What you need to know if your child is starting school in France

Even though it has been mandatory for children in France to start school (maternelle, more akin to pre-school) at the age of three since 2020, the jump to école primaire (primary school) is a big deal.

Here is what you can expect;

What sort of school bag do they need?

Most children starting school with a new backpack - known as a cartable.

As they get older, these bags will get bigger, as workloads get heavier. By collège or lycée, your children may be lugging round several kilos of school stuff. And it may be tempting to get them a wheeled bag with an extendible handle. Check with the school, first, however. Some don’t allow them.

What clothes do they need?

A few schools in France have a uniform policy. Most, however, do not. It is routinely expected, though, that children are reasonably well turned out, and dressed appropriately for the weather conditions.

Winter coats: Children still go outside at break time, even in the depths of winter - if it’s raining, they may stay under a covered area, if the school has one, so they will need appropriate warm and waterproof clothing.

READ ALSO Parents reveal: What to expect when your non-French speaking child starts school in France

Sports kit: in maternelle and primary school, so from the age of three to 11, sports education in school is pretty basic. You may want to dress your child in more suitable clothes on days they do sport - tracksuit bottoms, as opposed to jeans, for example - but don’t expect them to have anywhere to change.

By collège, you’ll get a list of required kit for sports lessons. And there’ll probably be changing rooms.

Spare underwear: Early on, your child may still not have a 100 percent hit rate when it comes to making the toilet in time, especially in an unfamiliar setting, so one or more spare pairs of underwear may be an idea.

The school will probably have some spare clothes for emergencies, and - at the end of certain school days - you may be presented with a differently clothed child and a small, damp, bag.

READ ALSO The essential language you need to understand the French school system

It’s good form to wash any replacement clothes before returning them.

As always, it's a sensible idea to mark the clothes with at least your child's first name. You can buy name tags online where you can write your child's name, school and your phone number to increase the likelihood of things making their way back to you.

And be ready for the end of term clear-out, when lost property is laid out for parents to claim at least some of the clothes their beloveds have misplaced…

Do I need to buy stationery?

Your school will send - probably already has sent - you a list of things your child / children must bring in on their first day known as fourniture scolaire. It can be very specific, in some cases down to the preferred make of certain items, or the weight of paper (really). Each teacher may even provide a different list.

Early on, it will include things like pencils, crayons, felt-tip pens, a pencil case, glue, plain paper, a wipe-clean writing slate, and tissues.

READ ALSO: The 29 stationery items that schoolchildren in France (apparently) need

Further into your child’s schooling, expect to see a diary and a fountain pen among the items added to the list. The French are very particular about writing - and the pen you have carefully purchased may be held back by the teacher and presented, with a certain amount of sombre ceremony, to the child when they are deemed ready to use it.

You will also be asked to provide cardboard folders, files, clear plastic pockets, and an old shirt to protect clothes during art classes.

Do you need to buy textbooks?

Schools usually supply textbooks. You will be told to cover them. This is not really an early parenting standards test, honest.

Will there be homework?

Possibly. Probably. Officially, homework is not a requirement until collège, but that doesn’t stop teachers from setting some for children in primary schools even from CP - the first year of école primaire.

READ ALSO How to enrol a non-French speaking child in school in France

Will my child need to be vaccinated?

Yes. Before a child starts school in France, parents are asked to provide proof of vaccination, with 11 vaccines now compulsory for school starters.

Children who are not vaccinated will not be fully enrolled in school. Instead they will be provisionally enrolled and the parents will be given three months to have the vaccinations carried out.

Diptheria, tetanus and polio vaccinations have been compulsory for some time, but in 2018 another eight were added to the list - whooping cough, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, influenza, pneumonia and meningitis C.

READ MORE: Which vaccinations are compulsory for children in France?

Can your child bring a soft toy or other toys?

Soft toys, teddies or other toys are not normally allowed (apart from the little ones that often hang on backpacks) after the first year or so in maternelle classes.

What food or drink does your child need to bring?

School meals in France are generally of a high standard, and are affordable. You can, if you want, take your child out of school at lunchtimes, or provide a packed lunch.

Some have gone so far as to say that French pupils have the best lunches in the world, with a balanced, multi-course menu offered each day with vegetarian alternatives.

Consider, also, a morning goûter of fruit and a drink; and perhaps an afternoon goûter. Don’t be too surprised, either, if your child starts demanding a post-school trip to the boulangerie for a croissant or pain au chocolat.

READ ALSO Le goûter: The importance of the afternoon snack in France

Do you need to come for the first day?

Schools may have a gathering of children and parents before classes on the first day back. There may even be coffee. It’s nice, but not compulsory. A parents-teacher meeting may also be organised in the early days, to advise parents about the year ahead. It’s a good idea to go to that so you get an idea of what’s in store, and early warning of any school trips.

Can I sit in with my child in class?

That’s something to check with the teacher, who may or may not be open to the idea. Parents don’t usually sit in with their children in classes because, in France, teachers teach and parents parent - and the two jobs are considered quite separate.

If you are used to the level of involvement parents can have in the US or UK, you may be surprised by how little daily interaction you have with your kid's French school. On a normal day, children are dropped off outside the school where the headteacher (directrice for a woman or directeur for a man) usually stands each morning, in case you need to talk to him or her.

A good way of knowing what's going on inside the school is to become a member of the parent-teacher's association (a 'parent d'élève').

Another way to get involved is to join the parents' informal Whatsapp group. Ask around during pick-up or drop-off to find out how you can be added to it.

Can I take my child out of classes for holidays?

No… and yes. Sometimes.

Students are expected to attend scheduled classes, unless they have legitimate reasons for their absence - and going on a family holiday outside of the standard vacation periods set by the school calendar does not constitute a legitimate reason.

"It is not possible to envisage à la carte vacations that would disrupt the functioning of classes and harm schooling", according to France's Education Ministry.

Religious holidays, on the other hand, are acceptable reasons for a day off, but taking your kids back to the US for Thanksgiving probably would not be accepted.

READ MORE: Can parents take children out of French schools for a religious holiday?

What about any after-school activities?

On the whole, after-school activities aren’t really a thing. Your school may offer a garderie - which basically involves someone watching your child run around the playground before and after school, so that parents can fit work in between dropping off and picking up. This will normally entail a nominal fee.

Teachers may offer homework clubs, certainly as children get older, so that parents don’t have to deal with it (remember, teachers teach, parents parent).

Remember, too, classes on Wednesday are usually cut short at lunchtime, so that children can take part in extra-curricular activities, such as organised sports.

READ MORE: Family-centred society: What it's really like being a parent in France

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