International French School (Singapore) has long been known for its multilingual approach to education. The school recently proved the merits of this approach in the Red Dot Book Awards, and is launching a fully English Primary programme with additional language lessons too.
The multilingual edge is real, and especially so in our increasingly globalised world. Multilingual graduates have a competitive edge in the job market, which leads to more career opportunities. Growing up multilingual also helps children develop deeper cultural awareness, as well as being able to see things from different perspectives. All of which are crucial traits to future-proof our children.
If the multilingual edge is something you want for your children, finding a school that supports their linguistic development is something you’ll need to consider. International French School (Singapore) is one such school, as it follows the French national curriculum that promotes multilingualism. IFS students as young as three years old are exposed to French, English, and Mandarin for over 20 hours on a weekly basis, before going into tailored streams as they progress to elementary, middle, and high school.
Your child doesn’t need to be French to join this multilingual school
That’s right, IFS welcomes children of all nationalities, regardless of their cultural and language backgrounds. The school has a French language support programme – French Language Schooling (FLSco) – to help non-French-speaking children achieve the required fluency for their chosen language pathways.
Children at IFS Kindergarten follow a bilingual French-English curriculum, with an introduction to Mandarin, at Kindergarten level. Once they enter Grade 2, students and their families can choose to continue the balanced bilingual route through the Anglais+ pathway, or opt for the Classic pathway which is conducted primarily in French. Additional languages like Mandarin, as well as Spanish and German are also available as electives in Middle School and High School.
There’s even a new English-only stream at IFS Primary
To make its plurilingual offerings more accessible to families in Singapore, IFS is launching the English International Stream (EIS) in September 2026. This is an early years and primary pathway based on the acclaimed French national curriculum taught fully in English, while continuing to introduce Mandarin or French as an additional language. Another plus point? EIS students will get to learn in IFS’ new state-of-the-art, zero-energy campus!
Need more convincing? IFS’ multilingual approach has a great track record.
IFS’ multilingual students recently clinched top spots at Singapore’s International School Libraries Network Red Dot Ceremony, an English language literacy competition. Going head to head with their peers from other English-medium international schools, IFS students were ranked #1 for the reading category. On top of that, they also snagged #1 and #2 rankings in creative writing and oral performance categories – outperforming their English native-speaking peers. This goes to show that learning in multiple languages actually multiplies a child’s capability rather than dividing their focus.
Visit IFS to learn more about its multilingual approach
You are invited to visit IFS at its upcoming open houses to see how its unique language approach can benefit your children.
This post is in partnership with International French School (Singapore).
