Private school admissions in Casablanca are shaped by a fact most guides skip: this is a three-system city. The French network is the historical default and the most competitive, the anglophone sector has grown quickly over the last fifteen years, and a large group of Moroccan private schools operate trilingually in Arabic, French and English. Each has a different application calendar, a different set of documents and a different attitude to language testing. Getting the system right before you start applying saves months. This 2026 guide takes you through it step by step.
Step 1: Choose Your System Before You Choose a School
The French network. Schools accredited by the French Ministry of Education, including the flagship lycées and a wider group of homologated schools, follow the French national programme and lead to the Baccalauréat. This is the most established route in Casablanca and, for many year groups, the most oversubscribed. Priority typically goes to French nationals, children transferring from other French-system schools abroad, and siblings, in roughly that order. If your child is not already in the French system and does not speak French fluently, entry above the early primary years is genuinely difficult.
The anglophone sector. British curriculum schools leading to IGCSE and A Levels, and American schools offering a US diploma with Advanced Placement, plus a small number of IB providers. Capacity has expanded significantly and this is where most English-speaking arrivals will find places, including mid-year.
Moroccan trilingual private schools. Following the Moroccan national curriculum with substantial French and increasing English provision. Fees are far lower, the peer group is predominantly Moroccan, and the route suits families settling long term.
Applying across all three simultaneously is a reasonable strategy, but recognise that each will assess your child differently, and that the French network will test French while the anglophone schools will test English.
Step 2: Apply on the Right Calendar
The Moroccan academic year runs from early September to late June or early July. Application windows differ by system.
French-system schools generally open registration between January and March for the following September, with a firm cut-off and a formal waiting list. Late applications go to the back of the queue regardless of circumstances.
British and American schools tend to run rolling admissions from December through to the summer, assessing applicants as they apply and confirming places until year groups fill. Applying in January gives you a wide choice; applying in July does not.
Moroccan private schools often accept applications from April onward and can be more flexible about mid-year entry.
If your relocation date is not yet fixed, apply anyway. Most Casablanca schools will hold a place against a registration payment, and forfeiting a modest fee is a better outcome than arriving in August with no place in your preferred year group.
Step 3: Assemble Your Documents
Prepare the following before you contact schools:
- Passport copies for the child and both parents, plus Moroccan residence permit or carte de séjour once available
- Birth certificate, translated into French or Arabic if issued in another language
- School reports for the previous two or three academic years, translated where necessary
- A certificate of school attendance or certificat de scolarité from the current school, plus a leaving certificate once you depart
- Vaccination record
- Recent passport photographs, usually four to six
- Proof of address in Casablanca and the sponsoring parent's employment attestation
Two practical points. First, translations generally need to be into French rather than English, and many schools require a sworn translator, so check before paying for a translation that will be rejected. Second, French-system schools transferring pupils from other French schools abroad will want the dossier scolaire transferred school to school through official channels, so ask your current school to initiate this rather than relying on copies you carry yourself.
Step 4: Understand How Language Assessment Works
This is the decisive factor in Casablanca admissions.
French-system schools assess French proficiency and, above roughly Year 3 or CE2, expect a level close to that of a native-educated child. There is limited provision for French as a foreign language in the accredited network, so a child arriving with school French rather than fluent French will often be declined or offered a place a year below their age group.
British and American schools assess English and mathematics, and most offer English as an Additional Language support. Quality varies widely. Ask how many hours a week, whether it is in-class or withdrawal, whether there is an additional charge, and how long a typical pupil stays in the programme.
Arabic. Moroccan regulations require Arabic instruction in private schools, and most international schools in Casablanca teach it as a timetabled subject with separate streams for native and non-native speakers. Moroccan nationals face additional requirements for Arabic and Islamic education, so raise your children's nationality status in the first conversation.
Private and International Schools in Casablanca to Shortlist
Every school below holds a verified profile on International School Advisor, with curriculum, age range and family reviews.
Casablanca American School
A long-established American curriculum school with a US diploma, Advanced Placement courses and international accreditation. Strong university counselling for North American applications and an experienced approach to mid-year arrivals. See the full profile and reviews.
London Academy Casablanca
A British curriculum school offering the English National Curriculum through IGCSE, with modern facilities and a growing sixth form. Popular with families arriving from the UK and the Gulf. Check curriculum, ages and fees.
George Washington Academy
An American programme school with a broad international intake and a reputation for individual attention, offering a US diploma pathway. View the school profile.
Lycée Français International Louis-Massignon
One of the principal French-system schools in Casablanca, following the French national programme through to the Baccalauréat. Expect competitive admissions and a French proficiency requirement. Read more on ISA.
British International School Casablanca
A smaller British curriculum option with low class sizes, suited to families who want close academic monitoring during a transition year. See ages, fees and reviews.
Step 5: Check Fees and the Withdrawal Policy
Annual tuition in Casablanca spans a very wide range. Premium international schools generally run MAD 90,000 to MAD 180,000 a year for secondary places, French-system accredited schools MAD 40,000 to MAD 100,000, and Moroccan trilingual private schools MAD 20,000 to MAD 60,000. Add a one-off registration fee of MAD 5,000 to MAD 25,000, transport at MAD 8,000 to MAD 18,000 a year, uniforms, devices and examination entry fees.
Before paying, get the full fee schedule in writing, confirm the announced increase for the following year, and read the withdrawal clause. Many Casablanca schools retain a full term's fees on mid-year withdrawal and the registration fee is almost always non-refundable.
Compare Casablanca Schools Side by Side
Browse the best private and international schools in Casablanca and Morocco on International School Advisor to filter by curriculum, language and age range, and read reviews from families already enrolled.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I apply to private schools in Casablanca?
French-system schools usually open registration between January and March with a firm cut-off. British and American schools run rolling admissions from December through the summer. Applying in January gives you the widest choice of year groups in all three systems.
Does my child need to speak French to attend school in Casablanca?
For the accredited French network, yes, and above early primary the expected level is close to native. British and American schools assess English instead and most offer English as an Additional Language support, so they are the practical route for families without fluent French.
Is Arabic compulsory in international schools in Casablanca?
Moroccan regulations require Arabic instruction in private schools, and most international schools timetable it with separate streams for native and non-native speakers. Moroccan nationals face additional requirements for Arabic and Islamic education.