I've just had an offer of a place in PS at l'Ecole de Battersea (part of the Ecole des Petits). This is my first choice school, so I should be thrilled; it's an opportunity for my child to become fluently bilingual. But I'm wondering if anyone can tell me more about what kids do in the French system --- and more particularly at Ecole de Battersea to the extent that they do things a bit more a la British --- in PS/MS and GS. My initial understanding is that all they do is play in PS and MS with some letters/numbers in GS. They don't learn to read until CP (equivalent age: Year 1). When they do, however, I'm told they read and write within a few months. My child is fairly bright (I'm told by someone who assesses kids regularly) and I'm wondering whether there will be enough to stimulate her for 3 years of play. She is already doing some phonics at nursery and at home, and I'm wondering whether there is method to their madness in the French system. At least she'll be bilingual in a short time, which was the name of the game. But what if she's bored after the first six months and is consigned to nothing more than playing for the next two and a half years? (Don't get me wrong, I value happiness more than anything, but my child is happy now learning to count and playing with phonics.)<br><br>What do others think? What are your experiences as English speakers in a French school system in the early years? Ultimately, I want my child to go back into the English system, possibly at 7+ (so four years of French.)<br><br>I need to cough up the money for a deposit next week, so your input would be greatly valued at this time!