Paris School Question Again

[LivFran]

Dear Knowledgable Parisians/Parisian Expats

In short my Husband has been offered a job in the 10th arrondissement and we have 2 children, who will be 11 and 6 when we go early next year. We will be there for 3 or 4 years max.

My question is, we would really like our children to be able to speak French fluently on our return and experience Paris as much as possible. We dont really want them to go to BSP and don't want to live in the burbs. We have looked at and like both EaB Montreau and EAMJM, although I have to say I'm a little worried about the test to get in and I understand that's it hard to get into also. So, by your experiences what do you think are our options for a 6 year and an 11 year old living for 3/4 years in Paris, but ultimately returning to a British school.

P.S the company will pay fees.

Thanks in advance and eagerly awaiting your responses.

[Superspudable]

My two boys (7 and 5) are at EABJM. It is an excellent, academic school BUT it is difficult and stressful to get in - 5 applicants per place minimum. I recommend that you get in with a sparkling dossier when applications are open Oct-Jan. Once you're in though, you're in! EABJM is a French school with 6 hours of English per week, and Chinese from Yr4 equivalent. We will return to the UK at some point.
EAB Monceau has similar structure and while EAB primary has a good reputation, a lot of people go elsewhere at College (11+). ISP - Intl school of Paris is the inverse - 4 hours a week of French - hard to imagine fluency. Lennen Bilingual School is another option but only up to 11 years old - one French teacher, one English teacher.
There is also the French state system - public schools. You are assigned a school according to your address (and if it has places).
Please feel free to send me a PM if you have specific questions about EABJM or its application process.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

I wouldn't put an 11 year old in the French system, if they have no/limited knowledge of the language. EABJM is difficult to get into - I wouldn't bother trying for the stress involved, unless your children are phenomenally bright. Maybe EAB Monceau for your younger one? But not many people rate it for 11+. My two went to ASP. They had an hour of French every day, and after three years, DD1 was in the francophone class - she was very determined though! DD2 ended up in intermediate - she hated her teacher and basically didn't try. I don't think there is one "ideal" school - you just have to have a look around and see what feels the best fit. And one thing about Paris - you certainly have plenty of choice of international schools, if you decide to go down that route.

[LivFran]

Hi Superspudable

Thanks for the reply.I've pm'd you.

MrsSchadenfreude

Thanks for answering. Yes, we don't think it's fair to put our 11 year old in the French system either, but we don't think the American system would suit either. This is our dilemma. She is quite bright and sitting the 11+ here in the UK. Our eldest is the main concern because she will be 11, if she was younger then we wouldn't be so concerned. Our youngest shouldn't be a problem.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

I agree that if you put your older daughter in the American/IB system, then you will probably have to keep her there. My DD has transitioned back to an IB school in UK with, so far, seemingly very few problems.

If you are only going to be in Paris for 3-4 years, and will go back to UK after that, I think your only bet is to put her in BSP, so that she can go back into the UK system, although if she is 15 by then, it will be a bitch of a time to go back, as this will be half way through her 2 year GCSE course. I think she would be really at sea if she moved from the French system to the UK system at such a late stage, as well.

Or you do somewhere like EABJM for a couple of years to get her almost bilingual and then back to board in UK. Could this be an option?

[MrsSchadenfreude]

And my friends whose children have gone to BSP have really not learned very much French at all. It is an utter nightmare moving children at this age.

[Bonsoir]

Since you are returning to the UK in 3/4 years' time, I really wouldn't do anything to disrupt your 11 year old's education - it will be hard enough moving school now and then moving again at 15 without throwing a different language and/or educational system into the mix.

So I agree with MrsSchadenfreude - the British School is your best bet.

Obviously your 6 year old would have more options, but logistically and from the point of view of making family friends, you probably want to live near the BSP and therefore send your younger child to school there too.

[Bonsoir]

Don't go to Marymount by the way - very unsuitable for academic DC.

[LivFran]

Hi

Thanks everyone for your responses.

I'm really torn, we don't really want to be in the suburbs and the transport costs are really high for the bus to BSP. So, everyone is really against putting an 11 year old in EABJM for 3 years. I really don't low what to do! Looking EABJM, I don't even know where in the UK to get the tests done, as when you google it, it refers to schools requesting test and not private sessions.

I think it's back to the drawing board and a good look at everything. :(

Thanks again for you advice.

[NomDeClavier]

EABJM has 'adaptation' but they spend a year doing intensive and end up effectively a year behind when they move back in to the mainstream school. I agree BSP for your eldest, or ASP (don't rate ISP much) and then probably EAB Monceau for your younger one.

Otherwise whichever you like the look of and boarding in Y10 but then you commit to boarding for 2 years or more.

[LivFran]

Hi Everyone

Can I ask a question? If, the eldest goes to BSP, we live in the 17th and the youngest goes to EAB. Would that be feasible? Would like at least one of them to be semi fluent. The only thing would be the £254 per month bus service to BSP :0. Also, how long would the trip take for the eldest?

Thanks again

[Bonsoir]

The bus for BSP leaves from the place de l'Etoile, so you could live in avenue MacMahon/place des Ternes/avenue des Ternes area and be close to both EaB Monceau and to the Etoile. I think the trip is about half an hour from Etoile to BSP.

[Greythorne]

I second / third those saying you cannot drop an English-speaking DC into any French collège without horrible consequences.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

I suspect the journey from Etoile to BSP is considerably longer than half an hour - it may be that if you drive directly, but a school bus will be picking up and dropping off, so probably about an hour on the bus - unless it is the last stop, and I suspect it won't be (can you check this with the school?). Ours were at ASP, and it took us 20 minutes to drive there, but the school bus took 45 - 60 minutes as it took an odd and circuitous route through the 17th and 16th picking up kids.

Also bear in mind that although your younger one may leave here fluent in French, if it's not used regularly when you return to UK, she may well have forgotten most of it within a year or so.

[MClayton]

Hi, we are American, recently moved to Paris for one year. Our children don't speak french, although our oldest (14) had it in school two years. I agree about Ecole Jeanine Manuel. Our oldest attends EJM and loves it. It's been so easy socially because the other kids all speak English. He's had no problems academically, although we've heard anecdotally that it can be a pressure cooker for some kids. We chose a different school for our younger two children (6 & 9) because we wanted them to have a real french immersion experience but not be traumatized by it. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, read "Bringing Down Bébé" in Vogue recently). I did exhaustive research on schools from the US and had a really hard time finding a suitable school to meet the needs of the younger two. In addition to wanting immersion and a gentle social environment, we wanted a school "sous contrat" with the French Education Ministery. There are two reasons to want "sous contrat". One is that the curriculum and standards are monitored by the state. The other, which surprised us, is that the schools are much cheaper than "hors contrat" schools.
I finally discovered a tiny Montessori school that fit our criteria. It's called Horizon Montessori. Academically rigorous, "sous contrat" with the state to guarantee traditional benchmarks, and a high percentage of international kids (albeit fluent in french). Our younger two are thriving! And they are learning french more quickly than their older brother at EJM because they are immersed in french socially as well as academically every day. Unfortunately it's in the 13th arr and we live near the 3rd, so it's a commute on the métro twice a day. That said, seeing our kids thriving in a french school makes it worth the hassle. I hope some of this info helps!