SCHOOLS IN FRANCE
Schools in France are divided into four distinct secteurs. Ecole Maternelle,Ecole Primaire, College and Lycée. The obligatory education attendance age for children is between the ages of 6 and 16. The schooling is free in all state schools (with the exception of a few nominal contribution charges for the cantine and any extras). If you are in financial difficulty there is help with these charges. The fees in the private school secteur are a lot lower than anywhere else in the world but varies from school to school. Private schools are generally church schools and are often under contract. They can be mixed or unisex. International schools can be found in the bigger cities in France.
ECOLE MATERNELLE
The maternelle is open to children between the ages of two to six provided that the child is out of nappies and that the school believe it will be able to cope socially in this environment. This requirement will vary from school to school and one should ask the local Marie of your local village their rules and requirements. The maternelle provides an essential social and learning interaction process in preparing your children for school. It is not obligatory to send your child to maternelle but it is highly recommended. The maternelle is equivalent to pre-primary, nursery school or a kindergarden as we know them. The hours of attendance are flexible. The child can attend maternelle simply for the morning or for the whole day if the parents work. In this latter case it will eat at the cantine and have a siesta in the afternoon. It is obligatory that all children attending the maternelle are vaccinated and you will be expected to provide a doctors certificate to ensure that your child has no contagious condition and that the vaccinations are up to date. The maternelle is divided into a petite section (2-3 years old); moyenne section (3-5 years old) and the grande section (5-6 years old).
ECOLE PRIMAIRE
This is primary school and the beginning of the childs compulsory education. It begins at the age of 6 until the age of 11. The breakdown of the classes are as follows: CP (6-7 years old); CE1 (7-8 years old); CE2 (8-9 years old) CM1 (9-10 years old); CM2 (10-11 years old).
COLLEGE
On completion of CM2 your child will normally change school and go to College at the age of 11 years old. Here he begins his first cycle of secondary education in the 6éme. The breakdown of the classes in College are as follows: 6éme (11-12 years old); 5éme (12-13 years old); 4éme (13-14 years old); 3éme (14-15 years old). The Brevet is done in the 3éme in preparation for next stage of education in Lycée and in preparation for the Baccalaureat.