9 essential back-to-school websites for children and parents in France

There’s making sure you have everything you need from your school’s list, checking your beloved offspring are catching the correct bus know where and how to get back – and what to do if they hop on the wrong bus back. Then, there’s making sure that everyone gets up at the right time, has something to wear, and that your youngest hasn’t mistakenly packed the cat in their bag.

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But, beyond the day-to-day, there’s a whole load of information parents may need to know. Here are some websites that might be useful.

Term time

The most important question on any child’s mind as they head back to school after the long summer holidays is: when is the next holiday?

That’s a question that’s not necessarily as easy to answer as you may think, as France has divided its school holidays into three regions to prevent over-booking of hotel resorts at peak times. 

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The Toussaint, Christmas and the long summer break are the same wherever you live in France. Others – the two-week winter and Spring holidays – are spread over a four-week period.

This is the government website that confirms when schools in France break up for the holidays and go back where you live.

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Insurance questions

Your school will demand that you have insurance for your child – known as assurance scolaire. This is to cover the cost of any damage that may be caused or incurred at school. It will cover:

• Civil liability insurance for damage caused by the child
• Personal injury insurance for damages suffered by the child, including if they injure themselves.

Depending on the formula chosen, the insurance protects your child in one of the following ways:

• During school activities and the journey between home and school, there and back (usually called assurance scolaire)
• 24 hours a day, anywhere, all year round, including during leisure activities and holiday periods (usually called assurance extra-scolaire).

You can take out this insurance with your usual insurer, or join a group contract offered by a parents’ association or by a private educational establishment.

Be aware that you may be covered under existing insurance arrangements.

You can find out more, here

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Financial help

If you’re registered with France’s social security system and have school-age children, you may be eligible for means-tested help with the annual cost of buying everything you need for class. A lump sum is then deposited into your bank account in August. To find out if you’re eligible, you can click here.

Lower-income households may also be eligible for additional grants and help – you can find out more, here.

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Exams

The bac and the brevet exams weigh heavily on the minds of children at lycées and collèges in France. There are regular changes to how the exams are set and administered – for example, this year children in première classes (those born in 2009 who are still in education) will take an additional maths exam to confirm they’re meeting expectations.

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Alternatively, if your child is due to take their brevet this year, but plans to study a vocational course after completing their exams, there are things you need to know.

You may also want to know more about the new education programme for emotional, relational and sexual life that will be unveiled at the start of the 2025-26 school year.

READ ALSO Are packed lunches really banned in French schools?

Sport

Schools in France have a unique relationship with sport, competitive sport in particular. This simulator helps you find out whether you will need to supply a medical certificate in order to practice sport at school or at a club.

Health

Children in cinquième – the second year of collège – are to be offered a Meningococcal ACWY vaccine that can help protect against meningococcal disease. Unlike other vaccines, this is not compulsory. You can find out more about it here.

READ ALSO Which vaccinations are compulsory for children in France?

Elections

Elections? At school? Yes. There will be elections in class for pupil representative on certain school bodies. Meanwhile, parents can put themselves forwards as parent representatives. You’ll need good French for this as you will be responsible for facilitating relations between parents and school staff; and expected to intervene with the school principal to discuss specific issues, or to provide mediation at the request of the parents concerned.

All parents with a child in school are encouraged to vote – if you’re a non-EU citizen this might be your only opportunity to vote in France, so enjoy it!

Elections take place at schools across the country on the same dates every year. You can find out more about what’s involved here.