How to prepare for your child starting at French school

Local France

3 days ago

It's high summer in France. The holiday season is in full swing – but September is heading towards us like a slow-moving freight train, bringing with it
la rentrée
.
Already, to the dismay of school-age children the length and breadth of the country, supermarket shelves are dripping with pens and folders, inks and erasers, reminding them that this long spell of relaxation will eventually end.
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But what should new arrivals to France – and their children – expect as they gear up for their first days at school in France?
Stationery and school supplies
Your school will send - probably already has sent - a list of things your child / children must have for their first day, known as
fourniture scolaire
. It can be very specific, in some cases down to the preferred make of certain items, or weight of the paper (really). Each teacher may even provide a different list.
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Early on, it will include things like pencils, crayons, felt-tip pens, a pencil case, glue, plain paper, a wipe-clean writing slate, and tissues. Further into your child's schooling, expect to see a diary and a fountain pen among the items included.
You will also be asked to provide cardboard folders, files, clear plastic pockets, and an old shirt to protect clothes during art classes.
By collège, the list will include an agenda, work books, more art stuff, additional files and folders, a scientific calculator, the usual gamut of rulers, set squares and protractors, and much more besides.
It makes sense to recycle some items year after year, like pencil cases and calculators, plastic pockets and files. It'll save you a fortune.
For extra fun,
lycée
pupils are unlikely to receive a list of what they need until they head back to school at
la rentrée
. An agenda, and a decently stocked pencil case will suffice on the first day back. After that, you just have to dash to your local supermarket or office supply store to pick up what you need.
Do you need to buy textbooks?
Schools usually supply textbooks. Chances are, they will come with stern instructions to cover them. You will be expected to hand these back at the end of the school year – and may even have to provide a deposit cheque against their damage or loss at the start of the autumn term in September.
You may, however, be required to buy other books – for example, French literature books – over the course of the year. These, you get to keep.
Will there be homework?
Officially, homework is not a requirement until collège, but that doesn't necessarily stop teachers from setting some for children from CP – the first year of école primaire. You can rage against the machine if you like.
What about uniforms?
A few schools in France have a uniform policy. Most, however, do not. In 2024,
100 schools took part in an experiment to introduce uniforms
, but there's no news on how that trial has progressed, and whether there are plans to introduce school uniforms nationally. The government has other things to worry about, let's be honest.
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It is routinely expected, though, that children are reasonably well turned out, and dressed appropriately for the conditions.
And it's a sensible idea to mark the clothes with your child's name. You can buy name tags online where you can write your child's name, school and a phone number to increase the likelihood of things making their way back to you.
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Bags
Most children start school with a new backpack, known as a
sac à dos
.
As they get older, these bags get bigger, as workloads get heavier. By collège (age 11 to 14) or lycée (age 15 to 18), children are likely to have to lug around several kilogrammes of school stuff daily. It may be tempting to get them a wheeled bag - check with the school, first, however. Some don't allow them.
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On the other hand, collèges and lycées are likely to offer lockers – perhaps for a nominal fee, plus the cost of a lock. Choose a good one.
What about any after-school activities?
After-school activities linked to the school aren't really a thing – school is for learning. Your school may offer a
garderie
, which basically involves someone watching your child run around the playground before and after school, so that parents can fit work in between dropping off and picking up. This will normally entail a nominal fee.
Teachers may offer homework clubs, certainly as children get older. Remember, too, classes on Wednesday are usually cut short at lunchtime - while some schools close altogether on a Wednesday - so that children can take part in extra-curricular activities, such as organised sports.
Speaking of which…
Sport
Contrary to what some commentators may tell you, sport is on the curriculum in France at all ages. And, from the age of 11, children may have the chance to compete in a range of sports against other schools locally, regionally and nationwide, through the
Union Nationale du Sport Scolaire
(UNSS) association, or the
Union Générale Sportive de l'Enseignement Libre
(UGSEL) for private schools.
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In maternelle and primary school (ages three to 11) sports education is basic, no more than an excuse to get children dashing about and burning energy and playing games. You may want to dress your child in more suitable clothes on days they do sport (tracksuit bottoms, as opposed to jeans, for example) but don't expect them to have anywhere to change.
Depending on facilities nearby, there may be periods of a few weeks when your child does swimming or ice skating as part of their school sports lessons. You'll be informed, so you can send your child to school suitably prepared. Likewise, if your child's teacher is a fan of a particular sport, expect an emphasis on that one.
By collège, you'll get a list of required kit for sports lessons, and options are likely to widen to include activities including rugby, football, badminton, table tennis and golf – and, by the time they hit lycée (from 15), even weight training.
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Many children, however, satisfy their sports habits by joining local clubs. Sometime around the end of August, local authorities may host an event at which sports associations tout their activities to prospective members.
Fees depend on the chosen sport, but seem to average out at around €200 per year (depending on the club, the cost of kit may or may not be included), which will include lessons and access to competitions throughout the year.
Early on, lessons are limited to one or two per week, but – if a child shows particular interest and aptitude, the number of lessons / training sessions is likely to ramp up as they get older. By 15 or 16, some children may be training four or five times per week.
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And mobile phones?
The use of 'a mobile phone or any other electronic communications terminal equipment' has been banned in nurseries, ecoles primaires (primary schools) and collèges in France since 2018.
In lycées, internal regulations may prohibit the use of a mobile phone by pupils in 'all or part of the premises'.
A
'pause numerique' (digital pause) trial
in September 2024, at the start of the last school year, required up to 50,000 pupils to hand in their phones – and connected devices such as smartwatches – on arrival in the morning, putting them in boxes or lockers. They will collect them at the end of classes. The ban extended to extracurricular activities and school trips.
This was set to be rolled out gradually across all state collèges by the end of 2025.
Will my child need to be vaccinated?
Yes. Before a child starts school in France, parents are asked to provide proof of vaccination, with 11 vaccines now compulsory for school starters.
Children who are not vaccinated will not be fully enrolled in school. Instead they will be provisionally enrolled and the parents will be given a set period to have the vaccinations carried out.
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Diptheria, tetanus and polio vaccinations have been compulsory for some time, but another eight were added in 2018: whooping cough, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, influenza, pneumonia and meningitis C.
What if my child doesn't speak French?
Moving to France with little or no French is a challenge for anyone, but for kids starting at French schools the process can be difficult.
There's a perception that children simply 'pick up' languages with no problem, but in fact it can be quite a difficult process.
While children do usually learn faster – thanks to both their sponge-like brains and the simple fact of total immersion in the language for seven hours a day while at school - it can still be a stressful period for both children and parents alike.
Most schools will offer extra language lessons to kids aged six and over who don't speak French, while areas with a lot of non-French speaking children have a programme called UPE2A offers specialised support for elementary-aged students all the way through to high school (lycée).
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Children at maternelle – aged three to six – are usually not given formal French classes, but are simply put in with a group of French-speaking children.
But the big takeaway from talking to parents who have been through the process is that the levels of support vary widely from area to area, from school to school. The issue may be as simple as having an English-speaking teacher on hand. Or not.
One way to help your child along in this process is through extracurricular activities - the English-language handbook sent out by the French ministry of education to parents of 'new arrivals' even made a point to encourage foreign parents to help their children learn French faster by 'involving [them] in sporting, cultural or social activities in your area'.
What if we don't speak French?
If you're lucky the teacher may speak some English, but that's not guaranteed – and, even if they do, they might be as self conscious as you are speaking French with them.
So, if your French is very basic it's a good idea to take along a French-speaking friend for any important school meetings.
Once your child picks up French they can translate for you (although don't be surprised if they stitch you up by 'forgetting' anything that might get them in trouble).
Do we supply food?
School meals in France are generally of a high standard.
Some have gone so far as to say that French pupils have the best lunches in the world
, with a balanced, multi-course menu offered each day, with vegetarian alternatives.
There's occasional tat on the menu - even chicken nuggets do a job every now and then - but on the whole the food is nutritious and healthy. And, crucially, affordable.
Meals need to be good. School days are long – in part to fit in the two-hour lunch break which allows children to eat their meals without gulping them down, and to decompress after a busy morning conjugating verbs and learning about Charlemagne.
You can, if you want, take your child out of school at lunchtimes. Be aware that packed lunches are not a common option in France (unless your child has allergies) outside school trips.
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Consider, also, a morning – and perhaps an afternoon – goûter. Don't be too surprised, either, if your child starts demanding a
post-school trip to the boulangerie for a croissant or chocolatine
.
There's also a lesson here about food.
Children learn about nutrition at a young age. They're expected to understand what a healthy diet involves, and what they eat at school shows the way.
Wait… you said long school days?
You may be forgiven for thinking that French schoolchildren have it easy, with regular two-week breaks throughout the year, and July and August pretty much off. In total, children have 36 weeks of teaching time – which means they also spend 16 weeks a year on holiday.
But, yes, each school day is long. The French public school day typically runs from 8.30am - 4.30pm, which is generally longer than school days in the United States, for example. By the age of 11, many children are expected in school by 8am.
However, French students get a longer lunch break and most French schools have either half-days on Wednesdays or they might have the day completely off, which makes things a little easier.
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How much involvement do parents have in their children's education?
If you are used to the level of involvement parents can have in the US or UK, you may be surprised by how little daily interaction you have with your kids' French school.
At primary schools, the headteacher often stands at the school gate each morning, in case you need to talk to him or her, but don't expect regular updates from your child's class teacher outside regular parent-teacher nights.
Schools may have a gathering of children and parents before classes on the first day back. There may even be coffee. It's nice, but not compulsory. A meeting may also be organised in the early days, to advise parents about the year ahead. It's a good idea to go to that so you get an idea of what's in store curriculum-wise, and early warning of any school trips.
In collège and lycée, meanwhile, you may be able to keep up to date with your child's progress via an online portal – on which you may have access to their continuous assessment grades, news from the school, and the ability to message teachers (just don't expect an answer outside working hours).
Otherwise, generally assume no news is, generally, good news – no cause for concern is no cause to involve parents in teaching issues seems to be the unwritten rule in a country where teachers teach and parents parent – and the twain only meet when absolutely necessary.
None of this is to say that scholastic ivory towers protect teachers from parental interference. If you have an issue, drop your child's teacher a line. They will work with you to solve any problems.
Otherwise, a good way of knowing what's going on inside the school is to become a member of the parent-teacher's association (a
parent d'élève
).
Another way to get involved is to join a parents' informal Whatsapp group. Ask around during pick-up or drop-off to find out how you can be added.
And there's always the chance to help out with homework – when parents discover that, contrary to common understanding, they can change maths… and that history is very and interestingly different from a French perspective.
Box-ticking exercises
Be ready for the fact that the education system in France is far from perfect. It's very easy to argue, for example, that there's way too much emphasis on testing and box ticking, and is rigid and unforgiving.
That can make schools a difficult place for children who don't easily fit into the system.
Autistic children, for instance, may find school systems very hard to manage – for all that France's long-criticised stance on autism is slowly improving. In many cases, attitudes to children's needs lie with the school. A good teaching staff makes all the difference, while developing and maintaining strong relations with them eases the school journey for parents and children alike.
Can I take my child out of classes for holidays?
It's complicated. Students are expected to attend scheduled classes, unless they have legitimate reasons for their absence – and going on a family holiday outside of the standard vacation periods set by the school calendar does not constitute a legitimate reason.
According to France's Education Ministry: 'It is not possible to envisage à la carte vacations that would disrupt the functioning of classes and harm schooling.'
Religious holidays, on the other hand, are acceptable reasons for a day off, but taking your kids back to the US for Thanksgiving probably would not be accepted.
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That said, official sanctions for taking children out of school during term time are rare – cases don't often get that far – but in the most serious cases, parents can go to jail if they fail to give adequate reasons for repeated absences.
After four half-days of unjustified absence in a month, an educational team will investigate the causes of the absenteeism and propose support measures to the parents, if required.
If the absences continue for more than 10 half-days in a month, the headmaster may refer the matter to the Academic Director of National Education Services (Dasen) who will summon the parents and issue a formal notice to ensure their child attends school.