The essentials

  • School is compulsory from age 3 to 16 (loi Blanquer 2019 lowered the start age from 6) ;
  • School year runs from early September to early July, with three holiday zones (A, B, C) for winter and spring breaks ;
  • Public schools provide a list of required fournitures scolaires (school supplies) before the rentrée ;
  • Families on modest income receive the ARS (Allocation de Rentrée Scolaire) — about €420-460 per child in mid-August.

La rentrée: a national tradition

The French give back-to-school its own name — la rentrée scolaire, often shortened to la rentrée — and treat it as a marker of the year almost as significant as 1 January. It typically falls on the first Monday or Tuesday of September. Schools, shops and even adult life pivot around it: bookshops display fournitures from mid-July, supermarkets dedicate aisles to school supplies, and TV news covers the day with live reports.

For expat families arriving in summer, the rentrée is your immovable deadline: enrolment, accommodation, transport, school supplies and uniforms (if international school) all need to be ready by it.

The four levels of the French school system

Maternelle (ages 3-6)

Compulsory since the 2019-2020 school year — the start age was lowered from 6 to 3 by the loi Blanquer, making France one of the few countries with such an early compulsory age. Three years split into:

  • Petite section (PS) — age 3, focus on socialisation and language ;
  • Moyenne section (MS) — age 4, introduction to letters and numbers ;
  • Grande section (GS) — age 5, preparation for primary, basic literacy.

Maternelle is free in public schools. Hours typically run 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, with extended care (garderie) before 8:30 and after 4:30 for working parents (small fee, means-tested).

Primary (élémentaire, ages 6-11)

Five years building literacy, numeracy, history, geography, civics, art and a foreign language (almost always English):

  • CP (Cours Préparatoire) — age 6, the year French children learn to read ;
  • CE1, CE2 — ages 7-8, expanding literacy and numeracy ;
  • CM1, CM2 — ages 9-10, preparing for collège.

Collège (ages 11-15)

Four years of secondary school equivalent to UK Year 7-10 or US grades 6-9:

  • 6e (sixième), 5e (cinquième), 4e (quatrième), 3e (troisième) — counted backwards ;
  • Ends with the Brevet des collèges exam — a national exam that doesn't gate progression but signals overall school performance ;
  • Students choose between general lycée, technological lycée or vocational lycée at the end of 3e.

Lycée (ages 15-18)

Three years preparing for the baccalauréat (or "bac"), the gateway to higher education:

  • Seconde (general year for all paths) ;
  • Première (start of specialisation under the 2021-reformed bac) ;
  • Terminale (final year, bac exams in June).

The bac was reformed in 2021 — the old S/L/ES streams disappeared, replaced by a common core plus three specialities in Première narrowed to two in Terminale, with 40% of the final mark coming from continuous assessment. Lycée professionnel students prepare a vocational bac (bac pro) or CAP, with strong workshop and apprenticeship components.

Schedule and holidays

Weekly schedule

Most French schools run a 4.5-day week (Monday-Tuesday-Thursday-Friday full days plus Wednesday morning) or a 4-day week (Wednesday off entirely) — the choice is made commune by commune since 2017. Wednesdays often serve as a half-day for sports, music, art classes or rest.

A typical school day runs 8:30 am to 4:30 pm with a 1.5-hour lunch break, often spent at the school canteen (~€3-7 per meal depending on family income).

School holidays and the three zones

School holidays are nationally coordinated, but winter and spring breaks are staggered across three zones (A, B, C) to spread tourist demand. Toussaint, Christmas, summer breaks are the same for everyone:

  • Toussaint: late October to early November (~2 weeks) ;
  • Christmas (Noël): late December to early January (~2 weeks) ;
  • Winter (Hiver): February-March, staggered by zone ;
  • Spring (Printemps): April-May, staggered by zone ;
  • Summer (Été): early July to early September (~9 weeks).

Paris, Toulouse, Montpellier and Versailles are in Zone C. For the full calendar with current dates, see our school and bank holidays guide.

School supplies (fournitures scolaires)

Public schools issue a liste de fournitures (supply list) for each grade, distributed at the end of June or beginning of July. The list is detailed: specific notebook formats (cahier 24×32, grands carreaux), a particular kind of protège-cahier, a precise type of pencil case. Buying outside the list often means buying again at the rentrée.

Buy supplies between mid-July and mid-August to avoid the late-August rush. Cheapest sources:

  • Hypermarkets (Carrefour, Leclerc, Auchan, Intermarché) — biggest selection, lowest prices in their special "rentrée" sections ;
  • Specialised stationers (Bureau Vallée, Top Office) — better for premium specific items ;
  • Online retailers (Amazon, Bureau Vallée online) — convenient but check the list carefully ;
  • Cultura, Fnac for school books and reading materials.

Typical cost: €80-150 per child for primary, €150-300 for collège or lycée. Rolling-school-bag (cartable à roulettes) is common in primary, regular backpack from collège.

Financial aid: ARS (Allocation de Rentrée Scolaire)

Families with children aged 6-18 enrolled in school whose income is below a means threshold receive the Allocation de Rentrée Scolaire (ARS), paid by CAF in mid-August. 2026 amounts (indicative, adjusted yearly):

  • Children aged 6-10: ~€420 ;
  • Children aged 11-14: ~€440 ;
  • Children aged 15-18: ~€460.

Most families don't need to apply — if you already receive other CAF benefits, the ARS is paid automatically. New CAF beneficiaries declare their child's enrolment on caf.fr in July. Eligibility is based on the previous year's income — check the threshold on caf.fr or via the simulator.

Enrolling a child new to France

For families arriving from abroad, enrolment in a public school is handled by the mairie (town hall) of your address, not by the school directly. Required documents:

  • Proof of address (utility bill, lease, attestation from landlord) ;
  • Family record book (livret de famille) or birth certificates ;
  • Vaccination record (carnet de santé) — France requires 11 mandatory vaccines for children born after 2018 ;
  • Previous school records and report cards (with sworn translation if not in French or English).

The mairie issues a certificat d'inscription assigning your child to a specific school based on your secteur scolaire (school zone). For private and international schools, apply directly to the school — selection is competitive at the well-known international establishments and waitlists can run a year long.

Children with limited French are placed in a UPE2A (Unité Pédagogique pour Élèves Allophones Arrivants) — a year of intensive French integration alongside the regular curriculum. Available in most public schools serving urban areas.