When you decide to come and live in France with your family, enrolling the children in a French school is an essential step. In France, there are several schools: nursery school, elementary school, college and high school. How do you go about enrolling your children in a French school?
Registration in kindergarten or elementary school
Kindergarten is accessible to all children from the age of three (two years under certain conditions). It represents a first step towards compulsory education which begins at the age of six with elementary school. Kindergarten is divided into three sections: the small, the middle and the large section. Children follow five areas of learning during these three years. Elementary school is then compulsory for all children.
School registrations are simple for French citizens: all you have to do is go to the town hall and then request registration in the desired establishment. But for children whose family has just moved to France, the procedures are a little longer.
Registration of the child in a French school
A child who has just arrived in France usually integrates a traditional class. If he does not master French and academic learning when he arrives at CP, he can integrate a pedagogical class. As for all other children, newly arrived allophone children are also obliged to attend school in a French school.
Enrollment in kindergarten or elementary school is done by the parents, or by the person who is legally responsible for the child. They must first go to the town hall of the town or village where they live, and then ask the school to enroll the child in a class appropriate to his level.
Assessment of the child's achievements
When a child arrives in France, he is evaluated by specialized teachers. They seek to know his knowledge in French and other languages taught. His academic skills are also assessed in his previous language. Finally, teachers also analyze their level of familiarization with the written word.
Depending on the results obtained, the child is assigned to a class or unit adapted to his knowledge and his needs.
Assignment of the pupil
A newly arrived child is assigned to a kindergarten or elementary class depending on his age. The nursery school is not compulsory, but it is ideal to prepare the basics of schooling and allow the child to develop in society.
At the level of the compulsory elementary school, the child may need to follow an advanced education in French and can then integrate a specific unit.
Diploma in French Language Studies
Children who have just arrived in France have the opportunity to pass the French language degree. The Delf Prim is thus accessible to them between eight and twelve years old. This is an official certification issued by the Ministry of Education. He is recognized in the world and is awarded by the International Center for Pedagogical Studies.
Registration of children in high school or high school
It is compulsory to send children coming from abroad to a French school when they arrive on the territory. The registration procedure may then vary if it is a return to France or a first installation. It is possible to adapt the schooling of children arriving in France without speaking the language.
Assessment of student achievement
Students who come from abroad and are looking to join a French school are still evaluated. Teachers then evaluate their skills, knowledge and achievements. Parents must therefore contact the Casnav where they live.
An appointment will allow the family and the child to meet a counseling psychologist. It will analyze the path of the child and organize an educational evaluation. The results are then transmitted to the teachers responsible for the reception of the child. His academic profile and the reception possibilities adapted to his level will determine his assignment. She is always at a reasonable distance from the family home.
Register a student in a French school
Parents must register their children at the big school where the child is assigned. It can be a college or a high school. The child must be present on French territory when enrolling in a school or a French school.
The documents to be provided may vary according to the rectorates. If IDs are still required, other documents can be expected. It is therefore best to inquire directly with the institution concerned before enrolling the child.
The schooling of pupils in France
The pupil can go to different units according to his educational background. Children enrolled in their country of origin will be able to integrate teaching units for incoming allophone students. Those who have not followed a school path before arriving at a French school will then enter a specifically dedicated unit.
The goal is to allow students a faster and more gradual insertion. For this, teachers evaluate the student throughout the year, not at the end of the school year. It benefits from teaching in pedagogic unit to support it for several years. Thus, an out-of-school student who is either in school or with little education can complete his training in French.
Schooling is not compulsory for young people older than 16. They can therefore integrate professional, technological or general high schools and thus benefit from a tailor-made professional project.
French Language Studies Degrees
Young people between the ages of 12 and 17 also have the opportunity to take the French or Junior Language Diploma, as do younger students. The International Center for Pedagogical Studies issues this diploma, which the world recognizes.
To conclude
Clearly, when a child arrives in France, he must integrate a French school. This obligation is valid from kindergarten to high school, through the school. Parents must go to the town hall to know the documents to provide and take note of the steps to take. They are generally very variable. They will be able to enroll their child in the French school that suits them. Specific units are in place for newly arrived children in France. They give them every chance to succeed in school.
