The maternelle school, unique to the French system welcomes children before the compulsory school age of 6. It is most commonly organised into three sections: petite, moyenne and grande, depending on the age of the children.

In France, one third of 2 year olds and almost all children aged between 3 and 5 years old attend a maternelle school. It is the place where most of these children receive their first taste of education outside of the family unit.

Today this school is considered as a normal part of a child’s education pathway. Children learn to develop their fundamentals, master their language and begin to discover the world of writing, numeracy and other learning areas. The major objective of the maternelle school is to allow children to have a successful first impression of school.

The program at a maternelle school is divided up into 5 areas:

• language through learning
• living together
• move and express oneself using one's body
• discover the world around us
• sensitivity, imagination, creation