Become a primary school teacher: test the job before your career change

A typical day

• 7:45 am: arriving at school, photocopying and setting out the day's materials.
• 8:20 am: greeting pupils at the classroom door, a word for each.
• 8:30 am: morning routine, then reading in two groups: phonics with one, independent reading for the other.
• 10 am: break, supervising the playground with a colleague.
• 1:30 pm: science in small groups, then PE.
• 4:30 pm: home time, a meeting with a family, then planning for tomorrow.

How to become a primary school teacher

In France, primary teachers are recruited by competitive exam, the CRPE. Since 2026, the external exam is open from the third year of a bachelor's degree; successful candidates then follow two paid years of master's, about €1,400 then €1,800 net a month according to the ministry. For career changers, the third exam is often the best route: it is open to people with five years of work under private-sector contracts, with no degree required. In English-speaking countries, the usual route is a degree followed by a recognised teacher training programme; check your local requirements. The G-Learn trial is the first step to find out whether the job suits you; its certificate is not a diploma.

Pay

In 2023, French primary teachers earned an average net salary of €2,680 a month (DEPP, 2025). Pay rises with seniority and with roles such as headship.

The hard parts

• The workload goes far beyond class hours: planning, marking, meetings.
• Managing a restless class or a pupil in great difficulty can be draining.
• In France, first posts are often far from home, allocated by a national points system.

Sources: devenirenseignant.gouv.fr — réforme du recrutement · devenirenseignant.gouv.fr — troisième concours · devenirenseignant.gouv.fr — statistiques CRPE 2025 · DEPP, Note d'information 25.48 (salaires 2023)