PPS France: The French Equivalent of an IEP and How It Works

If you're coming from the US, UK, or Australia, you know that the cornerstone of special education support is the individualized plan — whether that's an IEP (Individualized Education Program), an EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan), or a Learning and Support Plan. France has its equivalent: the Projet Personnalisé de Scolarisation, universally referred to as the PPS.

But the PPS works very differently from the plans you're familiar with. Understanding those differences is essential before you walk into your first school meeting in France expecting the school to simply "set up an IEP."

What the PPS Is

The PPS (Projet Personnalisé de Scolarisation) is a formalized individual education plan that defines the specific modalities of schooling for a child with a recognized disability in France. It is the legally binding document that the school must implement.

What a PPS can mandate:

• Assignment of an AESH (Accompagnant d'Élèves en Situation de Handicap) — a classroom support assistant
• Placement in a ULIS class (specialized inclusion unit within a mainstream school)
• Referral to an IME (medico-educational institute) or SESSAD (mobile multidisciplinary support team)
• Provision of specialized pedagogical equipment (adapted computers, communication devices)
• Specific pedagogical adaptations and accommodations across subjects

The PPS is governed by Articles D.351-3 to D.351-9 of the Code de l'éducation.

The Critical Difference: The PPS Comes from the MDPH, Not the School

This is the point that most expat families miss. In the US, the school's IEP team drafts the IEP. In the UK, the local authority issues the EHCP based on needs assessments that the school coordinates. In France, the school has no authority to independently issue a PPS or allocate the resources that go with it.

The PPS is the product of the MDPH (Maison Départementale des Personnes Handicapées) process. The CDAPH (Commission des Droits et de l'Autonomie des Personnes Handicapées) — the MDPH's decision-making committee — decides what supports are granted. The Ministry of Education is then legally required to implement what the CDAPH has authorized.

This means:

• A PPS cannot exist without prior MDPH recognition of the child's disability.
• The school cannot grant or deny a PPS — it can only implement what the MDPH has approved.
• If you want a PPS for your child, you must initiate the MDPH application yourself, not wait for the school to do it.

How the PPS Is Created

The PPS emerges from the MDPH process in two stages:

Stage 1: The MDPH evaluation. You submit a complete MDPH dossier. The multidisciplinary evaluation team (EPE) reviews it and formulates recommendations. The CDAPH issues a decision granting disability recognition and specifying what supports are authorized.

Stage 2: Drafting the PPS. Once the CDAPH notification is issued, the school and the family work with the Enseignant Référent (ERSEH) — a specialist teacher who acts as the liaison between the family, the school, and the MDPH — to formalize the PPS document. The PPS translates the CDAPH's authorizations into specific school-level arrangements: which teacher is responsible for adaptations, how the AESH will work with the child, what timetable modifications will be implemented.

The key relationship to understand: the MDPH authorizes resources; the school implements them; the ERSEH coordinates between both and monitors outcomes through the annual ESS meeting.

How the PPS Compares to an IEP (US) and an EHCP (UK)

The processing time difference is significant. A US IEP is legally required to be in place within 60 school days of identifying a need. A French PPS depends on the MDPH timeline, which routinely stretches to a year or more for families in high-demand départements.

What the PPS Does Not Cover

The PPS governs school-based support within the milieu ordinaire (mainstream education system). It does not:

• Provide therapeutic services (speech therapy, occupational therapy) — those are funded separately through the healthcare system or via SESSAD
• Apply to private hors contrat schools (most international schools) — these are not bound by CDAPH decisions
• Automatically cover exam accommodations — these require a separate application, typically submitted the year before the exam

Getting Your Child's PPS Reviewed or Updated

Once a PPS is in place, it is reviewed at least annually through the ESS meeting (Équipe de Suivi de Scolarisation). The ERSEH chairs the meeting, which includes the parents, relevant teachers, the AESH (if applicable), and any specialists involved in the child's care.

The ESS meeting updates the GEVA-Sco assessment document, which is then submitted to the MDPH for any renewal of the existing rights. If circumstances have changed — new diagnoses, new needs, a change in schooling — the ESS meeting is where the PPS is updated and renewals are requested.

Parents should always attend ESS meetings prepared. Bring all recent independent assessments, updated therapy reports, and specific concerns about what is and isn't working. The GEVA-Sco that emerges from the ESS meeting drives what the MDPH sees for the next renewal cycle.

If the School Suggests a Lighter Plan Instead of a PPS

Schools sometimes steer families toward internal plans — particularly the PAP (Plan d'Accompagnement Personnalisé) for "Troubles DYS" — to avoid the complexity of the MDPH process. While a PAP is genuinely appropriate for some situations, accepting a PAP as a substitute for a PPS when your child actually needs an AESH or specialized class placement is a strategic error.

The PAP has real value: it can mandate pedagogical accommodations (adapted fonts, printed notes, extended time) and it bypasses the MDPH. But it cannot assign an AESH, cannot mandate a ULIS placement, and carries no CDAPH legal force.

If the school proposes a PAP and your child's needs genuinely require a dedicated classroom aide or more intensive support, pursue the PPS/MDPH pathway regardless of the wait time. The France Special Education Blueprint maps out exactly when each plan type is appropriate and how to advocate for the right level of support from your child's school.

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