Maison Familiale Rurale d'Education et d'Orientation de Balleroy

The school, called Maison Familiale Rurale, exists since 1963. It's located on the western part of Normandy. The MFR is a vocational school welcoming students aged between 14 and 18. Apprenticeship and/or training for students is made with a specific system, that is to say "sandwich courses" : students come one week at school then the week after they go in internship in a company and so on all year long. Even the 14 years-old students have the same rythm. The students from 14 to 16 finish compulsory education (junior High school). Students work on their professional orientation through their internships and in class. Those who are motivated by agriculture or horses can stay at the MFR and begin the next September either a vocational 2 year-diploma or a vocational 3-year diploma. These two diplomas are professional ones. The school has two adult trainings in the equine field. One around the young horse education in show jumping and one in equine grooming. Both are in apprenticeship over one year. There are 135 students and 45 young adults at the MFR. The specificity of the school is that the pedagogy uses students' experiences in class after their placement week in order to mix hteory with practise. The staff is composed of one headmaster, one executive assistant, one secretary, two cooks, one night supervisor, one gardener and eleven teachers. Each teacher has its office which means one can always have a meeting with students to talk about their placement during lunch break for example. The school is a boarding school : most students stay and sleep at school. The MFR is located at 20 minutes of Bayeux, city of 13 000 inhabitants. Yet, the school is in a deep rural part. This is why the trainings it offers are in adequation with the local environment : agriculture and horse breeding.