Boarding school French exchange

[Wallywobbles]

My bilingual dd13 is looking to spend a week at a boarding school in the UK.

Does anyone know if this exists? Either just as straight stay or as an exchange.

And how would I go about finding out? What I need to contact individual schools?

[AgonyBeetle]

No idea - contact the individual schools, presumably?

I'd be interested to know whether the reverse exists, ie. boarding school exchange in France!

[relaxitllbeok]

I know it exists in some prep schools - since 13 is right on the boundary between prep school and senior school, traditionally, your first decision would be whether to approach prep schools or senior schools. I guess if you approach prep schools you should be prepared for them to want your DD to talk French with their CE and scholarship candidates some of the time! But in some ways senior school might be easier, just because y9 is not quite so frantic as y8.

[LIZS]

Do you mean during term time? Many schools lease out their boarding facilities during holidays for language and activity camps.

[Wallywobbles]

I mean in term time. Her slightly older cousins are at boarding school so I could start with that I suppose.

Basically 2 classes from her school (France) are doing a trip to England which involves going to a language school and not a cultural trip. Which got me thinking that in terms of language learning this would be pointlessly expensive exercise. But a week in a boarding school would be culturally interesting and might serve a purpose language wise and probably end up costing a similar amount.

I just wondered if anyone was aware of their kids school doing something similar. Here I think it would be possible (I did it 35 years ago) staying with a family and then going to school with their kids. There is very little boarding in France.

[AgonyBeetle]

There are definitely boarding schools that take foreign pupils for a term, not sure about a week.

Basically most UK boarding schools other than the very big name sought-after ones aren't oversubscribed with boarders, simply because there's a very limited pool of people who can stretch to the huge sums of money involved.

I'd have thought if you identify the area you're looking at and contact a few schools to ask if they'd consider it, you'd find one that would offer you something. Germany has a whole industry devoted to placing secondary pupils in UK boarding schools, if you go to google.de and put in 'internat england' you'll find them. The schools that they deal with are clearly the ones that need international boarders, so by definition they aren't full to the gunnels already.

Do you have any idea whether there are French boarding schools that might be open to a similar idea?

[mustbemad17]

I did the other way; spent a week in a French boarding school. It was part of a mutual exchange tho, I don't know that many schools would just take a single exchange student 🤔 Could you speak to his school & see if they have any links with UK schools?

[Wallywobbles]

Agony are you lo king in general or with a child in mind? I could help on a one off level I suspect.

[Jeelba]

Try St Felix School in Southwold, Suffolk.

[AgonyBeetle]

Agony are you lo king in general or with a child in mind? I could help on a one off level I suspect.

Might possibly be thinking of a specific nearly 14yo dd...

I think we'll prob go for a family stay, but if you do know of a Fr boarding school that might be up for it, I'd be interested to know.

[Wallywobbles]

@Agony Our kids are at an excellent private school in Caen (probably the best in north west france). We can easily add one more to our troop. DD1 is 13, DDs2&3 are nearly 12 and DS is 9. If you are interested I can speak to the school. What languages does your DD speak?

[Wallywobbles]

Thanks Jeelba

[Unsustainable]

Very easy to send your child for 1 term, but schools will be less interested in one week.
We have had foreign children to stay and go to school for between 1 week and 2 months. DC has done the same in France and Germany. May not be possible after Brexit.

[BeachysFlipFlops]

Prebendal School in Chichester does it. Prep school that goes up to 13.

[Wallywobbles]

Thanks Beachy and unsustainable. Do they go as Day students for shorter stays?

[BeachysFlipFlops]

Happy to have a PM if you want contact details etc...

[Wallywobbles]

My horse is in front of my cart a bit as I need to talk to the school here first! But I’ll be in touch thanks.

[BeachysFlipFlops]

Prebendal takes them to board for half a term or a term, from Spain, France and Italy. There are also lots of Germans as Rolls Royce is near by....

[AgonyBeetle]

Wally, my dc speak English only, so I'm looking for a bit more of an immersion experience - presumably yours speak English as well?

But happy to talk by PM if you think we could look at options.

[theapplesarecoming]

The Royal Masonic School for Girls accepts boarding exchange students for two weeks so it might be worth asking them if thy would accept a eek.