The French School System Vocabulary: From Maternelle to Baccalauréat

The stages of French education, key terms like collège, lycée, le bac and la rentrée, and the vocabulary parents and students need.

Families moving to France, students on exchange and language learners all meet the vocabulary of French education. It differs from English-speaking systems, and the terms don't always translate directly.

The stages

la crèche — nursery for babies and toddlers (under 3)
l'école maternelle — nursery school (ages 3 to 6)
l'école primaire — primary school (ages 6 to 11)
le collège — lower secondary school (ages 11 to 15)
le lycée — upper secondary school (ages 15 to 18)
l'université — university
les grandes écoles — highly selective higher-education institutions

Schooling is compulsory from age 3 to 16 in France, with training obligation to 18.

Class names count down

French school years are numbered in a countdown:

Primary: CP (cours préparatoire), CE1, CE2, CM1, CM2
Collège: sixième (6e), cinquième (5e), quatrième (4e), troisième (3e)
Lycée: seconde, première, terminale

So the first year of collège is the sixième (sixth), and the last year of lycée is terminale.

The baccalauréat

Le bac (baccalauréat) is the national exam taken at the end of lycée. Passing it gives access to university. There are general, technological and professional versions. It's a major milestone, and results day (les résultats du bac) is a national event.

People at school

un élève — pupil
un étudiant — university student
un professeur / un prof — teacher
un instituteur / un professeur des écoles — primary teacher
le directeur / la directrice — head teacher (primary)
le proviseur — head of a lycée
le principal — head of a collège
le surveillant — supervisor
un camarade de classe — classmate

Places and things

la salle de classe — classroom
la cour de récréation — playground
la cantine — school canteen
la bibliothèque — library
le cahier — notebook
le cartable — school bag
la trousse — pencil case
le stylo — pen
le manuel — textbook
l'emploi du temps — timetable

School life

la rentrée — the start of the school year in early September, a national event
les vacances scolaires — school holidays (France is divided into zones for winter and spring breaks)
le cours — lesson
la matière — subject
les devoirs — homework
un contrôle — a test
un examen — an exam
la note — mark
le bulletin — school report
redoubler — to repeat a year
réussir / échouer — to pass / to fail

Grades

French marks are out of 20. A mark of 10 is a pass, 14 to 16 is very good, and above 16 is excellent. Marks of 18 or 20 are rare.

University

la licence — bachelor's degree (three years)
le master — master's degree
le doctorat — doctorate
les frais d'inscription — enrolment fees
une bourse — scholarship, grant
un amphi — lecture hall
un partiel — a mid-term exam

Public universities have low fees for EU students, and the grandes écoles are selective and often more expensive.

Useful phrases for parents

Je voudrais inscrire mon fils à l'école. — I'd like to enrol my son at school.
Quel est l'emploi du temps ? — What's the timetable?
À quelle heure finissent les cours ? — What time do lessons finish?
Est-ce qu'il y a une cantine ?
Puis-je parler au professeur ? — May I speak to the teacher?

Differences to expect

School days can be long, with a lunch break of one to two hours.
Wednesday afternoon has traditionally been free in primary schools, though this varies.
Homework and discipline expectations can differ from other countries.

Practice

Explain in French your education path, from primary school to your highest level.

Look up school and university words with English French Dictionary →