Starting a french club at dd's school....help!!!!

[Frenchgirl]

Well, here's the background: I spoke to dd's school headteacher (private, btw) about starting a french club using the company I work for part-time, le Club Francais. She is keen to get a french club in, but doesn't want parents to have to pay for it on top of the fees. Also worried that they already have a long day and lots of clubs already exist (but no language ones). So nothing has happened. In the meantime, several parents in dd's class have said to me that they would love their kids to do french now, with me. I could either do it in my house (but very small groups as small house....), or rent out the church hall next to the school, and do it either after school or at the week-end.
What I want is: teach french to these kids, but not for the Club Francais, which i am allowed to do as long as i don't use their logo or material.
And find out how many parents would be interested, and where and when would be best for them.
My worry: how do I find all this out without upsetting the head? How best do you think I could organise the club?
Any suggestion welcome, I am rather confused at the moment.....

Frenchgirl - does it have to be at the school? I have a French friend (used to be my tutor) who teaches children at a nursery. It's a national chian so others may also be receptive.

The head surely doesn't expect you to do it for nothing? If you know there is interest from some parents, who presumably are willing and able to pay, can you go back to the head with that information and take it from there?

Janh, I could do that, but I'm just worried that I'll then have to wait and wait until the school organises it. At this stage, I'd rather be in control. I also get the impression that her not wanting the parents to have to pay for it is a matter of principle.
Should I tell her that I'd like to approach the parents with a short questionnaire about my suggestion of starting a french club for the school kids, but independenty from the school? I don't want to go sneaking round her back IYSWIM...

Well, of course you don't want to be sneaky about it, but if she expects a French club to just happen, for nothing, she needs to wake up!

If you tell her that there is a degree of interest amongst parents, and that you are willing to arrange a French club at school if that's what she would prefer, but she says she doesn't want to charge for it, I don't see why you can't then ask to circulate a questionnaire to assess interest in a club outside school.

DS2's school has had le club Francais for several years after school, but is about to start 30mins of French lessons a week for KS2, and are not using the club Francais teacher (or at least not the one who used to do it, I suppose it may have changed). KS1 will also be having lessons shortly. This is in normal teaching time and paid for by the school. This is a state primary school in Lancs - you might like to mention it to her to gee her up a bit! (He will be leaving in July, I'm a bit sad he won't have had more of it )

hi frenchgirl
i'm thinking about doing the same,i was supposed to see one of the school governors about it today but i missed her,i've also been told by lots of mums that they will love for their children to learn spanish,all i can say is that don't give up,talk to school governors too and maybe write down a few names of the parents interested,good luck mon amie

Thanks Janh and whymummy.
Janh your school sounds great!! I'll definitely mention it to the head...
I'm going to talk to her again explaining my project, I will submit the questionnaire to her too, and then we'll see....

Hi JanH - whereabouts in Lancs are you? We are in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, and there doesn't seem to be a lot of interest in language learning here at all

Just out of interest - do you know what is the background of the teacher who's going to be teaching French in the junior school? Are they native French? Do they have teaching qualifications? (Am thinking about possibilities for me in future, in case you were wondering!)