General questions
Lycée V. HUGO Sofia is a memeber of the AEFE (Agency for French TeachingAbroad) which comprises 494 schools and colleges outside of France, located in 136 countries. All are approved by the Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research. Among these institutions, 74 are directly managed by the Agency (EGD institutions), 156, our school included, have signed an agreement withit (contracted institutions), and 264 other are partner institutions. They all offer education consistent with the requirement of the French national education programs. These institutions are registered holders of universal values – tolerance, humanism, equality of opportunity, intellectual curiosity, promotion of critical thinking – and give the opportunity to follow a continuous schooling without a break, from kindergarten to the baccalauréat in 12th grade.
No, there is no uniform in the French public education system.
In primary school (no grades) teachers provide families with a school report in which the various areas of competences are assessed. This is transmitted to families, 2 times a year in kindergarten and 3 times in elementary school.
In high school, the Lycée provides each family with an access code to the online PRONOTE software, so parents have the opportunity to follow the results of theirchildrenthroughout the year.
Note:whatever the levelof the studentis, itisalways possible to have a meeting with theteacher.
In elementary school, the child’s passage is decided at the end of the school year at a cycle council that brings together all teachers of the same cycle and the principal. A proposal is sent to the family.
In high school, at the end of each quarter the class counciltakes place. The councilincludes all teachers but alsotwostudentrepresentatives, tworepresentatives of the parents and the principal or theirrepresentative. At the class council of the third quarter itisdecidedwhether or not thestudent passes in the upperlevel.
Remarks:
– Changes of levels at the primary school are regulated: one passage isanticipated in all of the primary school.
– Secondary school : repeating a yearmaybeproposed by the Class Council (with possibility to appeal, see after) in 6ème(6th grade) and seconde (10th grade).
In elementary school, teachers use 3 criteria:
– ACQUIRED
– BEING ACQUIRED
– NOT ACQUIRED
The idea is to highlight the student’s achievements and not the areas with problems.
In high school, students are evaluated on a score from zero (lowest rating) to 20, and teachers also use decimals. It is much more difficult to get a 20 in the French system than a 6 in the Bulgarian system.
At the primary and secondary school, the objective is to check the evolution of the command of the 7 competences, known as the « common core of knowledge and skills »:
- Mastering the French language
- The practice of a foreign language (CEFR evaluated by the European Framework of Reference for Languages)
- The main elements of mathematics, science and technology
- Mastery of common information and communication technology
- The humanist culture
- Social and civic competences
- Autonomy and initiative
In elementaryschool, parents canrequest to bereceived by the school principal and then, if necessary, to appeal to the cycle council and anappealboard.
In high school, parents canask to bereceived by the Director and, if theywish, maysubmittheirrequestbefore an appealboard.
Kindergarten: socialization and discovery of the world of writing
CP (1st grade): learning reading and maths
6ème (6th grade): Entrance in high school : often marks a break with the world of childhood
3ème(9th grade): first examinations (BREVET) and end of the first part of high school (collège)
2nde(10th grade) : key moment of orientation with a wide choice of subjects of concentration
1ère (11th grade): Anticipated exams of the baccalauréat
Tle (12th grade): The baccalauréatand the last year of school in our establishment
Given the specificity of the LycéeV. HUGO,there is a key moment in the orientation: the class of seconde (10th grade). Indeed, duringthisschoolyear, students must choose the subject of concentration they will follow in the next two years. 3 options are available:
– ES:Economics and Social studies
– L:Literature
– S: Science
This choice must be made based on academics kills but also in terms of the personal professional project of the student.
Choosing the right path is not so simple. To avoid too hasty a choice, look for as much information as possible on careers and training available for each subject. Ask yourself the right questions such as: the industry that your child is interested in, the profession they wish to exercise, are they willing to follow a long training? Do not hesitate to contact the CRIO (Coordinator Resources in Information and Orientation). The head teacher is also there to guide you and advise you. Talk about this with the people around you (friends, parents, professionals) and don’t hesitate to check the training/business records and sites and ask your questions : get informed!
To put it simply, the student has to decide if they wish to pursue shorter studies (bac + 2) or longer. Technology sectors are more suitable for short studies. General courses are meant to lead to longer studies. The three general programs offered by the Lycée make it possible to have a profile (literature (L), economics (ES), science (S)) that can be modelled by the choice of a subject of concentration for the Bac, eg.prepare a program in L, and in terminale (12th grade), study mathematics, which will result in a literature profile with a touch of science.
Finally, beyond your results, it is better to join a program that suits you, a program which you will enjoy and which will help you develop your potential.
Inpremière (11th grade), itis possible to change during the yearwith the approval of the class council. In terminale (12th grade), the change ispossible but more complicatedbecause the anticipatedexams frompremière(11th grade) are not the same.
The tests of the brevet, the anticipated exams of 1ère (11th grade) and the final exams of terminale (12th grade) take place in our institution. Potential orale-take exams take place in SOFIA via videoconference. For same subjects or rare languages, however, the institution is not required to hold the Bac exams for the courses not offered in direct teaching.
Depending on their importance for the subject of concentration, the different subjects have different coefficients.
At the end of the exams in terminale (12th grade) the grades are added to those of the exams in première (11th grade), and the average is then calculated.
Several possibilities :
– <8 : refused
– Between 8 and 10: oral re-take exam (second group of tests)
– 10 and +: Admitted
if> 12 admitted with honors (assez bien)
if> 14 admitted with honors (bien)
if> 16 admitted honors (très bien)
Note: only the average grade counts, there are no elimination grades.
The oral re-take exam is for all candidates who, after adding all the exam grades, get an overallaverage of under or between 08 and 10/20. The average obtained is not sufficient to get the diploma directly, so a second chance is offered with the oral re-take exam. It allows the concerned candidates to obtain the missing points. The oral tests includestwoparts to presentorally,chosen by the candidate from the subjects in the writing exams. Those who obtain the average of 10/20 or more after the re-take exam are admitted.
In the European area of higher education and research, which includes the countries of the Bologna agreement, the baccalauréat is generally accepted as entrance qualification for higher education, except in selective courses.
You haven’tfound the answer to yourquestion?Do not hesitate to contact the CRIO (CoordinatorResources in Information and Orientation) of the Lycée: Mr Damien St. James, damien.saintjames@gmail.com