History
After joining the French Resistance and becoming a member of the London Free French in 1940, Jeannine Manuel returned to France for the Liberation of Paris in August 1944. She returned firmly convinced that ignorance breeds fear and that fear is the root cause of human conflict. Scroll down to find out more about our school’s fascinating history and Jeannine Manuel’s extraordinary vision.
1954: Founding of École Active Bilingue
Jeannine Manuel founded the École Active Bilingue (now École Jeannine Manuel) in Paris with the mission to promote international understanding through bilingual education, starting from the nursery years. Her belief was that learning a foreign language not only helps to understand others but also opens access to the world.
For Jeannine Manuel, the aim of education is to help shape ‘whole’ people, individuals aware of their presence in this world, engaged in its history, and ready to play a part in world affairs.
From 9 students enrolled in September to 100 by January, the school rapidly continued to expand: over the next decades, École Jeannine Manuel became the largest non-denominational independent school in France, serving over 3,250 students from more than 80 nationalities at present.
1979: A Landmark Opening at Rue du Théâtre
In 1979, Jeannine Manuel opened a new school at 70 Rue du Théâtre in Paris’ 15th arrondissement—an address that soon became synonymous with the school’s outstanding bilingual education. It welcomed a community of families and teachers drawn to its spirit of innovation, and more than four decades on, remains a vibrant embodiment of Jeannine Manuel’s educational vision.
1992: Opening of Lille Campus
In 1992, the school further expanded with the opening of a new campus in Marcq-en-Barœul, a few kilometers from Lille. Its boarding school welcomes international students from all over the world.
2014: The school celebrates its 60th birthday and is renamed École Jeannine Manuel
On the occasion of its sixtieth birthday, the school was officially renamed École Jeannine Manuel and underwent a visual rebrand. A new logo was designed and the school chose a new motto that perfectly encapsulates Jeannine Manuel’s original vision for the school: “International understanding through a bilingual education”.
2015: Ecole Jeannine Manuel opens in London
In 2015, with the financial support of the Fondation Jeannine Manuel and in honour of Jeannine Manuel’s formative years in London, the school opened its first site in Bedford Square, London.
2019: Expansion to Russell Square
In 2019, in response to the steady growth of our student body, our school expanded beyond its historic Bedford Square home to open a dedicated Upper School building at 52-53 Russell Square. Just a few minutes’ walk away, this beautifully restored site offers state-of-the-art facilities, including laboratories, a comprehensive library, and inviting common rooms designed for independent study and collaboration.
Our Upper School provides a university-style environment that fosters academic focus, autonomy, and maturity, while preserving the warm, caring community that defines our school. This dedicated space empowers students to thrive, both in their final years and beyond.
2022: A New Primary School Building
In 2022, our growing Primary School moved into a newly renovated Georgian building designed to meet the needs of an expanding community. The new building features three dedicated spacious outdoor play areas, allowing children to move, explore and grow through active learning. Two multi-purpose halls and a climbing wall serve the entire school community, bringing students of all ages together for assemblies, sport, performances and celebrations.
2024: Ecole Jeannine Manuel in London becomes Jeannine Manuel School
In September 2024, having grown from an initial population of 185 students to 700 and expanded to three sites across Bloomsbury, École Jeannine Manuel in London became Jeannine Manuel School, reflecting its position in the London's landscape of top British and international schools while remaining true to its roots and identity as one of three Jeannine Manuel schools.