Dates: between Sept and June
Duration: term or year
Age: from 13 to 18 years
Price: year from 10.225 €
Classmates
There are lots of day schools and a few boarding schools. Most are catholic but some are secular. You can also find schools that follow the American or British systems and the International Baccalaureate.
You get to choose from two types of location, either a small town or a big city like Lyon, Lille, Nantes, Bordeaux, or Paris. Either way, the school allocation will mainly depend on the location of your host family, according to your preference.
The classic French education is one of the best systems in the European Union, world leader in some fields. A wide range of subjects is on offer, as well as many academic opportunities.
You can choose between public or private education. Private schools are mostly attended by day students, with a small number of full time boarding pupils, some who spend weekends with a host family.
Education is mandatory from 6 to 16 years of age.
Primary education
Finishes at 11 years old, after completing five courses, where students develop their basic skills in a structured way, with a wide variety of subjects.
Secondary education
The first four years they attend Collège and are mandatory. They teach students to express their talents and to acquire new skills for the next step in their education.
The following three years take place in the Lycée. It is an intensive preparation for the Baccalaureate exam, a first part is done after the third year and the complete exam at the end of the four years, to obtain the certification to access university.
SCHOOL CYCLES
Primary and secondary
SCHOOL SYSTEM
National curriculum or International Baccalaureate
FAITH
Secular or catholic
AREAS
France
France is a country where family ties are still very strong. Unlike boarding schools, the host families are volunteers with a variety of social, religious and race profiles. They have been chosen for their willingness to welcome you as part of their family, and they have passed a rigorous selection process. Your bedroom can be individual or shared with another member of their family or another international student of a different nationality. You will walk to school or take public transport, depending on the distance from your house, and you will have meals with the family, except lunch, which takes place at the school canteen.
First trimester: September – December
Second trimester: January – March
Third trimester: April – June
Dates can differ in different areas of the country, but all schools have a two-week holiday in autumn (October/November), at Christmas, in winter (February/March) and in spring (often for Easter). You can travel around France with your parents, go back home to your country or take part in a camp that offers cultural and sports activities with French students your own age.
First trimester: 6.075 €
Semester: 7.425 €
Full year: 10.225 €
*Includes school fees, accommodation, meals, half-board week days and full-board weekends, transfer from airport to host family, accommodation during school holidays, local coordinator in France and Welfare services.
*You can choose location in the main cities of France for a small supplement.
A whole school year in France can be validated seamlessly, as long as the student achieves the minimum required qualifications, as laid out by the Education Department of the country of origin. Our coordinator will make sure the student chooses the relevant subjects to comply with the set requirements, and will take care of the procedures to obtain the certification.
Students must complete the school year and the Baccalaureate examination. This process doesn’t include the procedure to access university.
Please note that if you study the full school year, you can obtain access to university with your median grades, and opt to take the exams to raise your grades.
