🇱🇺 Luxembourg · Schools
Schooling and childcare in Luxembourg
A trilingual public system that is excellent but demanding on language, alongside European Schools, newer free international public schools, and a private international sector.
The thing people get wrongThe public system teaches across Luxembourgish, German and French, with literacy built first in German. For a child arriving mid-schooling with none of those languages, the free international public schools or the European Schools are usually the more realistic route.
Indicative figures
- Public schoolFreeTrilingual; German-first literacy.
- International public schoolsFree / low-costEnglish, French and German sections.
- Private international fees€15,000 – €35,000/year
Checked . Ranges, not quotes — your Insider confirms the current numbers in Luxembourg before you commit to anything.
The trilingual public system
State education is free and highly regarded, but it is genuinely trilingual: children learn to read in German in the early years, French is added and grows in weight through schooling, and Luxembourgish is the language of the playground and much of early childhood. For a family whose children have grown up in any of those languages it is a superb, free option; for one arriving with only English it is a steep climb, though schools provide reception classes for newcomers.
- Free, and academically strong.
- Literacy starts in German; French becomes central later.
- Reception/integration classes exist for arriving pupils.
Free international public schools
Luxembourg has expanded a set of public international schools that teach European-style curricula in French, German and English sections and are free or low-cost — among them schools in Differdange, Esch, Mondorf, Junglinster and Clervaux, and international provision within Luxembourg City. They have made an English-track state education realistically available for the first time, and demand for the English sections is high, so apply early and confirm catchment and places.
- Public, free or low-cost, with English, French and German sections.
- Places in the English streams are competitive — apply well ahead.
- Check which school serves your area and whether transport is provided.
The European Schools
Two European Schools serve Luxembourg — Luxembourg I in Kirchberg and Luxembourg II in Bertrange/Mamer — teaching in national-language sections and leading to the European Baccalaureate. Places are prioritised for children of EU institution staff, with other families admitted where space allows and paying fees. If your employer is an EU body, the allocation is usually arranged for you and shapes where it is convenient to live.
- Luxembourg I (Kirchberg) and Luxembourg II (Bertrange/Mamer).
- Priority for EU-institution families; others pay fees if space allows.
- Language section follows the child's dominant language.
Private international schools and childcare
Private options include the International School of Luxembourg, St George's (British curriculum), the French Lycée Vauban, a Waldorf school and others, with fees at the usual international level and often paid by employers. Before school, crèches and childminders (assistants parentaux) are widely used and partly subsidised through the chèque-service accueil scheme, but demand in the city is high — put your name down early.
- ISL, St George's, Lycée Vauban and others cover the main curricula.
- The chèque-service accueil scheme subsidises approved childcare.
- Crèche places in the city are scarce; register as early as you can.