For English-speaking parents · Montreal
If your child attends a French-speaking school in Montreal, Lycée Marie de France, Collège Stanislas or another French-program school, the grade names, the exams and the way work is marked can all feel unfamiliar. This plain-English guide explains how the system works and how to support your child, even if you did not go through it yourself.
French schools in Montreal belong to the AEFE network (Agence pour l'Enseignement Français à l'Étranger), the worldwide system of French schools accredited by the French Ministry of Education. Your child studies the same program as students in France and sits the same national exams. It is a single, continuous curriculum from Grade 6 through Grade 12, more formal and more exam-driven than the Quebec or North American systems.
The two features that surprise English-speaking parents most: assessment is built around written, justified reasoning rather than multiple choice, and the final years lead up to high-stakes terminal exams. A correct answer with no method shown earns very little. That is not pedantry, it is the whole culture of the system, and once you know it, a lot of your child's homework makes more sense.
| French level | Grade | Quebec | Milestone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sixième | Grade 6 | Secondaire 1 | Start of collège |
| Cinquième | Grade 7 | Secondaire 2 | |
| Quatrième | Grade 8 | Secondaire 3 | |
| Troisième | Grade 9 | Secondaire 4 | Brevet exam (DNB) |
| Seconde | Grade 10 | Secondaire 5 | Choosing spécialités |
| Première | Grade 11 | Cégep (year 1) | French exam anticipé |
| Terminale | Grade 12 | Cégep (year 2) | Baccalaureate, Grand oral |
These equivalents are indicative. The key thing to remember: in the French system the collège covers roughly middle-school years and the lycée the last three, ending with the Baccalaureate, whereas in Quebec those final years happen at cégep.
Taken at the end of Troisième, it is the first official exam. It includes a mathematics paper and a science paper, among others. It is a useful first rehearsal of exam conditions and written method, and a good moment to fix gaps before the lycée.
The big one. Built around two spécialité exams in the spring, plus philosophy and the Grand oral (a formal spoken exam). The spécialité results feed directly into Parcoursup, the French higher-education application platform, so Terminale carries real weight.
The French lycée no longer has fixed streams. Instead, at the end of Seconde (Grade 10), students choose spécialités: three subjects in Première, narrowed to two in Terminale. For a science-minded student the usual menu is Mathématiques, Physique-Chimie, SVT (biology and earth science) and NSI (computer science). Two optional maths courses can be added in Terminale:
Extra, harder mathematics (complex numbers, arithmetic, matrices and graphs) for students aiming at scientific classes préparatoires or engineering.
Applied mathematics for students who dropped the maths spécialité but still need maths for medicine, economics or life sciences.
This choice shapes what your child can apply to after the Baccalaureate, in France and in Quebec, so it is worth discussing early. I regularly help families weigh the combinations against a student's real strengths and goals.
Method over the final answer. Marks reward the written reasoning, not just the result. Students learn to justify every step.
No multiple choice in the sciences. Questions are open-ended, so a student cannot guess their way through.
Terminal exams carry the year. A lot rides on end-of-year and end-of-cycle exams, more than on continuous assessment alone.
Grades run out of 20. A 12 or 14 out of 20 is solid; a 16+ is excellent. Do not read a 14/20 as a North American 70%.
You do not need to know the syllabus to be a huge help. The things that move the needle are within any parent's reach:
That last point is where a tutor fits. I teach the French science program and can work in English or French, so language never blocks understanding. Sessions match your child's actual class and textbooks, and I keep you informed with a short summary of what we covered and what to watch.
The two AEFE schools in Montreal follow the same official program, but each has its own rhythm and habits. I tutor students at both and adapt to their specifics.
Yes, and you do not need to master the curriculum. The most valuable things a parent provides are structure and calm: a regular study time, a quiet space, and genuine interest. For the subject content, a tutor working in English or French fills the gap so language never becomes the obstacle.
Roughly: Sixième is Grade 6, up to Seconde (Grade 10), Première (Grade 11) and Terminale (Grade 12). The two national exams are the Brevet at the end of Grade 9 and the Baccalaureate at the end of Grade 12.
In the lycée, students choose spécialités: three in Première, narrowed to two in Terminale. Science students typically pick from Mathématiques, Physique-Chimie, SVT and NSI. The choice is made at the end of Seconde and shapes options after the Baccalaureate.
Yes. It is recognized for admission to Quebec universities, and many French-school students in Montreal also take Quebec complement courses alongside the French program. The exact path depends on the program and university, and is best confirmed case by case.
Get in touch, in English or French. I am happy to talk through where your child is, what is coming up, and how tutoring could help.
Le Tuteur Scientifique