Schools in France — maternelle, école, collège, lycée

How the school system is structured

French education is divided into stages: maternelle (kindergarten, ages 3–6, compulsory since 2019), école élémentaire (primary, ages 6–11, 5 years CP-CM2), collège (lower-secondary, ages 11–15, 4 years 6e-3e ending in the Diplôme National du Brevet exam), and lycée (upper-secondary, ages 15–18, 3 years seconde-première-terminale ending in the baccalauréat).

Lycée splits into three tracks at the start of seconde: lycée général (academic, leading to the bac général and university), lycée technologique (technology track, the bac technologique), and lycée professionnel (vocational with strong workplace integration, the bac pro). Switching between tracks is possible but increasingly difficult after the second year.

Enrolling your child

Enrolment is via your local mairie (for maternelle and élémentaire) or directly with the collège/lycée based on your sectoral assignment (carte scolaire — your address determines your school). Bring proof of residency (justificatif de domicile), child's birth certificate, vaccination records, and any prior school records (translated to French if not already).

Apply by spring for the September academic year start. Mid-year arrivals are accommodated; many schools have UPE2A (Unités Pédagogiques pour Élèves Allophones Arrivants) classes for newcomer kids needing French-language support. The mairie or rectorat (regional education authority) places your child appropriately.

A typical school day and week

School runs Monday-Tuesday-Thursday-Friday, often with Wednesday off (some schools include Wednesday morning). Days are long: typically 08:30–16:30 with a 1.5–2 hour lunch break. Lunch is often eaten at school in the cantine — heavily subsidised, multi-course, and fairly nutritious by international standards.

School holidays are generous: 6 holiday periods totalling about 16 weeks per year. The summer break runs early July to early September; "petites vacances" of 2 weeks each fall in autumn (Toussaint), Christmas, February, and Easter. Holiday dates vary by zone (A, B, C — three regional zones to spread tourist demand).

Public vs private — état and sous contrat

About 17% of French students attend private schools, most of which are "sous contrat" with the state — meaning the state pays teacher salaries and the school follows the national curriculum. These schools typically charge €500–3,000/year, accept all faiths in practice (despite many being Catholic in origin), and offer comparable academic quality to good public schools. Many parents in cities choose them for class size or community fit.

"Hors contrat" private schools (outside the contract) are fully independent — academically diverse, often expensive (€8,000–25,000/year), and not bound by the national curriculum. They are a niche option, more common in Paris than elsewhere. Truly international schools (the EIB, the British School of Paris, Lycée International) are hors contrat.

French language for newcomer kids

Schools place newcomer children needing French support in UPE2A classes — typically 1–2 years of intensive French alongside regular classes, then full integration. Younger children adapt remarkably quickly (3–6 months for a 6-year-old, 12–18 months for a 12-year-old to be fluent enough to follow lessons fully). Older teenagers find the transition harder, especially at lycée level where the bac demands strong French.

For families wanting to maintain their home language, weekend mother-tongue schools, ELCO (Enseignements de Langues et Cultures d'Origine, partially state-funded for some languages), and bilingual sections in some schools (Spanish, German, English, Italian, etc.) are useful complements. The OEPRE programme (Ouvrir l'École aux Parents pour la Réussite des Enfants) offers free French classes to immigrant parents through the school.

After-school care, sports, and cantine

After-school care (garderie or accueil périscolaire) is offered before school (07:30–08:30) and after (16:30–18:30) by the mairie at modest fees (means-tested by the quotient familial), with Wednesday-morning options when the school does not run Wednesday classes. Quality varies by city.

Sports and cultural activities are not embedded in the French school day the way they are in the US — they happen via local clubs, the conservatoire (music and theatre, modestly priced), and sports leagues. The mairie publishes a guide to extracurriculars at the start of the school year. Many activities cost €100–400/year.

School lunch in the cantine is fully cooked on-site or by the mairie's catering service; quality is generally good. Costs are means-tested via the quotient familial; full price ranges €3–7 per meal, reduced fees for low-income families.

The baccalauréat — France's university entrance exam

The baccalauréat (the bac) is taken at the end of lycée (terminale, age 17–18) and is the gatekeeper to university and most higher education. It was reformed in 2021: 60% from continuous control during première and terminale, 40% from final exams in philosophy and the chosen major specialities ("spécialités") plus a final oral ("Grand Oral"). The bac général has three streams (Humanities, Sciences, Economics-Social) and students choose 2 spécialités for terminale.

University admission is via Parcoursup, the national portal where students submit ranked preferences for higher-ed programmes. Most public universities admit any French bac holder for licence (undergraduate) programmes; selective tracks (CPGE, IUT, BTS, Sciences Po, Grandes Écoles) require dossier + sometimes interviews and entrance exams.

Higher education — universities, grandes écoles, and CPGE

France's higher-ed system is dual: public universities (cheap, €170/year tuition for nationals and EU students, ~€2,800/year for non-EU since 2019) and grandes écoles (selective, prestigious, mostly business or engineering, tuition €600–18,000/year). Top grandes écoles include Polytechnique, ENS, HEC, INSEAD, Sciences Po. Admission to grandes écoles typically requires 2–3 years of preparatory classes (CPGE — classes préparatoires aux grandes écoles) after the bac.

IUT (Instituts Universitaires de Technologie) and BTS (Brevet de Technicien Supérieur) offer 2–3 year vocational degrees with strong industry placement. Increasingly popular as a faster route to good salaried jobs than a 5-year master's.

For non-French students, English-taught programmes have multiplied — most business schools and many engineering schools now offer English-taught masters. CampusFrance is the official portal for international students.

Special educational needs

Children with special needs (handicaps moteurs, autistic spectrum, learning disabilities, etc.) are entitled to inclusion in the public school system with support from an AESH (Accompagnant des Élèves en Situation de Handicap). The MDPH (Maison Départementale des Personnes Handicapées) coordinates the assessment and PPS (Projet Personnalisé de Scolarisation).

Provision varies — some areas have strong inclusive schools with dedicated ULIS (Unités Localisées pour l'Inclusion Scolaire) classes; others are stretched. Specialist schools (IME — Instituts Médico-Éducatifs) handle higher-needs cases. Private specialised schools (often religious-founded) provide alternatives for families dissatisfied with public provision.