France provides an astonishing variety of landscapes, architecture and food. Moreover, there is the opportunity to integrate into the local community in rural areas or to experience life in one of its many captivating cities.
Posts in primary and secondary schools (collèges and lycées) and teacher training colleges are available to undergraduates and graduates of any discipline . You must have AS-level, Higher Grade or equivalent in French to apply.
Dates of appointment:
1 October – 30 April (secondary schools)
1 October – 30 April or 30 June (primary schools)
1 October – 31 March (teacher training colleges)
Hours: 12 per week
Pay: around €949.60 per month gross, approx €770 net (17% social security deduction)
Age limits: the French authorities are normally able to accept only candidates under the age of 35.
Other benefits: You are entitled to national healthcare.
The seven-month posts in primary and secondary schools offer the role of a traditional Language Assistant. As such, you will organise oral/aural activities on your own with small groups of pupils (up to half the class), or working alongside the teacher with the whole class present. The 12-hour timetable can be spread across a maximum of three schools.
The nine-month posts in primary schools are for candidates with a serious interest in teaching. You will be expected to take classes of up to 30 on your own, follow the national curriculum under minimum supervision and be responsible for the progress of the pupils through the year. The 12-hour timetable can be spread across a maximum of three schools. Degree-level French, at least, is a requirement as any help offered by colleagues and all discussion of pupil progress, curriculum, lesson planning etc is likely to be in French.
For primary and secondary level in France, undergraduates take priority over graduates. However, for teacher training colleges priority is given to final year students and graduates.
You can be posted anywhere in mainland France as well as Corsica and outre-mer (Guadeloupe, Guyane Française, La Réunion and Martinique).
You should be aware of the following before making your regional choices:
- Posts in the académies (regions) of Aix-Marseille, Bordeaux, Montpellier and Toulouse are often in small towns in rural areas where public transport may be limited.
- It is extremely difficult to find accommodation in Paris and schools are usually unable to assist. We recommend that you do not apply for Paris unless you have contacts who will be able to help you find accommodation.
- The south of France, outre-mer and Paris are the most popular first-choice regions, so competition is particularly tough.
- The cost of living in outre-mer is higher than in metropolitan France but your pay will be approximately 40% higher.
- If outre-mer is your first choice, you must also be prepared to accept a position in metropolitan France and must choose two other académies as well.
- If your reason for choosing an area is that you have contacts and possible accommodation there, you must provide the name of your host and address of the accommodation for us to consider your request.
We recommend you research the different regions of France thoroughly before applying.
Candidates for FRANCE have the following regions on offer. If you wish to express an area preference, you must choose one from Group A, one from Group B, and a third from any of the groups.
GROUP A Amiens - Créteil - Lille - Nancy-Metz - Reims - Versailles
GROUP B Besançon - Caen - Clermont-Ferrand - Limoges - Nantes - Orléans-Tours - Poitiers - Rennes - Rouen
GROUP C Aix-Marseille - Bordeaux - Corse - Dijon - Grenoble - Lyon - Montpellier - Nice - Outre-mer - Paris - Strasbourg - Toulouse
A cross-section of candidates will be interviewed at British Council offices in the UK in February.
You will be invited to an induction course arranged by the local education authority in France at the end of September or early October.
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