{"id":59014,"date":"2022-05-10T12:40:13","date_gmt":"2022-05-10T12:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.agsmovers.com\/?p=59014"},"modified":"2023-05-24T09:11:42","modified_gmt":"2023-05-24T09:11:42","slug":"moving-to-france-where-will-your-kids-go-to-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.agsmovers.com\/news\/moving-to-france-where-will-your-kids-go-to-school\/","title":{"rendered":"French Education System: Where Will Your Kids Go to School?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The British weather has finally got the better of you and you\u2019ve decided to take the plunge and move the family to France to live the French dream. The sun-drenched beaches of the Cote d\u2019Azur and the snow-capped mountains of the ski resorts in the Alps await. You have a job, somewhere to live, and you\u2019ve learnt a bit of the language. But where will the kids go to school?<\/p>\n

Read on to find out the basics of the French education system, how it compares to the British system, and what the options are for British expats if your children\u2019s French isn\u2019t fluent (yet!).<\/p>\n

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How does the education system work in France?<\/h2>\n

It is compulsory for children in France to attend school between the ages of 3 and 16.<\/p>\n

Children attend primary school (\u00c9cole primaire<\/strong>) between the ages of 3 and 11. This part of the school system includes nursery school (Maternelle<\/strong>), where they spend three years, between the ages of 3 and 6, and \u00c9cole \u00c9l\u00e9mentaire<\/strong>, where they spend 5 years between the ages of 6 and 11. French pupils then move to Coll\u00e8ge at the age of 11, where they spend four years, before finally transferring to Lyc\u00e9e for the final three years of school from the ages of 15 to 18.<\/p>\n

Beyond the age of 18, students can choose to study at one of France\u2019s state funded or private universities, or at privately funded higher education establishments, such as business or engineering schools or those specialising in training for specific careers, such as journalism.<\/p>\n

\"Kids<\/p>\n

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What options are there for expats?<\/h2>\n

Expats moving from England<\/a> have three main options. Firstly, children can join the French state education system where teaching is in French. State education is free in France, and if your children already speak French, or are young enough to learn, and you\u2019re planning on moving to France for the long-haul, this can be a great option and your children will receive an excellent standard of education. The French state system also offers a programme<\/a> specifically to help non-French speakers to integrate into the school system.<\/p>\n

France also has French-speaking private schools. And as is the case in most European countries, many of them offer a religious element to the curriculum. Early application (up to a year in advance) is advisable as it can be very difficult to get a place.<\/p>\n

The third option is to enrol your children into a fee-paying international school. France\u2019s big cities, including Paris, Lyon and Nice to name a few, have an excellent selection of bilingual or foreign-language schools. Those offering a purely British curriculum (such as the British School of Paris<\/a> in Croissy-sur-Seine) are fully fee paying. These can be very expensive, but may be the best option if your children are older and don\u2019t speak French or if your stay in France is temporary.<\/p>\n

\"Learning<\/p>\n

However, many of the international bilingual schools operate \u2018sous-contrat\u2019 (under contract), meaning that they provide education in line with the French state curriculum. In addition, they offer a private element that makes up the international curriculum. This part is taught in English (or another language), and fees for these schools are much more affordable as you only pay privately for the international element. There are plenty of these bilingual schools in and around France\u2019s larger cities, such as L\u2019Ermitage International School<\/a> in Maisons-Laffitte in the western suburbs of Paris. Children may, however, find it harder to integrate if they are older, as a good level of French is required to be able to keep up with the French side of the curriculum.<\/p>\n

Those that are lucky enough to live close to one of France\u2019s \u2018Lyc\u00e9es Internationales\u2019, such as the Lyc\u00e9e Internationale<\/a> in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, can attend one of France\u2019s unique, state-funded international schools. For a small financial contribution, your children can study in the British Section (or the German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, etc., sections if they are fluent speakers and nationals of these countries) and will receive an excellent standard of education. The fees are a fraction of the price of other international options and the schools rank among France\u2019s top state schools. However, competition for entry is fierce so it\u2019s best to have a backup option.<\/p>\n

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What are the most surprising differences between schools in France and the UK?<\/h2>\n