Poland has a public school system that is free, structured, and open to foreign children on the same terms as Polish ones. Language is the main challenge, and the system has built-in help for it. Here is how schools in Poland work for a family that arrives mid-year or at the start.
When does school start in Poland?
Education is compulsory until 18. At age 6, there is one year of preparation (roczne przygotowanie przedszkolne), in kindergarten or in a "zero" class at school. Primary school (eight years) starts in the year the child turns 7, or at 6 on the parents' request. After it, training continues until 18 (obowiązek nauki). A child who arrives during the school year is subject to compulsory schooling: enrol straight away, do not wait for September.
How do you enrol your child?
- Find the catchment school (szkoła rejonowa): your town hall or city website tells you which one covers your address. A child living in the catchment area is admitted to year 1 on a parents' declaration; outside it, admission depends on free places and criteria set by the municipality.
- Contact the head teacher, who places the child in the right class taking into account age, foreign reports and your opinion.
- Bring documents: identity documents for the child and parents, proof of address, recent reports and school certificates, translated if the school asks, and the vaccination record. A PESEL for the child makes things easier.
You do not need an official recognition (nostryfikacja) of foreign reports to enter primary school or the lycee.
Which school, which class and what support depend on your child's age, language and current curriculum. Moovy can help you prepare the questions to ask the head teacher and the documents to bring. You deal with the school yourself.
What help exists for children who do not speak Polish?
According to the school law, a foreign child can get:
- extra Polish lessons, free, for up to 24 months;
- catch-up lessons in other subjects, up to 12 months;
- an assistant who speaks the child's language, up to 12 months;
- a preparatory class (oddział przygotowawczy) where the municipality created one, normally for a year.
A ministry page from January 2025 mentioned lessons with no time limit, but the consolidated law limits them to 24 months, so ask your school what applies. At the end of primary school (8th grade exam) and for the matura (the school-leaving exam), adaptations are possible, such as a bilingual dictionary and extra time.
What does it cost?
Public school is free. School meals are paid, and the price covers the food only; each primary school must offer a hot meal a day on an optional basis. Families in difficulty may be exempted.
What is the 2026-2027 calendar?
School starts on 1 September 2026. Christmas break runs from 23 to 31 December 2026. Winter holidays depend on the voivodeship: 18 to 31 January 2027 (for example Lower Silesia and Silesia), 1 to 14 February (Masovia, Pomerania and others), or 15 to 28 February (Greater Poland, Lesser Poland and others). Easter holidays: 25 to 30 March 2027. Classes end on 25 June 2027 and summer holidays run 26 June to 31 August 2027.
What about the French and international options?
The Lycee francais Rene Goscinny in Warsaw belongs to the network of French schooling abroad. A French child can apply for an AEFE grant through the Scolaide platform (the deadline for the second period of 2026-2027 was 25 September 2026); registration with the French register abroad is required, and the grants do not combine with French family allowances. School fees are set by each school. Public bilingual classes follow the Polish curriculum and may select pupils, so they are not the same as an international school.
Are foreign diplomas recognised?
A secondary diploma from an EU, OECD or EFTA country, or an International or European Baccalaureate, is valid by law in Poland. For other countries, the kurator oświaty (education superintendent) decides. For university entry, the NAWA agency handles it since 1 July 2025.
What are the common mistakes?
- Waiting for September.
- Believing school starts at 6 for everyone.
- Counting on Polish lessons with no end date.
- Starting late for the French lycee. Places and grants have their own calendars.
How do schools in Poland compare for foreign families?
The public system is the default and the cheapest. It is free, follows the Polish curriculum, and welcomes foreign pupils with the right to extra support. The alternatives are the French network (the Lycee francais Rene Goscinny in Warsaw), public bilingual classes (which still follow the Polish curriculum and may select pupils at entry), and international schools, whose fees are set by each school. We do not have an official list of international schools in Poland, so ask your employer or the town hall.
What are the exams?
At the end of primary school, pupils take the eighth-grade exam (egzamin ósmoklasisty); at the end of secondary school, the matura. For pupils who do not master Polish, adaptations are possible: a bilingual dictionary, extra time, and for the eighth-grade exam adapted papers. Ask the school which apply.
What about vaccinations and school health?
The school may ask for the vaccination record, which is useful for the school doctor; the school tells you what it needs. Our sources do not list the compulsory vaccines, so check with the school and with your family doctor, chosen through the NFZ as explained in healthcare in Poland for expats.
What should you ask the head teacher about schools in Poland?
Prepare questions about the class your child will join and why, what extra Polish lessons exist and how often, whether the municipality has a preparatory class, whether an assistant who speaks your child's language is available, what the school meal costs and how to register, and how the school communicates with parents. Take recent reports and certificates, translated if the school requires.
What if your child is under 6, or over 16?
Under 6, nursery and kindergarten are separate from compulsory school, and at 6 the preparatory year is compulsory. Our sources for this article do not give childcare prices, so ask your municipality. Beyond lower secondary, training continues until 18. For adult and post-secondary public schools, third-country nationals without a suitable residence title may have to pay; EU citizens have the same rights as Poles.
How are foreign qualifications recognised?
For entry into primary or secondary school, no official recognition is needed. For the end-of-secondary diploma: a diploma from an EU, OECD or EFTA country (UK and Switzerland included), or an International or European Baccalaureate, is valid by law; for other countries the education superintendent decides. For university entry, the agency NAWA is the competent body since 1 July 2025. See also moving to Poland for the wider settling plan.
What do French families need to know about schools in Poland?
A French child can apply for an AEFE grant for the Lycee francais in Warsaw via the Scolaide platform; the 2026-2027 deadline for the second period was 25 September 2026, and registration with the French register abroad is required. The grants cannot be combined with French family allowances. Places and grants have their own calendars, so start early.
What does your child need to be enrolled?
Their identity document and yours, proof of address (for the catchment school), recent reports, a vaccination record and, ideally, a PESEL for the child, which makes everything simpler. Your own address declaration at the town hall gives you the proof of address; see residence in Poland for EU citizens.
Which city is best for schools in Poland?
We cannot rank cities. The school calendar varies by voivodeship, the French lycee is in Warsaw, and the quality of an individual school is not something official sources rate. Visit, ask the head teacher, and compare the commute. Best places to live in Poland gives what data exist by city.
For work and settling, see working in Poland and best places to live in Poland. Calendars change each year; check gov.pl/web/edukacja.