THE FRENCH EDUCATION SYSTEM
Primary and secondary school teaching cycles
At the end of compulsory schooling (up to 3eme), the Common Base of Knowledge, Skills and Culture identifies the knowledge and skills that must be acquired. It is structured around five domains, providing an overview of the objectives of school and collège programs:
1. Languages for thinking and communicating
2. Methods and tools for learning
3. Training the individual and the citizen
4. Natural and technical systems
5. Representations of the world and human activity
Petite Section
Moyenne Section
Grande Section
Nursery School
CP
CE1
CE2
Elementary School
CM1
CM2
Sixth
Primary school|College
Fifth
Fourth
Third
College
Second
First
Terminal
Equivalence with other education systems
NURSERY
SCHOOL
KINDERGARTEN
3 – 4
4 – 5
5 – 6
MATERNELLE
(Primaire)
Petite Section
Moyenne Section
Grande Section
NURSERY
SCHOOL
Nursery
Reception
Year 1
KINDERGARTEN
Pre-School
Pre-kindergarten
Kindergarten
6 – 7
7 – 8
8 – 9
9 – 10
10 – 11
ELEMENTARY
(Primary)
CP
CE1
CE2
CM1
CM2
PRIMARY
SCHOOL
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
KINDERGARTEN
1st Grade
2nd Grade
3rd Grade
4th Grade
5th Grade
11 – 12
12 – 13
13 – 14
14 – 15
15 – 16
16 – 17
17 – 18
COLLEGE
(Secondary)
6th
5th
4th
3rd
SECONDARY
SCHOOL
2nd
1st
Terminal
SECONDARY
SCHOOL
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9
Year 10
Year 11
Year 12
Year 13
MIDDLE
SCHOOL
6th Grade
7th Grade
8th Grade
HIGH
SCHOOL
9th Grade
10th Grade
11th Grade
12th Grade
BACCALAUREAT
A-LEVELS
HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA