Organisational aspects

Non-school childcare facilities

As part of the reform of the legislation setting the authorisation scheme for early childhood facilities, it is stipulated that "the organising authority shall draw up, in consultation with the staff of the childcare facilities, a continuous training plan in relation to the childcare project and for its duration. The continuous training plan is implemented notably through the participation of the staff in modules included in a continuous training programme set up every 5 years by the Government, on the proposal of the Office of Birth and Childhood (ONE : Office de la Naissance et de l'Enfance). The independent (co-)childminders and the staff of other childcare facilities participate in continuous training in relation to the training plan, up to a minimum of two days per year on average over the duration of the plan".

Furthermore, the Quality Code provides that all childcare settings should encourage childminders, regardless of their basic qualifications, to follow continuous training on the professional nature of the caring function and on the knowledge about the child’s development.  Depending on the sector, more precise obligations are defined.

The objective pursued through these obligations is principally to offer everybody an opportunity to reflect with others on their educational practices, notably in the light of changes that have taken place in the social and educational fields, as well as recent educational methods. The training is even more relevant if it is part of a project, nourished by an overall reflection on childminding, self-reflection, and the input of scientific information and specific knowledge.

The decree setting out the continuing training programme aimed at professionals looking after children aged 0 to 12 years (including parents who look after children in a parents’ day nursery), is reviewed every five years. In order to support professionals and volunteers in their training obligations, the Office for Birth and Childhood (ONE) subsidises each year a training offer specifically designed for them.

For the 2025-2026 cycle, this represents a total of 2 903.5 days (1 345 for the early childhood sector, (+ 150 days/year for the Direction’s certificate), 1 558.5 days for the Free Time Care sector and 86 days with a mixed audience).

Within the framework of the subsidised offer, action principles and organisational details are defined : they include promoting geographical accessibility and the fair distribution of provision between the different target groups, ensuring that waiting lists are established to manage registrations, ensuring a balance between knowledge, practical skills, the capacity to develop and interpersonal skills, providing training courses which are specific to the different childcare functions and to the different types of childcare facility, and encouraging training projects defined on the basis of the specific childcare plan.

The ONE subsidises different types of training activity : individual training, networked training of professionals and support for teams in the field, collective supervision grants and study trips (pilot project). New types of activities are being tested and evaluated through pilot projects with a view to being integrated into the 2026–2031 five‑year programme.

The training programme also aims at supporting the professionalization of the actors in the context of the objectives defined in the decree quality code. Namely :

• to encourage professionals to engage in a process of reflection and an approach of continuing training ;
• to aim for a holistic approach to the child ;
• to introduce support arrangements for action plans which promote reflection by professionals on their practices and which boost professionalism ;
• to develop reference tools and make them available to professionals.

For the implementation of the programme, the ONE works with 31 approved operators for the early childhood sector (28 are subsidised) and with 30 operators for the Free-Time Reception sector (27 are subsidised).

Alongside the services provided by the Office of Birth and Childhood (ONE), professionals can also count on training subsidised by other sectors, on training support measures (incentives for childminders) but also on the investment of the organising authorities in this area (the French Community Youth Service, training-cheques, etc.).

Pre-primary, primary and secondary education

Book 6, Title I of the Code on Primary and Secondary Education sets out the organisational arrangements for the continuing professional development of members of the education staff. Continuing professional development concerns the educational teams within schools, but also the members of PMS Centre teams and the members of the territorial poles teams.

The status of continuing professional development

Continuing professional development relating to training needs identified collectively is obligatory for all permanently appointed, or designated teaching staff or hired on a temporary basis, working in a school, in a territorial pole or in a PMS Centre, on the basis of 6 half-days a year, which may be accumulated over six years. In the case of part‑time employment, the number of half‑days of training is reduced pro rata to the hours worked, with the result rounded up to the next whole unit.

Continuing professional development addressing individual needs (in addition to these obligatory 6 half-days) is optional and voluntary. It may comprise 10 half-days per school year when it takes place during the time normally allocated to classroom work. The number of half‑days may be accumulated over six consecutive school years.

Outside the time allocated to classroom work or the beneficiary’s working hours, continuing professional development addressing individualised needs is not limited in terms of the number of half‑days per school year.

The organisation of continuing professional development

Continuing professional development is organised across networks, for all Organising Authorities, under the responsibility of the Institute for In-Service Training (IFPC), and at the level of each network (or at the level of the Organising Authority if it does not subscribe to a representation body).

Training organised by the IFPC addresses collective training needs arising either from system‑improvement objectives or from the analysis of the training plans of all schools, PMS Centres or Territorial Poles.

Training organised at network level addresses collective training needs arising either from the educational and pedagogical project of each network (or of the Organising Authority if it does not subscribe to a representation body), or from the analysis of the training plans of the schools, PMS Centres or Territorial Poles pertaining to each network (or Organising Authority if it does not subscribe to a representation body).

General training programmes are organised into strands, subdivided into different themes. This structure makes it possible, among other things, to ensure complementarity and avoid competition between inter‑network and network-based training.

The training operators are :

• members of the school educational team ;
• members of the multidisciplinary teams of PMS Centres ;
• staff members of Government departments ;
• staff members of the Networks and Federations of Organising Authorities ;
• the Institute for Continuing Professional Development ;
• the training bodies of the Networks and Federations of Organising Authorities ;
• further education agencies and youth organisations recognised by the French Community ;
• universities ;
• hautes écoles ;
• teacher training colleges and institutes ;
• arts colleges ;
• adult education institutions ;
• part-time arts education institutions ;
• training centres recognized by the French Community ;
• companies within the meaning of Article I.1 of the Code of Economic Law ;
• sports federations recognized by the French Community ;
• local, community, regional or federal public services ;
• representatives of the Council of Europe, the European Union or the OECD ;
• other national or international experts.

Under Book 6, Title I of the Code, a Council for Continuing Professional Development (CoFoPro) has been established within the Steering Committee. Its role is to ensure operational consultation between the stakeholders involved in continuing professional development and to advise the Steering Committee on strategic aspects of continuing professional development. It is responsible, in particular, for analysing needs in the field of continuing professional development.

Objectives

Continuing professional development for members of school educational teams and for members of the multidisciplinary teams of PMS Centres and territorial poles is part of their professional development process and of an enhanced professionalisation.

Its aims are to :

1. contribute to improving the quality of the education system by pursuing improvement objectives ;
2. develop, within each team, collective and individualised competences able to meeting the specific objectives set by schools ;
3. enable staff to maintain, improve or adjust their knowledge and skills with a view to ensuring that they are able to carry out their missions.

Continuing professional development focuses on further developing professional competences, including those initiated during initial training. These are grouped into four dimensions :

1. the competences of the institutional, social and cultural actor ;
2. the competences of the actor within a learning organisation operating in a collective dynamic ;
3. the competences of the organiser and facilitator of learning within an evolving dynamic (school) ;
4. the competences of the reflective practitioner.

The Pact for Excellence in Teaching is a systemic reform currently underway in the French Community. It is within the framework of the Pact that the new legal framework governing continuing professional development has been established. In addition to the reform of initial training—an essential condition for the evolution of the profession—the Pact for Excellence in Teaching focuses on strengthening both the quality and quantity of continuing professional development for staff, so that the ongoing development, improvement and renewal of competences become fully integrated into teachers’ work organisation. The reform also makes it possible to identify certain training courses as compulsory because they are essential for the school system. In such cases, based on a Government decision, the number of compulsory training days may be increased from 3 to 6 days per year.

To encourage a more flexible approach to training times, training courses considered essential may — if delivered in person during holidays or at weekends, or remotely outside teaching hours — give rise to the payment of a bonus.

To increase the attractiveness of training, training arrangements are intended to diversify : professional learning communities, participation in research, e‑learning, etc. Training arrangements are evolving to strengthen the contribution of expertise at the very heart of training and to bring the educational and scientific communities closer together.

Since 2025, professional learning communities (communautés d’apprentissage professionnelles (CAP)) have been organised. These new training arrangements involve an expert working alongside the facilitator‑trainer.

Pupils during their teacher’s in-service training

Classes may be suspended for a maximum of six half-days per year to allow teachers to attend training addressing collective training needs. These suspension days may also be accumulated over six years, with a maximum of five days per year.

For training that addresses individual needs, replacement during training may be provided by staff employed on a temporary basis, by pedagogical, sports, cultural or artistic activities, or even by students in initial teacher training completing their internship.

Incentives, supporting measures and funding for participation in continuing professional development (CPD) activities

Participation in training for staff members of educational institutions, organised in the framework of Book 6, Title I of the Code, is free of charge. Staff members have their travel costs reimbursed. The participants usually receive documents prepared by the trainers or access to online documents.

Members of staff who are participating in training are considered to be in active service.

Teachers who are qualified to teach in upper secondary education but who are employed in lower secondary education can follow a specific 60-hour training course which, if successful, enables them to receive the same salary as if they were teaching at the higher level (Decree of 30 April 2009).