Back-to-school checklist: educational support arrangements in France
Back-to-school support in France: PPRE, PAI, PAP and PPS, which arrangement fits which situation, and how to prepare. Downloadable summary.
Countries covered : France
At the start of each school year, families and practitioners working with children face the same question: which educational support arrangement is right for which situation? The French acronyms PPRE, PAI, PAP and PPS may look similar, but they serve different purposes.
This page provides a clear checklist to help you prepare. For information on how these arrangements connect with an assessment, such as a neuropsychological assessment, see the dedicated page too.
Four arrangements, four approaches
- PPRE (Programme personnalisé de réussite éducative): an educational response organised within the school and decided by the teaching team to address difficulties at school.
- PAI (Projet d'accueil individualisé): for a medical condition or health need, such as medication or an allergy, drawn up with the school doctor.
- PAP (Plan d'accompagnement personnalisé): for learning disorders, following the school doctor's advice, without an application to the MDPH, the departmental disability service.
- PPS (Projet personnalisé de scolarisation): for a recognised disability, under the responsibility of the MDPH and its decision-making commission, the CDAPH.
Which arrangement fits which situation?
The basic approach is as follows: difficulties at school are initially addressed through a PPRE; a day-to-day health need through a PAI; a learning disorder requiring adjustments through a PAP; and a recognised disability through a PPS. A child may move from one arrangement to another over time.
The back-to-school checklist
- Review the child's needs at the start of the school year.
- Identify the right contact: the teaching team, school doctor or MDPH, depending on the situation.
- Gather relevant documents: recent, clearly written assessments and reports from professionals.
- Allow for processing times: some procedures, particularly MDPH applications, take time, so start early.
- Coordinate everyone involved: the school, family and practitioners, to develop a coherent plan.
- Review the arrangements during the year if circumstances change.
Download the PAP / PPS summary
The four arrangements and the back-to-school checklist on one page. Enter your email address to access the PDF:
The practitioner's role
Speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, psychomotor therapists and neuropsychologists all contribute reports that inform these arrangements. A clear, dated assessment supported by objective findings helps guide decisions and adjustments. Its value lies in readability for the people working with the school, rather than its length.
Save time on back-to-school reports
The start of the school year brings a concentration of assessment and report requests. An effective approach is to use a consistent template, standardise the sections and write while your observations are fresh.
This is what Delta enables: capture your observations through live note-taking or post-session dictation, and the tool generates a report structured around your template, with longitudinal patient memory from one year to the next. HDS-certified hosting, GDPR compliant.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between PPRE, PAI, PAP and PPS?
A PPRE is an internal educational response to difficulties at school. A PAI addresses a health need. A PAP supports learning disorders following the school doctor's advice. A PPS falls under the MDPH where a disability is involved.
Does a PAP require an MDPH application?
No. A PAP is put in place following the school doctor's advice, without going through the MDPH. A PPS, by contrast, falls under the MDPH and CDAPH.
Who decides on a PPRE?
The school's teaching team, to address difficulties at school through an internal educational arrangement.
How can families and practitioners prepare for the school year?
Review the child's needs, identify the right contact, gather recent and clearly written assessments, and allow for processing times, particularly for MDPH applications.
What role do practitioners play in these arrangements?
Their clear reports, supported by objective findings, inform decisions and adjustments. A readable assessment makes the work of those supporting the school easier.
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