To open my own french school/private school outside London?

[RainbowBabyDreams]

There are British schools all over the world and not just in capital cities.
I'm struggling (failing) to find a school (primary at this stage) for DC which would be like a French international school, all I can find is London, and then I think Edinburgh and Bristol. I'm more Manchester way. Ok, West of Manchester.

The London areas served by these schools are in naaaice (too expensive) territory anyway even if i lived in the big smoke.

I do know however that the north west is home to plenty of French people. What do you all do? Can the French curriculum be home schooled? Argh! I feel like the network of French people outside London is not very well connected.

I agree with the Saturday school suggestion - have a look at this one in NW London, very popular with French families whose children go to British schools: www.mapetiteecole.co.uk/

My DC are bilingual and in a French school (in France). For primary anyway - we ll do a bilingual school later.

They get bored in English classes and the teacher is in no way competent to set extra work so I send in an English book to read or an English workbook.

I don't send them to English classes outside of school because they have loads of hours in school plus homework. I want them to have downtime away from work. However, i only speak to them in English (and DH in French).

If you want to set up a school or Saturday school check out if many families want it or not.

Social groups are a better idea but be warned - the kids may not speak French to each other if they can all speak English.

At the french saturday school the kids went to they werent allowed to speak english.

The Saturday school is a good idea and there are loads in other languages. Round here (small city, not very cosmopolitan) I know of three in different EU languages. They do a bit of lessons as they would be at school in the 'home country' and then some social/cultural stuff including some of the things the parents feel they're missing out on (the equivalent of seeing your child in the nativity). They are aimed at younger children though, not GCSE age.

Where are you based? There are quite a few Saturday French schools in and around Stockport which is where a lot of the French population seem to be centred. We take our children there (I'm French) although we live 35mins drive away (as it happens we also go to an Indian Dance Class - DH is Indian - also in the area in Saturday PM so it works out pretty well for us). I'd love for there to be an actual bilingual school like in London but I doubt the demand is there.

@oblada Really? Could you post some links? Google searches seem to lead me to French second language things.

Thank you!

The mention of Airbus makes me think you live near Chester. My kids are teens now but I'm sure someone else tried a French Saturday school in Chester a decade or so ago. Haven't heard of it recently. There's also a French pharma company in Wrexham. However, you might want to check recent news about redundancies at Airbus. Lots of existing private ed locally and in North Wales. Have heard of one school closing already.
Maybe online/blended learning options to spread your geographical range?
Just make sure you do your homework OP

We go there - lescoursderecre.com
But before we enrolled the kids (about 3yrs ago maybe? I can't remember) we visited a couple of others in the general area. Cannot remember their names though. It seems that it was all started in 2011 with 1 place opening up and then a few other schools opened around as a consequence almost (giving people the idea to do the same and also in some cases people setting up a school so that they could run it differently to the 'original' one if that makes sense - that's my general understanding anyway)

Bearing in mind how poorly French schools rank internationally and how poorly they are thought of for the quality of teaching, learning and education in general, I wouldn't recommend it myself.

See if there’s a La Jolie Ronde franchise in your area. If so and it’s worth their while they might put on a weekly class for you

Find all the local French families and see if there would be enough demand. It is a very French thing to want a French school for your kids. You can achieve being bilingual by other means. Also your child can do the IB in England, can take Gcse French early so I would work on opening an official French Saturday school. Many French families might be willing to pay for that and handsomely so, what is more the children make friends and the social network with other French children is key. As they get older they can even go to French summer camps etc together.

We use a French curriculum Saturday school called 123 Soleil. It has a few branches (all in the south-east) and it is very popular. I believe the French gov offers some kind of financial support to both the educational organisations teaching the French curriculum outside of France and the French citizen families attending them. However I'm not involved in that side of things so can't be sure.
It may be worth reaching out to the directors of 123 Soleil for advice. They have been operating for a number of years now and have increased in size and opened new schools etc.
Good luck!

Thanks all.
Existing private ed in north Wales- rhuthin - they're full and only do French as a foreign language. Myddelton don't do French at all.
Chester has kings but equally it's second language.
The french families I know personally aren't Airbus so are ok.
Lajolieronde is teaching basic French to English speakers unless I'm mistaken.
I don't have GCSE French as a goal for dc.

Will definitely look into the Stockport options and 123 soleil. 😊

Sorry if I've missed anything ds is climbing on my head right now arg