State schools
In France, anyone between the ages of 6 and 16 has go to school, although the vast majority of children in France start school in an école maternelle aged 3. (Indeed it will soon become compulsory in France to start school aged 3)
Most parents send their children to the local state schools, which are free apart from the cost of the means-tested canteen and after-school care fees.
For British expat Tracy Thurling, who's lived in France for over 25 years, there was little hesitation when registering her son and daughter for a local French school.
“The kids were born in France and our intention is to make France our home,” Thurling, a wine tour guide in Burgundy told The Local previously. “We felt it was important the children get a total French cultural experience.”
What school your child goes to will depend on where you live as schools are allocated along geographical boundaries.
This is called “la sectorisation” and you can find out which primary schools you depend on by asking your local town hall or by checking on its website.
Secondary school allocation is managed by administrative bodies called “academies”. Each one has a website where you can find out which your local secondary school is. There are different websites for the “collège” (the first part of secondary school for children aged 11 up to 15) and the “lycée” (from ages 15 to 18).
If you want to send your kids to school outside your catchment area, it is possible to ask for another school. This is called a “dérogation”. You must write to the relevant “académie” giving the reasons for your request, which will be granted depending on the places available.
In the state secondary schools with international sections, pupils study English literature and History and Geography in English for up to 8 hours a week, on top of all their other coursework. They read the same books as their UK or US counterparts and sit the national UK or US exam board exams in those subjects.
(Pupils using tablets at the British School of Paris)The other option is to go for a private education. In France, some private schools get state funding and therefore have to follow the national curriculum.
They are called “sous contrat” and are generally quite cheap – although the international sections aren't always subsidised and canteen and after-school care can be more expensive than in the state schools.
Examples of these schools are the Ecole Massillon, a Catholic school in Paris which has British and German sections that run all the way from the last year of nursery through to the end of the lycée, and the Ecole Active Bilingue Jeannine Manuel in Paris which also has a branch in Lille.
Sara Pax, who's originally from the UK but spent decades in the US, decided to put her daughter in a semi-private bilingual school, Ecole International Bilingue Monceau (EIB) in Paris.
“I really wanted (my daughter) to get a solid education in French. I also wanted her to speak English well enough that she could go back to live and work in the States,” Pax said.
Again, these schools are highly sought-after and there is generally an entrance exam so if you want your child to attend one of them, it's best to get in early. And again you'll have to think about moving house if you are already in France.
Other private schools receive no state subsidies and are free to follow their own independent curriculum. They are called “hors contrat” and are obviously much more expensive.
One example is the British School of Paris in Croissy-sur-Seine to the west of the capital, which follows the British Curriculum.
Parents who may only be in France for a set amount of time often choose this option.
(Photo: International School of Paris)
That's the option UK expat Nikki Wilson went for.
For her, it was purely practical to enroll her boys in the British School of Paris, where lessons are taught in English. Her family came over to France for her husband's job, and knew they wouldn't be staying long term
“The boys were too old to start their education in France,” she said of her two teenage sons. “We didn't know when we were going back. So we needed to able to slip back into the British education system.”
Also, the boys don't speak French: “It's just a matter of practicality. If you had to learn physics and chemistry in another language you wouldn't understand and it wouldn't be too much fun.”
International schools generally have a much higher number of children from international parents enrolled in them. So you will be well and truly surrounded by other international parents, which may be an advantage although you might feel less integrated in French life.
Other examples of these schools in Paris are the bilingual “Cours Molière” in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, the American School of Paris in Saint-Cloud to the west of Paris and the International School of Paris, under the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, which has built a new campus and believes it will benefit from the “Brexodus” of people whose jobs move from the UK to France after Brexit.
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