The Middle School (“college”) is the first stage of secondary school. It follows primary school and welcomes all children. It is organised into 2 cycles over 4 years (sixième, cinquième, quatrième and troisième).
Sixième : final year of cycle 3 and first year of middle school, consolidation cycle
The aim is to consolidate what has been learned in primary school and to introduce pupils to the working methods of collège. Emphasis is put on welcoming pupils and helping them adapt to secondary education. To this end, they receive personalised support in French and mathematics.
Teaching at collège is structured by subject (See compulsory and optional subjects).
5eme (2nd year of middle school), 4eme (3rd year of middle school) and 3eme (4th year of middle school): cycle 4, Advanced learning cycle
The aim is to enable pupils to deepen their ‘knowledge and know-how’ and develop skills in the various subjects and cross-curricular pathways. Emphasis is put on addressing pupils’ difficulties at school and the development of their career plans, as part of the Educational and Guidance Pathway (« parcours Avenir »).
The Health Education pathway, the Arts and Culture Education pathway and the Citizenship pathway offer adolescent pupils in the process of building relationships to themselves and others a framework to confidently develop the skills essential to face the abundance of new knowledge and technologies. They should be able to approach interdisciplinary situations with personal and creative thinking, while respecting the standards of a shared common culture.
At the end of 3eme, pupils sit the Diplôme National du Brevet and can then move on to 2nde, the first year of high school (Lycee) or to vocational training.
The common core of knowledge and skills
The “common core of knowledge and skills” is the set of knowledge, skills, values and attitudes needed to succeed in school, as an individual and as a future citizen. From primary school through to the final year of compulsory education, pupils gradually acquire the skills and knowledge of this common foundation. Mastery of the Common core is a prerequisite for the Diplôme National du Brevet (DNB).
The Diplôme National du Brevet
Awarded by a jury, the Diplôme National du Brevet is an official diploma issued by the French Ministry of Education (MENJS), certifying the knowledge and skills acquired at the end of collège. It is balanced between continuous assessment and final tests.
It consists of 4 written tests (French, maths, history-geography and 2 science subjects), and an oral test (on a project carried out during the year). As an option, pupils can take optional subjects (Latin, Greek, European languages and cultures, regional languages and cultures, professional awareness, etc.).
All collège pupils in French schools in Spain and Portugal have access to a rich and varied range of modern language teaching, enabling them to acquire skills that are validated by qualifications such as Cambridge, DELE, DALF, etc.
Several schools offer European or International Sections, where certain subjects are taught in other languages (e.g. maths in English). In the Iberian Peninsula, all schools offer history and geography classes in the national language of the host country (e.g. in Spanish for ‘Social Studies’ classes).
The international dimension is rounded off by school exchanges between schools in the worldwide network, thanks to the The international dimension is rounded off by school exchanges between schools in the worldwide network, thanks to theThe international dimension is rounded off by school exchanges between schools in the worldwide network, thanks to the Agora scheme
