1. Ruth Lundi from America asks about school holiday dates in France (added 8/9/06)...
I have been reading your excellent and very informative articles on relocating to France. One thing I couldn't find is the actual school schedule. Do you know the approximate time frames children will have off from school? Any assistance would be appreciated. Thank you!

Our answer...
School term schedules depend on where your children go to school and whether they are privately or state educated, but the following may help, which is based on the 2006 and 2007 state school holidays in France:

Bordeaux, Créteil, Paris, Versailles
5 February - 19 February (2006)
9 April - 23 April (2006)

18 February - 4 March (2007)
8 April - 22 April (2007)

Aix-Marseille, Amiens, Besançon, Dijon, Lille, Limoges, Nice, Orleans-Tours, Poitiers, Reims, Rouen,
12 February - 26 February (2006)
16 April - 1 May (2006)

25 February - 11 March (2007)
15 April - 1 May (2007)

Caen, Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble, Lyon, Montpellier, Nancy-Metz, Nantes, Rennes, Toulouse
19 February - 5 March (2006)
23 April - 8 May (2006)

11 February - 25 February (2007)
1 April - 15 April (2007) plus....

All schools
5 July - 3 September (2006)
26 October - 5 November (2006)
24 December (2006) - 7 January (2007)

5 July - 3 September (2007)
28 October - 7 November (2007)
23 December (2007) - 6 January (2008) Hope this helps.

2. Shirley Riley asks about exams in France (added 17/10/06)...
I have been scouring the Internet for information relating to exams. My concern is for my 14-year old son who has just chosen his subjects here in the UK. Do you know at what age the exams are taken and how they are made up, i.e. coursework or written final exam? I understand they have to take an exam to get into university at 18.

Joanna Simm, author of the above article, replies...
At about 15 they take the Brevet... the nearest equivalent to the GCSEs we have in the UK. It is taken in Troisième (3eme), my son is doing it this year. Troisième is the last year of college, or secondary education.

The Brevet
There are two parts to the Brevet, which is taken by pupils in 3eme. The first part involves Controle continu, which are tests taken throughout the year, worth 200 points. The second part involves exams which are taken in June, each of which last for about two hours, with longer ones for French. The exams taken are usually French, Maths, History, Geography and Civics, and these are worth 120 points.

However, very clever students may be awarded a pass at Brevet before they are due to take the exams in June, if they have averaged over 16 points (out of 20) in every test in every subject during the past year (3eme). This is very rare. (Incidentally, the Brevet has changed slightly, in that from this year, only marks taken from controles (tests) done in 3eme count towards the Brevet. Up until last year it included marks from 4eme.)

Vie Scolaire
There is one exception to this... the newly introduced Vie Scolaire, which marks kids out of 20 for their general demeanour, behaviour, effort in class and all non-academic aspects of school life. This can be a boon for English kids... and it counts from 4eme as well as 3eme.

Lycée or Lycée professional
Having done the Brevet, children then go to Lycée or Lycée Professional to do the Baccalauréat. (It is worth noting that it is not necessary to pass the Brevet to go to Lycée and do a Baccalauréat... but it helps!) The Lycée is for the more academic kids who will want to go to university, the Lycée Professional for those who will wish to gain a skill and work sooner rather than later. The Baccalauréat is usually taken at 18, which will get you into university or not.

Coursework versus exams
There is no coursework that contributes towards passing your Brevet, as in England with GCSEs. As mentioned previously however, the results of tests taken throughout the year contribute instead.

3. A question on the requirements for attending school in France (added 17/10/06)...
We are seeking to move to France in the near future, could you please advise us on the requirements needed in order for our granddaughter to attend school in France.

Joanna Simm, author of the above article, writes...
In order to join a school in France there are some requirements, which differ from school to school I think. Your granddaughter will need copies of her vaccinations, the French insist on this, which her doctor in England can supply (a faxed copy is fine). The French all have a Carte Sante, which details all treatments from birth. They are quite unbelieving that the British don't have these.

Reports from the UK
Copies of reports may or may not be required, we had to produce them for one school but not for the other.

Schools in your area
To find out about schools in your area, it is a good idea to go to or contact the Mairie of your proposed town. They know most things! Otherwise try the internet, though this may not tell you of all the options. You could also try posting on ex-pat forums (Total France can be a helpful one), maybe someone in your proposed area can help with info.

Visit your chosen school
Other than that, you just make an appointment to see the school head. Your granddaughter may have to go through some sort of orientation process (usually if it is a state school).

From personal experience
From personal experience and that of my pals here, with a child of that age:

1) Be prepared for her to repeat her first year. If she starts in Cinquième, expect to repeat Cinquième the next year, unless her French is already nearly fluent. There's no shame in this, most English kids do it and many French kids who haven't done as well as they would have liked. There are several ages in each school year here. For a 13-year old she will probably begin in cinquième, or quatrième. Cinquième is equivalent to Year 8 in the UK. It gives her a year or two before things get too serious. Troisième is the Brevet year, similar to GCSE.

2) Do consider private school. State schools don't have time for non-French speakers. It can be VERY hard for them to cope in this environment even in a good school. Sometimes they are seen as another foreign problem, rather than as an asset to the school. Private doesn't have to be expensive. I pay about 100 euros per child per month and that includes four lunches per week. It's not like private school in the UK, it is just a smaller and more friendly option.

4. A visitor to the site asks about special needs schools in France (added 11/5/07)...
Could you let me know if there are any facilities in France for children who have severe learning difficulties?

Joanna Simm, author of the above article, replies...
It is nowhere near as clear cut as in the UK... apparently things are moving forward in this respect but it is very much a question of individual provision in different areas and schools. I think there are some schools in France that cater entirely for children with special needs, but they are not that widespread. Many children are absorbed into mainstream schools, with extra help or extra classes. It does depend entirely on the level of need.

To do this, to get extra help or classes in mainstream schools in France, you must collect all possible documentation before you move... of course, this is France, drowning in a sea of paper! So you will need statements, doctor's reports, school reports, educational psychologist's reports etc.

Then I think the best bet would be to go and see the school in your area which your child would attend, tell them the situation and ask for an assessment. Also, go to your doctor in France and ask for his assessment.

Hopefully, from here something will happen. Some areas in France do have educational psychologists doing the rounds, others don't. As in the UK... push, push, push... he who shouts loudest gets heard. Bon chance! (And if you haven't moved yet, research the areas very thoroughly... try posting on ex-pats boards such as Total France to see if anyone has any experience of special education in your area.)

I do hope this information will be of some use.

5. A question about schools in Bressuire (added 11/5/07)...
We are a family with three boys, aged nine, twelve and fourteen, and we are thinking of moving to the Bressuire area. Can you let me know what schools would be available for them? I have no idea what age grouping the schools have, e.g in the UK the children change their school at circa eleven years old. I look forward to hearing from you and thank you for your help in this matter.

Jo Rhodes, editor of French Property Links, replies...
Thank you for contacting us about French schools. Generally, the French school system runs as follows:

2-5 yrs - Nursery school
6-11 yrs - Elementary school (Primary school)
12-15 yrs - College/Secondaire (French secondary school)
16 - 18 yrs - Lycée
19 - 21 yrs - University

There are private schools or state (public) schools. In order to find out what schools are available in your area, I would suggest that you contact your local Académie (or Education Authority equivalent) for the Bressuire area, which is:

Deux-Sèvres Department
61 avenue de Limoges BP 515
79022 Niort
Cedex

Tel : 05 49 77 11 11
Fax : 05 49 24 96 40
Email : ce.ia79@ac-poitiers.fr
Website: www.ac-poitiers.fr/voir.asp?r=32

From here can obtain the details of all the schools in your area.

I would also suggest that you contact your Mairie, who will be able to let you know which commune you are in, as this will affect which schools your children will be able to go to.

A very helpful website is www.education.gouv.fr, which has all this information and much more. (I'm not sure how good your French is, but if you would prefer this in English, if you search for "French Education" in Google, you can access the translated pages of this site by clicking on the link found next to the www.education.gouv.fr entry that appears.)

Finally, we have a few articles on our site which may be of interest to you, if you haven't already seen them. These are:

French School - experiences of a fourteen-year-old (http://www.frenchpropertylinks.com/essential/frenchschool.html)
Starting School in France
(http://www.frenchpropertylinks.com/essential/french-schools.html)

I hope this information is of use and good luck with your move to France!

6. A question about private schools in the Languedoc area (added 11/5/07)...
My husband, myself and son of five are looking to move to the Languedoc area in the near future. We are hoping to send James to a private school and wondered if you could send me a link to private schools, or recommend any within this department?

Joanna Simm, author of the above article, replies...
I found our private school by word of mouth... so many little private schools exist it is just a case of where exactly you are going to live. Private schools here are not at all like those in the UK. (About 100 euros per child per month... including 4 x 3-course meals per week.)

I can certainly recommend the school my kids go to. This is in Castelnaudary and called Jeanne d'Arc. The headteacher/ Directrice is MMe Pelletier. It is incredibly old fashioned, scruffy round the edges like all things in southern France, has no money or fancy equipment... BUT has an ethic of caring and respect... from kids to staff and back again... second to none. Also my kids are doing pretty well academically there, though if this is the main issue, it is generally held that the state schools are best for pure academic results. I would dispute this on local evidence though.

However, the big point in favour is that private schools are small and friendly and have time to help foreign kids. At the big state school we tried first it was awful, no understanding of the predicament of kids who didn't speak French at all. Mine were twelve and thirteen when we came, a very difficult age, and they spoke no French. The first year was hell. Then they went to Jeanne d'Arc. Two years on, Kell, at 16, with the hardest task, has passed his Brevet Blanc, and we hope he will pass the real thing in June. He is passed to move up to Lycée to do a Baccalaureate anyway on his grades so far. Joasie, at 15 (nearly), is either top or second in her class all the time, and there are some good kids in her class. I do hope this is of help. It is such a worry, getting it right is so important.

7. A question about temporary schooling in France (added 7/6/2007)...
We are planning a year-long family sabbatical in Europe next year and would spend two blocks of time of six-eight weeks in France. We were wondering if our children (six and four) could attend school in France during these periods. The six-year old goes to a French bilingual school here in Australia. Does the public or private school/maternelle system accept short term, non-French kids such as ours?

Jo Rhodes, editor of French Property Links, replies...
Thanks for your email. I have been in touch with my colleague in France, who suggests that you contact some private schools in the area that you are visiting, as each school will have its own rules. Generally, French private schools will be more flexible than French public (state) schools, though she doesn't see why taking your children in temporarily will be a problem.

You may find the site www.fabert.com useful, as this lists private schools in all areas of France.

8. A question about schools in the Bergerac area (added 4/12/07)...
I would like some more information about schools in the area of Bergerac. The children are twelve, ten and six years old. Are there English schools and are there any large properties (like guest houses for sale) near good schools? The two older children are learning French and are in their 4th year with regards to learning the language but a dual medium school would be great.

Our reply...
Thanks for contacting us. If you are wanting an English-speaking school near Bergerac, a list of International Schools in France can be found at http://france.english-schools.org/. An International School may be your best option if you are wanting an English-speaking school.

It doesn't sound from your email if you know exactly where you will be living yet, but once you do, in order to find private schools or state (public) schools in your area, I would suggest that you contact your local Académie (or Education Authority equivalent) for your area, which you can find from the website at www. education.gouv.fr. I would also suggest that you contact your Mairie, who will be able to let you know which commune you are in, as this will affect which schools your children will be able to go to.

I am afraid I am not in a position to search for property for you, but our site is very user-friendly. Once you know the area you wish to be in, you can search by town, department or region, or indeed be more specific with your search. I wish you all the best.

9. A question about summer schools and boarding schools in France (added 27/5/08)...
I truly appreciate your article. My son Peter is in the Lycée In Rome, Italy. He is in troisieme and not doing so good. He has an average of 12 out of 20 but is very weak in Mathematics. I was wondering If you know of any summer schools in France which revise the troisieme year, subjects like French, Maths, plus Spanish, Greek, Latin, Science. My son has already redoubled in 6eme. He was far too young so it was ok. If he passes we need him to do a month of solid revision. Furthermore do you know of any good boarding schools in France? My ex-husband would like to send Peter to boarding school in France if he fails the year. It would be very sad for me but unfortunately my husband insists on French education even though he is American. Thanking you in advance for your time.

Jo Rhodes, editor of French Property Links, replies...
Thanks for contacting us. I have been in touch with my colleague Joanna in France, who is unable to recommend any particular boarding school in France, but says that almost all the schools she knows, whether they be state, private or international, do board... weekly anyway. She also unfortunately does not know of any summer schools.

Have you considered the International Schools? But you would need to check which curriculum they follow, as they are all different. If you haven't read our article on International schools in France, may be this will help. You can find it at http://www.frenchpropertylinks.com/essential/international-schools-in-france.html. Perhaps the International School in Toulouse would be able to suggest some summer schools too? Or as you are in Italy, maybe one in Provence would be better?

Incidentally Joanna also says that 12 out of 20 is a pass and not too bad. But if this is in troisieme, he will find it gets harder in seconde. I'm sorry we cannot be of more help, but we wish you and your son all the best and hope that you'll be able to find a satisfactory solution for all concerned.

10. A question about English "streams" in French schools (added 12/3/09)...
I have just found your information about French schools. We are an Australian family who have been living for almost two years in the Loire Valley. My son has just turned four and has commenced his second year at maternelle. His first year of school was very difficult with no assistance available to assist him with his language needs. He has reasonable skills with French language comprehension and expression, but the stress of his last year has made him block the language somewhat. We are moving soon to Dijon and I am wondering about bilingual options for children of this age. I have heard that there are some French public schools which have a English "stream" but I think this is for an older age group. I would be happy to find a normal French school which is willing to support him as his French language skills develop; but I also need to think about his English language development. Do you have any suggestions?

Our reply...
The trouble is it is almost impossible to advise without knowing the area and what is available there. (I live in the south.) Usually the little schools for younger kids, are very good at helping. The only thing I can say as a teacher of EFL is that it is normal for a child to refuse to speak the language for the first year to eighteen months... they sort of soak it up and finally it all pours out. So what you perceive to be blocking may not be.

As for schools with an English stream... well, there isn't really one in our school though there is a supporting French class twice weekly in the lunch break for non native speakers. What about trying an international school, this would help with English too?

I still recommend the ordinary private schools such as Jeanne d'Arc where my kids are... there are similar schools everywhere... they have small classes and generally the level of "caring" is far better. And of course a great way to get the language without tears and stress is to join up to an activity... such as skiing with a club, sailing on a local lake with a club, join a drama group, yes, even at four!!! The kids play and don't realise they are learning, which is the principle I use to teach English to all my under 12s. Almost inevitably a four-year old will pick up the language easily given a little time... just let him take his time.

A helpful follow-up
Thank you so much for the information. I feel reassured by your comments about children refusing to speak the language. I have friends in Reims with ten and eleven-year old girls who have been in a school more than one year now, which has an English language stream. It is a normal public school. Apparently there are a few schools like this in France, but it does not apply to children under the age of nine years. If I find any information about this system, I will forward it to you.

11. A question about summer schools and notice needed (added 12/3/09)...
We are a family of six – our children are all young ages eight, five, two and nine months. We are hoping to move to the South of France possibly Var region or Vaucluse. Can you advise about summer schools that we could perhaps access to give the children a liitle start before the academic term begins, and also the main question… how much notice do you need to give to “register” your child with a school? I think that we will go down the route of a private school, it seems as though the smaller numbers and more individual attention would be beneficial during the transition phase.

Joanna Simm, author of the above article, replies...
I don't really know about summer schools... maybe contact the Mairie of your proposed town. They know most things! Otherwise try the internet, though this may not tell you of all the options. You could also try posting on ex-pat forums (Total France can be a helpful one), maybe someone in your proposed area can help with info.

I wouldn't worry about the kids catching up though, not at these ages. They are young and although at first they will be a bit shell-shocked it won't take long. Just let them take it at their own pace.

At our school you can register and start immediately... or nearly... if you are lucky. I don't think there is a set time for registration, but private schools can become full if they are popular... although most are keen to have the pupils as they are dependent on numbers for funding.

12. A question about college in France (added 13/8/09)...
Hello there - I have just been reading through your articles re: the French Schooling system and I must say it is very helpful. However, can you advise? My dautghter is 16 in August and commences college here in England in September. However, we plan to move over in November. We would like her to continue her course ( Hair and Beauty) but not sure if they will take her on in November, or will she have to wait? What do we need to do?

Thank you for your time.

Joanna Simm, author of the above article replies...
As I understand it you can join any college here at any time, many kids change colleges mid-term etc. To do Hair and Beauty your daughter would have to go to a Lycee Professionnelle type place (non academic Lycee), and of course she must study in French. The trick would be to contact the Lycees in the town you are moving to, now, to arrange a place for your daughter. You can take their advice on what you then would need to do.

13. A question about French league tables (added 15/10/09)...
Hello - my son has just started his 2nd year at Maternelle (he's nearly 5) so I am a little ahead of the game in looking into the "best" schools in the area but am thinking that it might take a while to find the information I'm looking for. Being English, I have League tables and the like in the back of my mind but having asked around if there is anything similar here in France, have been told "no". Is there not some kind of schools directory which can give some partial guidance to the standard of schools? I have understood that the private route is not necessarily the better route but am still a bit muddled as to how people select schools for their children. Is it simply a case of being in a certain catchment area? Thanks for your help.

Our reply...
Thanks for contacting us. I have been in touch with my colleague Joanna in France who says:

"I think that it is really a case of local knowledge in France. Some schools have a good reputation, others not, but the only way of knowing for sure is to get to know people in the locality who have first hand knowledge. Private schools aren't supposed to be better by rights, but in practice we have found it works that way. Our daughter has just left the state lycee after 1 month to go to the private lycee in Carcassonne as there were 35 in her state class, whereas there are 15 in the private one... judge for yourself. It also seems that in general, the "nicer" kids go private... obviously not across the board as there are good kids and bad everywhere, but the atmosphere at the privees is nicer, the teachers have more of a caring attitude and kids are treated as people not numbers."

I hope this information will be of use.