Primary education
Pre-kindergarten through elementary school
Learning by playing, exploring, and interacting
Primary education includes pre-k, kindergarten, and elementary school. It encompasses the first learning cycle, the fundamental learning cycle, and also, in part, the consolidation cycle.
Kindergarten
The first years of formal education
Kindergarten — referred to as maternelle in French — is not a daycare but a full-fledged learning cycle in a caring, protective school environment. Its mission: To inspire every student to come to school regularly to grow, to play, and to learn.
Laying the foundations for life-long learning
During this cycle, divided into three sections, children learn to know and interact with their environment. They multiply these experiences gradually as they develop their skills.
Little Section (PS)
3 to 4 years (1st year of kindergarten)
Middle Section (MS)
4 to 5 years old (2nd year of kindergarten)
Grand Section (GS)
5 to 6 years old (3rd year of kindergarten)
Using language in all its dimensions (oral and written)
Acting, expressing oneself, and understanding through physical activity (students benefit from at least 40 minutes of sports education each day)
Acting, expressing oneself, and understanding through artistic activity (visual arts, plastic arts, music)
Building the first tools to structure one's thinking: elements of mathematics
Exploring the world: Finding one's place in time and space through experimental sciences and age-appropriate scientific notions about the living world
During this cycle, the focus is on the following areas of skills:
Our kindergarten (maternelle) program has been recognized by the Croatian Ministry of Education as "odobreni redoviti program za djecu predskolske dobi":
Children with no prior knowledge of the French language receive French classes to help them participate in all school activities.
Children who are native Croatian speakers get additional Croatian language classes and support.
All children attend English classes.
Information for Croatian citizens and residents
Elementary school
2 cycles consisting of 5 levels
The education received in elementary school allows for the acquisition of fundamental skills, knowledge, and attitudes.
The foreign language learning policy focuses on the acquisition of English and Croatian. In 1st grade, for example, children benefit from 1h 30min of English and 2h 15min of Croatian each week. Starting with 2nd grade, students get 2h 15min of both Croatian and English.
By Cycle 3, all students are fully bilingual in both French and English. Their progress is evaluated on an ongoing basis, and families are invited to check on their child's work regularly. At the end of each term, parents or guardians receive an electronic report card for their child.
Mastering the fundamentals
Cycle 2 and Cycle 3 focus on the acquisition and development of core competencies. They place particular emphasis on reading, writing, and numeracy through a wide variety of stimulating activities. Students also learn respect for individuals, regardless of their differences.
1st Grade (CP)
The first year of primary school (6-7 years old)
2nd Grade (CE1)
The second year of primary school (7 to 8 years old)
3rd Grade (CE2)
The third year of primary school (8 to 9 years old)
4th Grade/CM1
The fourth year of primary school (9 to 10 years old)
5th Grade/CM2
The fifth year of primary school (10 to 11 years old)
6th Grade
The first year of middle school (referred to as collège), designed to facilitate adaptation
The French and Croatian school systems differ in the age at which a child is enrolled:
The French system allows children to enroll in CP (preparatory class) in the year they turn 6 years old (5.5 – 6.5 years old).
In the Croatian system, the child is enrolled in the 1st year in the year of their 6th birthday on April 1st (6.5 to 7.5 years old).
This difference is important for families who wish for their children to continue their education in the Croatian school system.
Information for Croatian citizens and residents
Discover our secondary school
Learn more about middle and high school, the last cycles of secondary education that prepare young people for success by deepening and broadening their knowledge and autonomy.