Frequently Asked Questions

  • Gustave Eiffel was a Dijon-born French engineer and architect skilled in metal structural work. He is most known for the Eiffel Tower, but he is also the constructor of the Nice Observatory, Paris’s fashion museum - the Palais Galliera, and the Statue of Liberty. Learn more about Gustave Eiffel and the world-renown Tour Eiffel.

  • Yes... and more. Eiffel Academy is an independent nonsectarian trilingual private school. We teach a traditional French curriculum, offering a French immersion experience, but we also teach U.S. curriculum to ensure students receive the standards necessary if they choose to attend a US high school. Finally, Eiffel offers a minimum of 3 hours of Spanish language a week. In this way, Eiffel Academy transcends cultural boundaries to nurture global citizens. Learn more about the Eiffel Academy Approach.

  • Eiffel Academy serves grades 1-8. This is the equivalent of the French Ecole primaire and college. For a trilingual preschool (maternelle) experience, consider our partner preschool. Learn about the Eiffel Academy Student Journey.

  • Often parents looking at French schools in the Tampa bay area are intrigued by the Eiffel Academy model. While tuitions vary at French private schools, Eiffel Academy is committed to offering accessible education. As a result the tuition is set to truly align with the value you receive from a trilingual learning environment. Within three years, there have been minimal tuition increases all quantifiable as value added: A new building, a new playground, additional educators, and (in-progress) a new parking lot and sports field. (In-progress) Learn more about tuition and fees.

  • Yes. Gustave Eiffel Academy is a Step Up for Students Partner. Step Up scholarships, including the Private School Choice and Unique Abilities Scholarships, are not salary-based and the average award ranges from $8,000 - $10,000 US. Learn more about Step Up for Students.

  • AEFE is the Agency for French Education Abroad. They maintain the standard for French education abroad and currently offers two accreditation: Homologation Accreditation applies to schools that maintain strict adherence to the French national education system, and Label Franc Accreditation applies to U.S. (or local country) schools with high-level bilingual programs, i.e. with 20% non-linguistic education in French.

    Eiffel Academy maintains adherence to the French national program, but it is not considered “strict” adherence, because it includes components of the U.S. education system. Also, while Eiffel Academy offers much more than 20% of non-linguistic education in French, it is not a U.S. program.

    Eiffel is unique because it merges these two accreditation categories by providing a full French curriculum with components of U.S. curriculum. By acting to bridge the gap, it is in a category of its own not currently recognized.

    That being said, Founders Olivier and Magali Guilhem spent the majority of their careers teaching children at AEFE schools around the world, so they have intertwined the foundational elements of a quality French immersion education giving students the best of both worlds. Learn more about our curriculum.

  • Even students new to French can find a home at Gustave Eiffel Academy. To engage them in the language, they are separated from class groups for 5 to 7 hours per week. During these hours, they work on language acquisition in small groups. The lessons cover speaking, reading, and writing in French.

  • We can ease your family's transition to Florida schools by providing them an immersion experience while still providing support in French. Native French speakers will have the opportunity to speak in French and English, with their teachers and classmates. Like their Native English-Speaking classmates, they will benefit from the multilingual immersion experience.

  • Language is a great vehicle for learning and engaging in critical thinking. Moreover, we intentionally designed our curriculum so that students are learning Florida curriculum alongside French curriculum. Our model enscres that our learners are prepared to integrate to English-speaking schools.

  • We hold four Special Project Weeks each school year to ensure that students meet their curriculum goals while still maintaining a well-rounded educational experience. Students get to lead their learning as they spend a whole week engaging in one interactive project, whether it is art week, health week, or community service week.