Schooling your children: education and early learning from 3 months onwards
nursery schools and kindergartens
junior high schools and high schools
Baccalauréat (A-level equivalent) pass rate
bilingual education is available from an early age
A COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF EDUCATION FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD TO POST SECONDARY SCHOOL
With more than 300 nursery schools, primary schools, junior high schools, high schools and universities, our region is a comprehensive educational hub from early childhood to post-secondary education:
- More than 40 nursery schools and kindergartens will welcome your little ones with arms wide open and support them in their educational development. For that matter, you’ve the chance to give them a bilingual French-English education from a very young age at the Maison d’assistants maternels (day care centre) in Wormhout.
- 260 junior high schools and high schools to prepare your teenagers for success in an ideal environment as almost 94% of our high schoolers pass their high school diploma, which is slightly above the French average of 93.7%* (source: L’Express)
- Post-secondary education: with the ULCO, IUT, EILCO, ISCID-CO, IMT Nord Europe and work-study and apprenticeship-based technical fields, a dense economic fabric of companies to welcome apprentices and new graduates, the universities in our territory meet the expectations of the large companies in the sector to provide them with the talent they need.
Here is the list of establishments in Dunkirk that could be useful to you
EDUCATION GEARED TOWARDS EUROPE FROM AN EARLY AGE
Nursery schools and day care centres
- Wormhout day care centre Over The Rainbow: L’Univers des Minis, 15 route de Bergues – 59470 Wormhout.
On the programme: an educational project based on an introduction to the English language, free motricity and Snoezelen activities. This approach encourages babies to rest with relaxation exercises and relies on sensory experiences.
- SEV’S NURSERY, located 8 bis Rue du Sud in Dunkirk, is a mini bilingual nursery school for English, + 33 (0)6 33 44 46 00
Bilingual schools
As learning languages is so easy for children from a very young age, it gives them the chance to get to know the English and Dutch languages.
French-English for early beginners:
Giono and Meurisse pre-schools in Petite-Synthe, Charles Perrault pre-school in Malo-Les-Bains. André Nita primary school in Dunkirk city centre, Louise de Bettignies primary school in Dunkirk-Rosendaël and Maillart primary school in Petite-Synthe.
French-Dutch for early beginners:
Alain Savary pre-school and Félix Coquelle primary school.
By providing education in a foreign language, you’re shaping your kids into perfect little Europeans.
High school
From secondary school level, the Institution Notre Dame des Dunes offers fully bilingual French and Dutch or Spanish education.
At secondary school level, it teaches European and international classes, resulting in enhanced English learning.
This means your teenagers will have the chance to make strides in the language of Shakespeare and prepare well-known certifications which will be useful in their undergraduate studies.
Higher education
Studying at the University Littoral Côte d’Opale, ISCID-CO or EILCO provides opportunities to conquer Europe through the Erasmus programme thanks to their numerous partnerships with European (and world) universities.
HIGHER EDUCATION
The Dunkirk area benefits from a major training centre in the region (or in the immediate vicinity).
Two engineering schools in Dunkirk have launched a degree in energy engineering:
Here you’ll find the training you need to meet the needs of companies developing and implementing energy transition and decarbonisation initiatives. This offer is part of the “skills and training” component of a national project entitled Dunkirk, Creative Energy.
TRAINING FOR CAREERS IN THE ENERGY TRANSITION
A number of education institutes, including the IUT Littoral Côte d’Opale, Lycée de l’Europe, Epid-Vauban and CFAI AFPI alternance, provide a range of courses, from Baccalauréat to engineering level, in the field of energy transition and efficiency. These courses aim to get qualified professionals ready to meet current energy challenges, particularly in the building and industry sectors, in line with national and European policies.
During their education, students are trained in cutting-edge technologies related to renewable energies and energy optimisation.
For example, the MT2E department at the IUT Dunkerque has test benches to familiarise students with technologies such as hydrogen, methanisation, steam, refrigeration and alternative energy solutions such as wood, heat pumps and solar energy. These institutes are all equipped with modern technical facilities, offering optimum conditions for training.
TRAINING FOR THE JOBS OF THE FUTURE IN THE BATTERY INDUSTRY, FROM VOCATIONAL CERTIFICATE TO MASTER’S DEGREE LEVEL
Backed by a strong industrial heritage, the Dunkirk area has embarked upon a new juncture in its history towards the industry of the future, one that champions low-carbon, circularity and the creation of value.
Learning for jobs in the battery business, an excellent choice for the future.
With the announcement that Verkor Gigafactory and ProLogium are setting up in Dunkirk, there is a great deal of promise regarding employment. But there’s even more to it; they are part of a regional dynamic to create a “Battery Valley” in the region: with Verkor, but also Envision’s Gigafactory on the Renault Douai site and probably other sites to come… Your young people will be able to train in these new professions!
The Dunkirk area already offers a comprehensive range of training courses, from vocational certificates to Master’s degrees (not forgetting continuous professional development for people who are retraining).
Read testimonials from students who have moved to Dunkirk
