About the Jeannine Manuel Academy
At the heart of our mission is a commitment to international understanding.
To understand the JMAcademy, it is important to understand our roots and vision.
École Jeannine Manuel:
The Foundation
École Jeannine Manuel is a leading French bilingual and international school with campuses in Paris and Lille. For decades, it has been at the forefront of global education, consistently ranked as one of the top schools in France. Its mission is to shape "citizens of the world" through a rigorous, bilingual curriculum.
The Jeannine Manuel Academy:
The Outreach
The Jeannine Manuel Academy is the official outreach programme of the school. Our purpose is to share this unique educational expertise and vision beyond our school’s community.
While the School serves its full-time students, the Academy is dedicated to empowering global minds from all backgrounds.
We provide external students with access to our innovative language-learning methods through active, immersive, and creative extracurricular programmes.
Whether through our Wednesday workshops, online literature courses, or summer camps, we offer the Jeannine Manuel expertise to a wider community!
1980’s
Creation of the Knock-Knock Workshops
The Knock-Knock Method was created in 1954 by Jeannine Manuel, founder of École Jeannine Manuel, to support young children learning English.
It is an interactive, immersive approach using audiovisual tools, storytelling, and age-appropriate activities.
This method is the result of linguistic and pedagogical expertise that has been proven at the Ecole Jeannine Manuel for over 40 years.
Originally designed for students at the school, this method has been made available to students from other schools in Paris and its surroundings through our extracurricular Knock-Knock workshops led by native teachers from the Ecole Jeannine Manuel Paris.
1990’s
First In-House Summercamp
The launch of this programme extended our extracurricular landscape. This was not just a holiday programme but a bold extension of our academic core into an immersive, creative and playful environment.
We built the camp on the three fundamental principles that guide our approach of language learning at Ecole Jeannine Manuel and the Jeannine Manuel Academy:
Immersion: We don't just "teach" English; we live it. By surrounding students with native speakers, the language becomes a natural tool for communication rather than a school subject.
Play: We believe children learn best when they are engaged. Through Music, Theatre, Art, and Sports, students absorb vocabulary and syntax while having the time of their lives.
Success: Every activity is designed to give students a "win." By accomplishing tasks in a foreign language—whether scoring a goal or performing on stage—they build the confidence to speak without fear.
2016
Summer & Science Camps
We expanded our horizons by launching the Summer & Science Camp, welcoming a broader community of learners from ages 5 to 12.
While staying true to our core principles of Immersion, Play, and Success, we introduced STEM activities to our Summer programme.
To ensure the perfect balance of challenge and fun, we structured the camp into three age groups:
The Juniors (Ages 5–6): A world of discovery.
Activities: Music, Theatre, Art, and Sports.
Focus: Building core confidence and phonetic awareness through creative play.
The Campers (Ages 7–9): Where creativity meets curiosity.
Activities: Music, Theatre, Art, Sports, Fun Science, and Makers’ Lab.
Focus: Encouraging "hands-on" English through experimentation and building.
The Scientists (Ages 10–12): Empowering the innovators of tomorrow.
Activities: Sports, Fun Science, Makers’ Lab, Coding, and Robotics.
Focus: Developing technical vocabulary and complex problem-solving skills in an all-English environment.
2021
Online English Programme
In response to a changing world and a growing demand for an advanced English course, 2021 marked the launch of our Online English & Literature Programme. This ambitious expansion allowed the JMAcademy to transcend physical classrooms and offer our pedagogical expertise to students based anywhere in France or Europe.
Designed specifically for native and near-native speakers who have already completed part of their schooling in English, this programme provides a rigorous academic anchor during the school year.
The programme focuses on:
Deep Academic Mastery: Developing and consolidating advanced reading, comprehension, and both oral and written expression.
Literary Exploration: Engaging with complex texts to foster critical thinking and a love for English literature.
Small-Group Innovation: An effective online learning experience where every voice is heard, supported by our dedicated pedagogical team and qualified native-speaking teachers.
2023
IELTS, TOEFL & SAT preparation
As our students grew, so did our mission. In 2023, JMAcademy launched a specialised suite of Advanced Test Preparation courses, designed to bridge the gap between "knowing English" and "mastering the tests" for university admissions worldwide.
IELTS and TOEFL are the gold standards of English proficiency, essential for university admissions worldwide. We moved beyond basic tutoring to offer a strategic, online curriculum that deconstructs the unique formats and scoring systems of these exams.
For students targeting top-tier universities and business schools across the United States, Europe, and Asia, we have opened our In-Person SAT programme designed for students from Ecole Jeannine Manuel to external students.
2025
Wednesday Academy
Building on the success of our existing workshops and courses, 2025 saw the launch of the Wednesday Academy. This programme was specifically designed as a transition for intermediate students (ages 7 to 12) who have foundation in English and are ready for a more robust academic challenge.
Taking place in person every Wednesday afternoon, this programme provides a deep-dive into the English language through a unique dual-module approach:
Module 1: Language & Literature (1h30)
Through curated reading and creative writing, students expand their vocabulary and master complex sentence structures, moving beyond basic communication to true fluency. We foster a genuine love for storytelling and literary analysis.
Module 2: Fun Science (1h30)
Hands-on experiments and interactive group projects designed to spark curiosity. Students don’t just learn facts; they learn to hypothesise, test, and explain their findings—all in English.
2026
AI Camp at École des Roches
Marking a new frontier in tech-education, 2026 sees the launch of our premier AI Summer Camp. This all-inclusive, overnight residency takes place at the prestigious École des Roches in Normandy within a sprawling 50-hectare estate just one hour from Paris.
Designed for students aged 11 to 17, this programme is an immersive tech journey that balances high-level digital skill-building with the joys of a classic summer retreat.