France

The school year in France lasts from the beginning of September to the end of June. Usually there are 10 days of holidays in the Autumn, 2 weeks at Christmas, 2 weeks in Winter and 2 weeks in Spring.  

A normal school day in France generally starts at 8:30 am and ends at 5:30 pm.  During the day, there is a 1 to 2 hours break for lunch. There are no school uniforms in France. In class, students often have to listen, take a lot of notes and read chapters in text books at home.  Your host parents will often want to be involved in catching up on your school life.  They’ll also be very happy to help you with your homework. 

Friends usually meet on Wednesday afternoons and on Saturdays, not in evenings during the week because schools and families expect all students to work on their school assignments and other homework. In France, school is for serious study not for social activities or events, which is why extracurricular activities are not normally provided by schools.  You will need to find social activities and hobbies outside of school which your host family can help you with.