Enrolling your children in school

In France, the school year runs from the start of September to the end of June or start of July. School is mandatory for all children between 3 and 16 years old who are resident in France. Education during this period is free in public schools. Private schools also offer education, but for a fee. However, both types of school provide the same curriculum.

The school week runs from Monday to Friday in most schools. In general, classes start between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. and end between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Depending on the municipality, children may attend school on a Wednesday. The school day is interspersed with “recesses” of 15 to 30 minutes in the morning and afternoon to allow students to relax.

Students have two weeks of vacation time approximately every six weeks as well as summer holidays in July and August. In order to stagger holiday departures, geographical areas have been created (zones A, B and C). This means that a child who attends school in Paris (Zone C) will not be on vacation at the same time as a child who attends school in Lyon or Saint-Etienne.
Schedule of school vacations for Zone A

 

• Preschool/Kindergarten (“école maternelle”): is for children between 3 and 6 years of age and is mandatory. Classes here promote early skills and socialization. Depending on their age, children are split into “petite”, “moyenne” and “grande section” classes.
• Elementary/primary school (“école élémentaire/primaire”): is for children above 6 years of age and is mandatory. Children learn the basics: reading, writing and counting. Early skills (artistic or fun) are also offered. Depending on their age and level, children are split into “CP” (preparatory), “CE1” and “CE2” (elementary classes) or “CM1” and “CM2” (intermediary classes) for older students.
• Junior high (collège): this follows on from elementary school and is the start of secondary education. Lasting 4 years, it is for children between 11-12 to 14-15 years old (6th grade, 5th grade, 4th grade and 3rd grade). This is mandatory and ends with a national exam: the “brevet”.
• Senior high (lycée): this is the last three years of secondary education (with “seconde”, “première” and “terminale” classes). Students generally start at around 15 years of age. In “première” and “terminale” classes, students must sit a final, national exam known as the “baccalauréat”.

In France, education is free in public schools. However, families must pay for certain services.

Many schools offer a lunch service for a fee. Some schools allow children to bring their own lunch, but this is rare.

Similarly, childcare and extra-curricular activities are offered to parents of students in preschool/kindergarten and elementary school. You also have to pay for these services.

School supplies (pencils, notebooks, etc.) must be purchased by families. Textbooks are free in elementary schools and junior high, in both public and private schools. Families must pay for these in senior high.

Families must also pay for school transport. Certain schools have a special school bus, but in general, you must use public transport. Please note that school students and young university students have reduced fares. More information
More information about public transport

Depending on whether you choose a public or private school, registration formalities can vary.

You must register your child with the city hall of your place of residence for preschool/kindergarten and primary school. The city hall will then assign them a school.

To enroll your child in junior or senior high school, you must also go to the city hall of your place of residence, which will advise you on the department you must contact. Important: enrolling in junior or senior high school can take several months, especially if you arrive in the middle of the school year.

For enrollment in elementary up to senior high school, your child will first be assessed by a team of professionals. They will be assigned a class depending on the results of their French language test and an assessment of their skills. 

You will require the following documents to enroll your child. Make sure you bring them with you when moving to France, so as not to delay your child’s schooling:

• Your child’s birth certificate (translated into French, if necessary, by a sworn translator registered with a Court of Appeal in France);
• Your child’s record of vaccinations
• Proof of address in France issued less than 3 months ago. 

Find all the information on the formalities to be completed and download induction brochures in your language on the official website Service-public.fr

For long stays, it is sometimes possible to enroll in an Educational unit for arriving foreign-language students (“Unité Pédagogique pour élèves allophones arrivants - UPE2A”). Check out the website of the Centre Académique pour la Scolarisation des enfants allophones Nouvellement Arrivés et des enfants issus de familles itinérantes et de Voyageurs (CASNAV) [Academic center for the schooling of new foreign-language children and children from traveler families]

To enroll your children in a private school, all you have to do is contact your preferred school directly.

Like in the public system, the following documents will also be required. Make sure you bring them with you when moving to France, so as not to delay your child’s schooling:

• Your child’s birth certificate (translated into French, if necessary, by a sworn translator registered with a Court of Appeal in France);
• Your child’s record of vaccinations
• Proof of address in France issued less than 3 months ago. 

It is essential that you enroll your child as early as possible.

Lyon has a wide range of public and private schools offering international schooling, at all levels (preschool/kindergarten, elementary, junior and senior high).
In certain schools, your child can sit the International Baccalaureate (IB), the German Arbitur, the Spanish Bachillerato and even the French International Baccalauréat.

View the directory of international schools in Lyon