS and NEASC accreditations

With regards to international accreditations, École Jeannine Manuel was one of the first associated
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
schools, and has been an
International Baccalaureate (IB) The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), more commonly known as the International Baccalaureate (IB), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB ...
World School since 1980. The school is also accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the
New England Association of Schools and Colleges The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NEASC ) is an American educational organization that accredits private and public secondary schools (high schools and technical/career institutions), primarily in New England. It also ...
.


Diplomas and exams

* IGCSE ''First Language English'' and ''English Literature'' in Year 11 * Language certifications: Spanish (''DELE – Instituto Cervantes''), German (''Goethe Institut Zertifikat)'', Italian (''PLIDA – Società Dante Alighieri'') B1 level in Year 10 and B2 level in Year 12, Chinese (YCT3 in Year 8, HSK3 in Year 10, HSK4 in Year 13). * National Brevet Diploma with international option (DNBI) in Lille (US option) and in London (UK option) * Entrance exams for UK and US universities * French Baccalaureate with international option (OIB) – US section in France, UK section in London *
International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), more commonly known as the International Baccalaureate (IB), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the I ...
(IB) * ASSR 1 & 2 *High School Diploma.


Controversies

Since the creation of the Jeannine Manuel Foundation in 2004, the latter has enabled the school to raise 66% tax-free funds. Mediapart reported that the "platinum tables" –invitations to parties organised by the foundation– cost 3,400 euros after tax exemption, instead of 10,000 euros. Lucie Delaporte, journalist at Mediapart, criticized this tax exemption at the expense of the taxpayer: "Is there really nothing more urgent than helping the schooling in the private sector of most privileged upper classes?" The salaries of contractual teachers are 15 times lower than those of some members of the management. Elisabeth Zéboulon, as head of the school and manager of the Remi company – a company that sells books to students and manages the school's extracurricular activities– has a monthly salary of 18,000 euros while contractual teachers earn the minimum wage. In addition, the president of the foundation, Bernard Manuel, benefited from the school's real estate acquisitions because, being the owner of the buildings through a Société Civile Immobilière, the rents are paid to himself. According to an investigation led by the Journal du Dimanche, from 2017 to 2018, three employees have been diagnosed with a burnout syndrome. Gabriel Perez, a member of the Parisian Union of Private Education (SPEP-CFDT), described a "a system that controls its staff". In 2018, the labour inspectorate, after being alerted to the situation, opened an investigation and interviewed several employees, including Elisabeth Zéboulon.


Notable pupils and parents

Many personalities from politics, business, fashion and the film industry have enrolled their children in this establishment. *
Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa ( ; ; born 28 January 1955) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2007 to 2012. In 2021, he was found guilty of having tried to bribe a judge in 2014 to obtain information ...
and
Cécilia Attias Cécilia María Sara Isabel Attias ( Ciganer-Albéniz, formerly Martin and Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa; born 12 November 1957) was the second wife of French president Nicolas Sarkozy until October 2007. Background Cecilia Attias was born Cécilia M ...
have enrolled their son. *
Natalie Portman Natalie Hershlag{{efn, Some Hebrew sources claim that her birth name was "Neta-Lee Hershleg" ({{langx, he, נטע-לי הרשלג) and later, her first name was Americanized to "Natalie". {{Cite news , last=Shamir , first=Oron , date=August ...
, whose son was enrolled in the school. *
Jean-Luc Lagardère Jean-Luc Lagardère (; 10 February 1928 – 14 March 2003) was a major French businessman, CEO of the Lagardère Group, one of the largest French conglomerates. Career Jean-Luc Lagardère was a '' Supélec'' engineer. He began his career in ...
enrolled his son
Arnaud Lagardère Arnaud Lagardère (; born 18 March 1961) is a French businessman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lagardère SA, holding company of the Lagardère group and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hachette Livre. He is the son of Jean-Lu ...
(born 18 March 1961). *
Jane Birkin Jane Mallory Birkin ( ; 14 December 1946 â€“ 16 July 2023) was a British and French actress, singer, and designer. She had a prolific career as an actress, mostly in French cinema. A native of London, Birkin began her career as an actress, ...
and
Serge Gainsbourg Serge Gainsbourg (; born Lucien Ginsburg; 2 April 1928 â€“ 2 March 1991) was a French singer-songwriter, actor, composer, and director. Regarded as one of the most important figures in French pop, he was renowned for often provocative rel ...
enrolled their daughter
Charlotte Gainsbourg Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg (; born 21 July 1971) is a British and French actress and singer. She is the daughter of English actress and singer Jane Birkin and French singer Serge Gainsbourg. After making her musical debut with her father on the ...
(born 21 July 1971) who enrolled with her partner
Yvan Attal Yvan Attal (; ; born ) is a French actor, scriptwriter and film director. Life and career Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, to History of the Jews in Algeria, Algerian-Jewish parents, he grew up in the outskirts of Paris. His acting debut was in Éri ...
, their children. *
Sophia Loren Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone (; born 20 September 1934), known professionally as Sophia Loren ( , ), is an Italian actress, active in her native country and the United States. With a career spanning over 70 years, she is one of the ...
enrolled her sons. *
Carla Bruni Carla Bruni-Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa (born Carla Gilberta Bruni Tedeschi; ; 23 December 1967) is an Italian and French singer, songwriter and fashion model who served as the List of spouses or partners of the president of France, first lady of Fran ...
and Raphaël Enthoven have enrolled their son. * Gaspard Ulliel - former student (born 25 November 1984). * Princely Family of Monaco including
Charlotte Casiraghi Charlotte Marie Pomeline Casiraghi (born 3 August 1986) is a Monégasque model, socialite, equestrian and journalist. She is the second child of Caroline, Princess of Hanover, and Stefano Casiraghi, an Italian industrialist. She is eleventh in ...
(born 3 August 1986). *
Santo Domingo family The Santo Domingo family is one of the wealthiest Colombian families whose collective fortune makes them among the richest families in the Americas. Founded by Julio Mario Santo Domingo and headed by his son Alejandro Santo Domingo, Alejandro, t ...
including Tatiana Santo Domingo (born 24 November 1983). *
Schlumberger Schlumberger (), doing business as SLB, is a global multinational oilfield services company. Founded in France in 1926, the company is now incorporated as Schlumberger NV in Willemstad, Curaçao, with principal executive offices in Houston ...
family. *
Frédéric Mitterrand Frédéric Mitterrand (21 August 1947 – 21 March 2024) was a French actor, screenwriter, producer, and politician who served as Minister of Culture and Communication of France from 2009 to 2012 under President Nicolas Sarkozy. Early life ...
has enrolled his children. *
Alain Delon Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon (; 8 November 1935 – 18 August 2024) was a French actor, film producer, screenwriter, singer, and businessman. Acknowledged as a cultural and cinematic leading man of the 20th century, Delon emerged as one of ...
and Rosalie van Breemen, have enrolled their daughter
Anouchka Delon Anouchka Delon (born 25 November 1990) is a French-Dutch actress. Early life Delon is the daughter of Alain Delon and . She has a younger brother, Alain-Fabien Delon, and one older paternal half-brother, Anthony Delon, from his marriage to a ...
(born 25 November 1990). *
Victoria Abril Victoria Mérida Rojas (born 4 July 1959), better known as Victoria Abril, is a Spanish film actress and singer based in France. She is possibly best known to international audiences for her performance in the film '' Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!'' b ...
has enrolled her children. *
Antony Blinken Antony John Blinken (born April 16, 1962) is an American lawyer and diplomat who served as the 71st United States secretary of state from 2021 to 2025. He previously served as Deputy National Security Advisor, deputy national security advisor ...
, United States Secretary of State. * Bouygues family. *
Jean-François Copé Jean-François Copé (; born 5 May 1964) is a French politician serving as Mayor of Meaux since 1995 with an interruption from 2002 to 2005. He was Government Spokesman between 2002 and 2007, when assumed other tenures in the government—inclu ...
(former student) enrolled his children. * Estelle Lefébure and
David Hallyday David Hallyday (born David Michael Benjamin Smet; 14 August 1966) is a French singer, songwriter, actor and amateur sports car racing, sports car racer. Early life Hallyday was born in Boulogne-Billancourt and is the son of the French singers ...
have enrolled their daughter. *
Natalia Vodianova Natalia Mikhailovna Vodianova (; born 28 February 1982), nicknamed Supernova, is a Russian supermodel and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador. In 2012, she came in third on ''Forbes'' top-earning models list, estimated to have earned $8.6 ...
has enrolled her children. *
Esther Duflo Esther Duflo, FBA (; born 25 October 1972) is a French-American economist currently serving as the Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In 2019, she w ...
has enrolled her children.


References

* *


External links


Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ecole Active Bilingue Jeannine Manuel Educational institutions established in 1954 International Baccalaureate schools in France Secondary schools in France 1954 establishments in France Private schools in France International schools in Paris