Middle school

Once children have completed elementary school, they move on to middle school (age 11–14). There is no entrance exam.

Curriculum

Middle school covers a period of four years. Please note that, in France, grades generally count down as students advance: la sixième (6e), la cinquième (5e), la quatrième (4e), and la troisième (3e). In middle school, children study a range of subjects, including French, mathematics, history, geography, ethics, civics, modern foreign languages, life sciences, earth sciences, physics, chemistry, computer science, physical education, art, and music. 

At the end of their fourth year (la troisième), middle schoolers must take an exam: the diplôme national du brevet (DNB). Their exam score is based on the marks they obtained over the course of the fourth year and on their performance on the final exam. 

Students then choose one of two educational directions:

• Regular high school (general or technical studies)
• Vocational high school and/or the first year of a professional programme for earning a vocational aptitude certificate (certificat d’aptitude professionnelle, or CAP)

A student’s performance during middle school can have a major impact on their future educational opportunities.

Enrolment

As in the case of primary school, the middle school a child attends depends on your place of residence. Under certain circumstances, you can apply for a waiver that will allow your child to attend a different school. This waiver must be obtained from your administrative department (the Office for Educational Affairs, or l’Inspection Académique).