School History

The IBS Group – Thirty years of excellence

 

Founded in 1996 by Jean-Marc GOBBI, a visionary director, the IBS Group is a collection of independent private international schools. Together with two friends who were teachers, Joël TROTEBAS and Trevor Alan TRICKER, they created IBS of Provence, an institution where academic excellence, cultural openness, and kindness come together in harmony.

 

Today, the IBS Group brings together several institutions that offer a bilingual educational program. IBS of Provence, the founding school that started with less than a hundred students, now welcomes more than 1,200 and remains the heart of the Group.

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IS-Montpellier and IS-Marseille complete the educational offering with teaching from kindergarten to fifth grade. In 2025, IBS West Campus, located in Aix-en-Provence as part of the Setclub, will mark a new milestone with its ultra-modern campus dedicated to primary classes.

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IBS of Provence: the historic campus in Luynes

 

Just a few minutes from the center of Aix-en-Provence, IBS Primary & Secondary is the group's main campus. Nestled on a magnificent 7-hectare estate in Luynes, bathed in sunshine and surrounded by nature, it welcomes more than 1,200 students aged 2 to 18 in an environment that functions as a true international village.

 

More than seventy nationalities come together here each year, making bilingualism a daily reality and creating an environment rich in languages and cultures.

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To accommodate more than a hundred boarding students from around the world, six accommodation sites located around Aix-en-Provence complement the campus facilities. Spread over more than 3 hectares, these houses offer residents a spacious environment conducive to personal development and academic success.

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From the age of 2, students at IBS follow a bilingual program leading to either the French Baccalaureate or the International Baccalaureate, which are true passports to universities around the world. Daily sports, arts, and theater complete an education that builds confidence, independence, and open-mindedness.

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The school is also renowned for its sports program, with several high-level sports academies, including a tennis club and a professional handball club, which allow young athletes to combine academic excellence with athletic performance.

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2026: 30 years of commitment

 

In 2026, IBS will celebrate thirty years of commitment to providing a demanding, welcoming, and deeply human international education, faithful to Jean-Marc GOBBI's vision: to offer children a place where learning is a pleasure and where the future can be imagined with enthusiasm.

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