Luxembourg public primary school system

In Luxembourg, school attendance is compulsory from ages 4 to 16. However, children can start attending Spillschoul from the age of 3.

Are you moving to Luxembourg with children? Here are a few pointers to help you find the right school for your children.

What are the different stages of primary or elementary school in Luxembourg? How do you enroll your child? What extracurricular activities are available? What organizations can support you throughout your child's schooling? You will find all the answers on this page.

The school year in Luxembourg

For Luxembourg schools, the school year generally begins on September 15 and ends on July 15. Schoolchildren have several weeks of vacation, including:

• one week in November for the All Saints' Day holidays
• two weeks in December/January for the Christmas period
• one week in February for the Carnival holidays
• two weeks in March/April for the Easter holidays
• one week in May/June for Pentecost.

Other private international schools may have a different school calendar. Please check with the school concerned.

Luxembourg primary school

General functioning of primary school

Luxembourg primary school is for children up to the age of 12. Schooling is a right in Luxembourg, regardless of gender, race, religion, or language.

All children registered in a municipality are automatically enrolled in the public school in their municipality of residence. However, parents may also choose to send their children to a private school of their choice, whether international or Luxembourgish.

Luxembourg's primary education system covers the first nine years of schooling. School is compulsory for all children over the age of 4 on September 1 of the current year.

Primary education is divided into four fundamental stages of learning. From the age of 4, children must attend school until they are 12. They will then move on to a Luxembourg high school if they remain in the Luxembourg school system.

As a general rule, children attend school for three full days, Monday , Wednesday, and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a two-hour lunch break , and two half-days in the morning, Tuesday and Thursday.

Cycle 1 Early education and preschool "Spillschoul"

How Cycle 1 works for children aged 3 to 5

Cycle 1 is designed for children aged 3 to 5. Early education is optional from ages 3 to 4, then compulsory for the two preschool years known as "Spillschoul" from ages 4 to 5.

Children can optionally enroll in early education from the age of 3. Until the age of 4, you can choose to have your child looked after or keep them at home. All children who have reached the age of 4 by September 1 must start school in the current school year.

Learning during Cycle 1 of elementary school

Cycle 1 of early education promotes children's socialization. It aims to develop their intellectual curiosity and cognitive knowledge. Communication takes place in Luxembourgish, regardless of the child's mother tongue. Luxembourgish is the lingua franca for all children who have attended the Luxembourg public school system. However, children are now introduced to French at this stage.

Cycles 2, 3, and 4 of elementary school

How cycles 2 to 4 work for children aged 6 to 11

From the age of 6, children enter cycle 2 of primary school for a period of two years. Cycles 2.1 and 2.2 correspond to the beginning of primary school. They are for children aged 6 to 7.

Cycles 3 and 4 also last for two years. Cycles 3.1 and 3.2 are for children aged 8 to 9, and cycles 4.1 and 4.2 are for children aged 10 to 11 before they enter secondary school.

Learning during cycles 2 to 4 of Luxembourg primary school

Cycles 2 to 4 promote language learning. This is the major advantage of Luxembourg's elementary school system.

During these six years of primary school, children learn to read and write in German. This is the traditional language of literacy and learning from cycle 2 onwards. They also learn French.

Several Luxembourg schools are also trialingliteracy in French.

The subjects taught are German, mathematics, science, art, singing, and music. History and geography are taught from Cycle 4 onwards. Each cycle aims to provide children with different learning experiences and a foundation of skills that will enable them to progress to the next cycle.

Elementary school children celebrate local traditions such as

• Saint Nicholas Day on December 6. After welcoming the "Klesschen," they do not have class on Saint Nicholas Day,
• Liichtsmessdag, when they make lanterns to carry through the streets on the evening of February 2,
• Carnival, when students can come to school dressed up for Carnival on the first day of the February vacation
• Father's Day or Pappendag in early October, and Mammendag or Mother's Day in June, when they make gifts for their parents.

After completing these six years of elementary school, children then logically move on tosecondary education in Luxembourg or high school.

Enrolling in public elementary school

When you register with your local municipality, your child is automatically enrolled in the municipality's public school.

Therefore, as soon as your child reaches the compulsory school age of 4, you will automatically receive a letter inviting you to the next school year. Your child will then join the elementary school in your area.

However, you can choose to send your child to another public school outside your municipality of residence. To do so, you must submit a request to the municipal administration of the school in question before May 1 preceding the next school year.

Familiarize your child with the different languages of the Luxembourg school system by watching local television or reading comic books.

You canalso decide to enroll your child in an international or private school. In this case , you will need to provide your local authority with a certificate of enrollment confirming that your child is enrolled in school.

If you registered with your local authority after March 1 or if you have not received any correspondence by April 15 preceding the start of the school year, please contact your local authority's education department directly .

The school year generally begins on September 15 and ends on July 15, excluding weekends.

Language teaching in Luxembourg schools

In the Luxembourgish system, teaching is based on the country's three official languages: Luxembourgish, German, and French. The "Spillschoul" is traditionally based solely on spoken Luxembourgish. Very recently, it was decided to integrate French at this stage.

Upon entering Cycle 2 of primary education, children begin literacy and reading in German. They continue to learn various subjects in German and strengthen their knowledge of French.

Throughout their schooling in Luxembourg, Luxembourgish remains the main language of communication between students and teachers.

Orientation after Luxembourg primary school

Principle of post-primary school orientation from cycle 4.1

Secondary education in Luxembourg begins at age 12 with entry into high school. Enrollment in high schools depends on available places based on a geographical school map.

Find out about the educational options offered by Luxembourg high schools from cycle 4.1 onwards to determine your child's future path. However, it is possible to enroll your child, whether in a private or public school, in an international or Luxembourg high school outside the school district. Admission will be based on the child's academic record. You will then need to provide proof of their schooling to your local municipality by producing a school certificate.

Check the Open House calendar and attend with your child starting in Cycle 4.1.

Career guidance process in the traditional or general stream

Starting in Cycle 4.1, regular quarterly parent-teacher meetings are held to prepare for the child's orientation. A total of six meetings are held to determine the orientation towards "classical" or "general" secondary education.

Teachers give their initial opinion on this orientation at the end of Cycle 4.1. The end-of-cycle report and the mid-term report are given to parents during the second meeting at the beginning of the third term of Cycle 4.2. The orientation meeting takes place during the third and final meeting of Cycle 4.2.

French, German, and mathematics are the three main subjects that determine admission to high school. The classical stream is reserved for the best students.

The orientation decision is based on the child's academic results during the two years of cycle 4 (4.1 and 4.2) and on specific assessments. If parents wish, they can also consult a psychologist.

The Maison Relais, a public after-school care facility

When you register your arrival in your municipality of residence, remember to ask about the Maison Relais or Foyer scolaire childcare facilities in the municipality. Children are welcomed there outside of school hours. Generally , Maisons Relais also provide lunch.

Children who attend school in the municipality are given priority. Opening hours vary between 7 a.m. before school, lunchtime, and after school until 6 p.m. Children are welcome during school hours and after school, except on weekends. After-school care centers also close for two or three weeks during the year, over Christmas and during the summer holidays.

Can't find a place in a Maison relais? Check out other childcare options in Luxembourg here.

Schooling for foreign or newly arrived students

Academic support

Foreign children who are new to Luxembourg receive extensive support with their schooling. They benefit from reception classes and language support courses to help them integrate.

For more information, contact your local education department.

In addition, multilingual intercultural mediators (Albanian, Cape Verdean, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, etc.) are available to facilitate communication between foreign parents who are new to Luxembourg and the school and/or teachers. This service is free of charge.

Find out more about educational support for foreign children arriving in Luxembourg

Alternatives to the Luxembourg education system

Does your child not have a sufficient command of the Luxembourgish language? Would you like them to learn in their native language (English/French/German)?

Foreign students have more and more opportunities outside the Luxembourg primary school system. They can join other systems from an early age, while remaining in the public system.

This is particularly the case at the Michel Lucius public school in Luxembourg, which offers Luxembourgish education in English, and at Luxembourg's public European schools.

Why choose to live in Luxembourg with your family? Find out more here.