Relocating midway through the school year

[fraktion]

Not me, I hasten to add. I'm already here!

A family with a 10yo and 6yo are relocating to France in about 6 weeks and want to put their children into French school (not that they have much choice round here). Mother doesn't speak French, Father apparently does but a mutual friend passed on my details to see if I can give practical help as they will be about an hour away.

She understandably has questions about school but I have no answers. I enquired at our local mairie (assuming the procedure is the same) and got told it would be the same as a change of address in France. I don't know how they'd get a certificat de radiation, or whether their passport/birth certs will be enough, or indeed how one signs up in advance of actually being in the country, whether they could start when the arrive mid-Match or whether they'd need to wait until our term starts in May.

I told her they already need to think whether the 10yo will go to college next year and sign up. She doesn't want them out of school until the rentrée.

I don't think taking the pitch up and sign up approach appeals.

Anyone done it or got any bright ideas? Or knowledge of organisations who might be more helpful than I am!

[natation]

The logical thing is for the parents to locate what their nearest state school would be, contact it, located the nearest Catholic schools too and contact them. The schools are going to know all the answers surely?

I'm surprised with 6 weeks to go, they don't already have school places lined up or at least know how to sign up. I spent hours researching where to live based firstly on the school I had chosen several months earlier. I know we're not in France, but surely the same principle of researching schooling in conjunction with housing and out of school facilities before moving is the same everywhere?

Sorry that really wasn't much help was it?

[fraktion]

I get the impression this hasn't been terribly well handled. Mother would do it but doesn't speak French, Father doesn't seem to care/assumes they'll deal with it when they arrive. Usual procedure as I understand in France is go to the mairie then to the school but DS is still too young - that joy comes my way next year!

[fraktion]

I'll try contacting the schools on their behalf but that may mean I need to actually go to where they'll be living to actually meet the schools if telephoning doesn't work and I really don't have time for that.

[natation]

There is this website for looking at the private schools, but I've also found a website before that allows you to search public and private together.

www.enseignement-prive.info/

[natation]

geolocalisation.onisep.fr/monecole/

[natation]

With absolutely no need for French, you could in less than an hour draw up a list of schools in an area, probably find out their websites and telephone numbers. Then you can hand over the telephone numbers to French speaking husband......

[IDontKnowWhereMyMedalsAre]

Slight (or not) digression but this move isn't going to go well at all is it? Not in France but I researched researched and then some more to find the right school. On the phone at ridiculous days and times. Schooling is top priority. It sounds like she is too overwhelmed to get her act together, poor thing.
Well done you for helping and good luck to her I think she's going to need it.