The European Schools began in October 1953 in Luxembourg, on the initiative of officials of the European Coal and Steel Community, with the support of the Community’s institutions and the Luxembourg Government. This experiment in education, side by side, of children of different mother tongues and nationalities quickly took shape as the six different governments and Ministries of Education co-operated in matters of curricula, appointment of teachers, inspection and recognition of levels attained.
In April 1957, the signing of the Protocol made the Luxembourg School the first official European School. The first European Baccalaureate was held there in July 1959 and the qualification was recognised as fulfilling basic entrance requirements by all the universities of the member states.
The success of this educational experiment encouraged the European Economic Community and Euratom to press for the establishment of other European Schools at their various centres.
| Luxembourg I | Luxembourg | 1953 | 1959 |
| Brussels I | Belgium | 1958 | 1964 |
| Mol/Geel | Belgium | 1960 | 1966 |
| Varese | Italy | 1960 | 1965 |
| Karlsruhe | Germany | 1962 | 1968 |
| Bergen | The Netherlands | 1963 | 1971 |
| Brussels II | Belgium | 1974 | 1982 |
| Munich | Germany | 1977 | 1984 |
| Culham | United Kingdom | 1978
closed Aug 2017 | 1982 |
| Brussels III | Belgium | 1999 | 2001 |
| Alicante | Spain | 2002 | 2006 |
| Frankfurt | Germany | 2002 | 2006 |
| Luxembourg II | Luxembourg | 2004 | 2013 |
| Brussels IV | Belgium | 2007 | 2017 |
Based on the recommendation of the European Parliament, the European Schools have opened up their curricula and European Baccalaureate since 2005 for national Schools.
Accredited European Schools are schools which provide European schooling, of the same type as that currently provided in the European Schools, but within the framework of the Member States’ national schools and hence outside the administrative and financial framework to which the European Schools are subject.
