A Guide to Education and Schooling in France

How training in France is established

Maternelle (Nursery) now not obligatory

age 3 > four = Petite Section
age 4 > five = Moyenne Section
age 5 > 6 = Grande Section

Ecole Primaire (Primary) compulsory

age 6 > 7 = Cours Preparatoire or CP (11e)
age 7 > 8 = Cours Elementaire highest quality annee CE1 (10e)
age 8 > nine = Course Elementaire deuxieme annee CE2 (9e)
age 9 > 10 = Cours Moyenne premier annee CM1 (8e)
age 10 > 11 = Course Moyenne deuxieme annee CM2 (7e)

College (Secondary)

age eleven > 12 = Sixieme 6e
age 12 > 13 = Cinquieme 5e
age thirteen > 14 = Quatrieme 4e
age 14 > 15 = Troisieme 3e

Lycee (College) 
age 15 > sixteen = Seconde 2e
See note1
age 16 > 17 = Premiere 1e
age 17 > 18 = Terminale Term/Tle

1 Whilst schooling is obligatory from age 6 as much as age 16, at age 15 the pupil can decide to either attend Lycee until the age of 18 (to advantage the Baccalaureat), or pick a shorter vocational choice at a extraordinary institution. Although training is obligatory from the age of 6 maximum kids do attend from 2 1/2 or 3 years vintage either on a component time or full time basis so long as they're rest room educated.

Key Points to Note:

Registering your infant -

The age of your infant on the stop of the calendar yr will decide which class they enter, whilst the faculty year runs from Sept to July (ie youngsters born in 2002 will be inside the 2008/9 CP elegance).

Registering your child - For Maternalle and Primaire you may register your baby on the local Mairie, and for secondary faculty you will need to contact the executive head of the academic district (Rectorat).

To sign in you'll want to take along the childs start certificates, evidence of mother and father identification (reproduction of passports), health facts (kids want to be vaccinated against tuberculosis (BCG), diptheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTP) and Polio), software bill displaying home deal with, and duplicate of insurance policy (warranty scolaire). Some colleges may additionally insist documents are translated into French.

The School Day -

Maternalle and Primaire colleges comply with a four day (24 hour) week, over Mon, Tue, Thu and Fri. An more 2 hours in step with week is available to youngsters with difficulties. Typically the hours are 9am to 4.30, with a leisurely 90mins for lunch.

At Maternalle and Primaire degree, your toddler can either use the canteen, or be accumulated and brought home for lunch. There are normally no packed-lunches allowed.

For secondary colleges, normal times are eight.30am to 5pm with 90mins for lunch, however this can vary. Also variable are the days of attendance, relying on the place. However, in maximum regions there's no school on a Wednesday afternoon, and youngsters typically follow a interest or sport, with many golf equipment geared up for Wednesday sessions.

Most faculties perform a college bus carrier (information may be obtained from the Mairie).

At all tiers Children are evaluated at the stop of each term, and the trainer may additionally endorse both advancing a 12 months, wherein college students are performing very well, whether or not they're on course to pass the 12 months, or whether or not the yr will want to be repeated (redoublement). The latter is pretty commonplace, and this is designed to help the kid progress, and with none stigma connected.

There are two kinds of non-public schooling alternatives to be had -

Sous Contrat is a personal school with publicly funded coaching group of workers, following the country wide curriculum. Parents are requested to pay an annual fee as low as 400 euro.

Hors Contrat describes a non-public faculty now not funded by means of the authorities, and who are free to set their own curriculum, however prices can begin from around eight,000 euro in keeping with yr.

Lycee -

Students who select to complete their secondary schooling at Lycee, will go on to sit down the Baccalaureate (that is the equivalent of A-Levels in England and Wales) that allows you to input university. Other options are to take a shorter Brevet dEtudes Professionel (BEP), or a Certificate d'Aptitude Professionelle (CAP), both vocational alternatives.

Higher Education

Higher education is cut up into two main classes:

Grandes Ecoles - These are taken into consideration prestigious establishments, and selection exercises are very aggressive. These attention on single issue areas (consisting of engineering) and convey the elite of the various professions.

Universities - Traditional universities

Universities in Poitou Charentes

University of Poitiers - Founded at the start in 1431 by means of Pope Eugene IV, this college is the thrashing coronary heart of the Capital of Poitou Charentes. The group covers maximum primary fields via its community of departments, establishments and faculties.

University of La Rochelle - Founded in 1993, that is the youngest college in France. Three major faculties focussing on Languages, Arts and Human Sciences, but also linked to different business-focussed faculties