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French education system

Les cycles d'enseignement à l'école primaire et au lycée

CYCLE 1 CYCLE 2 CYCLE 3 CYCLE 4
The first steps to school Learning the fundamentals Consolidation Broadening the knowledge and skills
Petite section (PS) Cours préparatoire (CP) Cours moyen 1 (CM1) Cinquième (5ème) Seconde (2nde)
Moyenne section (MS) Cours élémentaire 1 (CE1) Cours moyen 2 (CM2) Quatrième (4ème) Première (1ère)
Grande section (GS) Cours élémentaire 2 (CE2) Sixième (6ème) Troisième (3ème) Terminale
école maternelle    >>> école élémentaire   >>> collège lycée

At the end of compulsory education (up to 3ème), the common base of knowledge, skills and culture must be acquired by each student. It is structured around five areas that provide an overview of the objectives of the Elementary School and the Middle School’s programmes:
1. languages for thinking and communicating
2. methods and tools for learning
3. formation of the person and the citizen
4. natural and technical systems
5. representations of the world and the human activity

Level/Year/Grade/Age

Equivalents

FRANCE UNITED KINGDOM USA Age
Maternelle

(Primaire)

PS Nursery school Nursery Kindergarten Pre-school 3-4
MS Reception Pre-kindergarten 4-5
GS Year 1 Kindergarten 5-6
Elementaire

(Primaire)

CP Primary school Year 2 Elementary school 1st grade 6-7
CE1 Year 3 2nd grade 7-8
CE2 Year 4 3rd grade 8-9
CM1 Year 5 4th grade 9-10
CM2 Year 6 5th grade 10-11
Collège

(Secondaire)

6ème Secondary school Year 7 Middle school 6th grade 11-12
5ème Year 8 7th grade 12-13
4ème Year 9 8th grade 13-14
3ème Year 10 High school 9th grade 14-15
Lycée

(Secondaire)

2nde Year 11 10th grade 15-16
1ère Year 12 11th grade 16-17
Terminale Year 13 12th grade 17-18
Baccalauréat A-levels High school diploma