Collèges are open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and on either Wednesday or Saturday mornings. Lessons generally last 55 minutes and there are usually 4 lessons in the morning and 3 in the afternoon with a 10 to 15 minute break in the morning and in the afternoon. Depending on the school, the lessons can be from 8:00 to 4:30 or 8:30 to 5:00 with an hour and a half for lunch. Some schools have a 2 hour lunch break so lessons will be from 8:00 to 5:00. Pupils won’t have a lesson every hour, so they have free lessons. During a free lesson they can go to “permanence” or the school library (CDI). If their free lesson is at the beginning or the end of the day, they can go home.

 

Ü What do they learn?

The collège is separated into three “cycles”. The cycle d’observation (6ème), the cycle central (5ème, 4ème), and the cycle d’orientation (3ème).

 

The Sixieme

Pupils have ten subjects in 6ème.

ð Français (French) Between 4 and 6 hours a week.

ð Mathématiques (Maths) 4 hours a week

ð LV1 (First foreign language) 3 or 4 hours a week. This is usually English. Some schools also offer German (mostly in the East of France) and some are starting to offer Spanish (mostly in the South West)

ð Histoire-Géographie  (History/Geography). This is taught as a single subject. Some teachers choose to  teach History on Monday and Geography on Tuesday and so on. Others teach a block of History followed by a block of Geography.

ð Education civique (Civics) is usually taught by the History/Geography teacher an hour per fortnight. In 6ème, pupils learn how the collège and the commune work.

ð EPS (Sport) 4 hours.  This is taught by sequence. There are usually swimming lessons in 6ème. Most French schools don’t have their own gymnasiums so pupils have to walk to the local gym or stadium.

ð SVT (Sciences de la Vie et de la Terre - Biology). An hour and a half a week.

ð Technologie.This will include basic computer studies

ð Education musicale (Music). An hour a week. Pupils learn to read music and usually lean to play the recorder.

ð Arts Plastiques (Art). An hour a week.

 

The Cinquième

The same subjects as in 6ème plus...

ð Physics/Chemistry An hour and a half a week. The same teacher teaches both sciences.

ð Latin This is an optional subject. If a pupil chooses to study it, it becomes part of their official timetable.  Some schools offer Greek as well.

 

The Quatrième

The same subjects as in 5ème. Plus...

ð LV2 (Second foreign language). If a pupil has not studied English as LV1, then he will be strongly encouraged to do so now. The most common second languages are Spanish, Italian and German.

 

The Troisième

The same subjects as in 4ème.

 

 

Ü What happens at the end of each cycle?

At the end of the cycle d’observation, if the  conseil de classe considers that a pupils has had difficulties adapting to collège and hasn’t yet acquired all the necessary basics to enable him to go onto to 5ème, they can suggest he retakes a year.

 

The ends of the cycle central and cycle d’orientation are called "paliers d’orientation”; this is when  the pupil, the family and the teachers have to decide on the best direction to be taken in the following year.

 

At the end of the 'cycle central' there are 4 directions:

ð 3ème de collège (3G) The pupil remains in the same college and continues the same studies, taking the Brevet des collèges at the end of the year.

ð 3ème Technologique (3T)  The pupil changes to a lycée profesionnel (LEP) and prepares the technological Brevet. Some subjects (LV2) are dropped and others (technology) have a greater weighting. The pupil will probably contunue afterwards in a LEP and finally take a BEP and then Bac professionnel.

ð 3éme Projet Professionnel (3PP) Also taught in LEP. Again the amount of subjects studied changes slightly. A certain number of hours a week are set by to work on the pupil’s own professional project. He will probably continue in the LEP the following year and study towards a BEP and possibly a Bac pro.

ð redoublement

 

At the end of the´'cycle d’orientation' there are 4 options:

ð Lycée  Général et Technologique (LGT)

The pupil goes into a 2nd général and then prepares  either a Bac général or technologique in 3 years.

ð Lycée Professionnel (LEP)

The pupil goes into a 2nd professionnel and prepares either a CAP or a BEP (2 years) and then goes on to take a Bac pro (a further 2 years)

ð Apprenticeship

The pupil finds himself and employer and then registers with the CFA.

ð Redoublement

 

Ü What’s a conseil de classe?

The conseil de classe meets at the end of every term. It consists of the principal or adjoint, all the teachers of the class, two parental representatives and two class delegates. Each term they review each pupil’s report and discuss his progress (or not) and his behaviour. This is the moment to bring up any problems or worries that are linked to the general class or school atmosphere. Then a short “synthèse” of the discussion  is added to the botttom of the bulletin (report) by the principal.

 

Ü So what decsions can they make?

At the end of each year, the conseil de classe can propose that a pupil retakes a year. The final decision lies with the family at the end of 5ème but with the conseil de classe at the end of the other years.

 

What if I don’t agree with the conseil de classe?

The first step is to see the principal or the profeseur principal. They will explain why the conseil thought their decision best. You can then explain your point of view. if you still aren’t in agreement at the end of this meeting you can ask to go to the commisssion d’appel. This is a committee made of teachers parents, social workers, careers advisors. They listen to both the family and a memeber of the conseil de classe end then they make their decision. This decision is FINAL.