Your child enters Geneva’s public school this year and you have a long list of unanswered questions?
DO NOT PANIC!
Parentville’s got you covered!
The first thing to know: 1P is the 1st grade in the primary school in the canton of Geneva (it may be called differently in other cantons). It is the first grade of “cycle élémentaire” of the primary school: 1P-4P is cycle élémentaire, 5P-8P is the cycle moyen (then they switch to the middle school called “Cycle d’Orientation”).
Putting school system 101 to the side, let’s dive into the practical side of 1P.
WHAT TO BUY
You don’t need to buy books, scissors, crayons, notebooks, etc. School will provide each student with the necessary books, notebooks, and tools, including a set of Caran d’Ache crayons.
You’ll quickly see that you don’t even need to buy one of those bulky, sturdy schoolbags. They leave the books, notebooks, crayons, scissors, etc at school. There’s hardly anything they carry to school:
- a thin folder (la fourre),
- a communication notebook (le carnet),
- a water bottle (la gourde),
- and a snack (le goûter)
So what kind of backpack should you get? Any light bag that can easily carry a thin A4 folder will do.
Here’s your shopping list:
- slippers (les pantoufles),
- basanes (type of slippers for gentle, cool gym classes they’ll have. Available in Migros, Decathlon, Aesbach, Dosenbach, etc.),
- a painting apron (un tablier),
- a water bottle (la gourde),
- a snack box for the goûter.
- sometimes: a box of tissues.
CARNET
You will receive a teacher-parent communication book also called a student’s book (carnet de l’élève) with all necessary explanations, information, addresses, and phone numbers.
But it is most importantly an agenda: each day of the school year has its place, where teachers and parents can put important information or messages. At the bottom of the page, you’ll find a dedicated space to put a written request for a meeting with the teacher (or the teacher’s request to meet with you). You’ll need to sign this notebook every week. I promise, it will become clear once you get it in your hands.
In the first weeks, you will also receive some forms to fill out (mainly asking about address, phone numbers, special health issues, languages spoken, etc). Nothing complicated, but it will feel like an endless task of providing the same information again and again.
INDEPENDENCE
Kids are expected to be diaper-free and independent when it comes to all toilet-related issues. They should also know how to dress themselves, put on their shoes, etc. Of course, teachers will occasionally help if needed, but the expectation is for kids to be independent. For that reason only dress them in what they can manage to open and close by themsleves. For example, it’s best to avoid shoes with laces until your kid can tie them without adults’ help.
You may have heard from other parents in Switzerland, that children are required to walk to school unaccompanied from the age of 4. It’s not true in Geneva. They can, but they don’t have to. Some teachers may suggest it, encourage it, but nobody will require it. Ever.
You can walk your kid to school till they’re 18yo or more.
IT’S IN FRENCH
Don’t be afraid if your child doesn’t speak French.
Most probably, he/she won’t be the only one in the classroom. Teachers in Geneva are experienced and used to working with allophone children (allophone is french for not speaking French). There’s also a big chance there’s another kid in class speaking your child’s native tongue. Each class in public school is very international. Grades 1-3P are very playful – perfect to learn the language, it will be ok, I promise!
Those joining later, from 4P onwards, will be placed in their regular class for half a day, and in the playful “French for foreigners” class for the other half of the day.
If you think your child will do better with some additional help, you can try a kids’ French course in one of the language schools, for example playful Spell Languages (offering both group and private lessons, as well as full weeks during school holidays).
PLAYTIME
1-2P focus on socializing, small motor skills, board games, songs, and as my daughter put it “that damn coloring”. Coloring is boring for many kids but the thought behind it is to master the pincer grasp, train hand-eye coordination, and as a result manage the pencil better in the following years.
They get to learn their abc’s, count to 12, and write their name. But again, everything depends on the teacher. My daughter’s teacher added a bit of German to the mix for example.
The classrooms for 1P-2P are filled with toys, games, and colours. There’s usually a library corner, and a separate space for different kinds of pretend play scenarios.
It’s not really school yet. It’s a kindergarten in school’s building.
LEARNING 101
The first two years are mostly about playtime and fun, through which children learn a lot. But don’t expect any serious literacy or mathemathics happening in Geneva 1P or even 2P classes. This won’t start “for reals” until the 3P. According to a ton of research (example of an article summing it up: here), it is a great advantage of the Swiss system. The same is done in many Northern and Eastern European countries.
They’ will play with numbers and letters, they will start writing the letters but it will be all very playful and free from pressure. They;ll do a lot of coloring, but also solve mazes and easy logical tasks. They’ll have basics of geography – starting with their studuying school’s topography and maybe naming the streets around. But again, it all depends on the teacher. They’ll have gym (or eurorhytmic classes), a bit of science, simple geography, they will bricolage a lot.
THE MORNING
Drop off is from 8:00 till 8:45. Provide your child with a small snack for the morning recess (la recrée): a sandwich, a fruit, dry fruits, a bit of cheese or whatever you want. You’re completely free to choose, unless the school decides otherwise (eg no sweets on certain days).
In some of the schools parents can walk in with their child only for the first 2 months of the school year (upon drop off, and to collect them). Other schools let parents in throughout the school year in 1P or even later. But in most schools, as of 2P you will be asked to stay outside, and your child will enter the school on their own.
THE LUNCH BREAK: 11h30-13h30/14h00
The lunch break is long. It starts at 11:30, and finishes with an afternoon drop off between 13h30 tand 14h. Too much time to just eat, not enough to fit anything important in it…
During this very long lunch break, children from 1P eat their lunch, have a quiet time to lie down for 20-30 minutes. Although some may fall asleep it is not an official nap time. They can bring a cover, a pillow, and something to cuddle.
They can eat lunch at school with “parascolaire” (paid option) or eat at home, in which case your step count will get a boost from constant walking to school and back home.
SCHOOL’S OUT
Schools out at 16h:00 every day. There is no school on Wednesdays for 1-4P. From 5P children go to school on Wednesdays but only till 11:30 (there is no lunch or parascolaire option on Wednesdays).
After-school care, “parascolaire”, exists in all schools in canton Geneva. Children are taken care of from 16h till 18h. Parascolaire is managed in most municipalities by GIAP, not by schools. The activities during these two hours vary a lot from one municapility to another, and even between schools in the same municipality in the canton.
HOLIDAYS
Holidays outside the set school breaks? You have to ask the school for approval and it is decided on case by case basis. If it’s less than 4 days of school leave, the teacher will decide, but if it’s more, the director of the school will make the decision. You should hand it in, ideally, at least 14 days in advance.
Exception: Jeûne genevois always falls in the beginning of the school year, rarely there’s a required 14 days period between la rentrée and the long weekend. In this case simply file your request in the first week of school.
Check here for all planned school holidays in Geneva in the 2026/2027 school year.