DH has just announced he stands a good job of getting this job in France....help!!!

[chocolateshoes]

so there we were, enjoying our lunch in the local garden centre when DH announces that a job has come up in Lyon and that he stands a very good chance of getting it. DH feels that this is a golden opportunity for us to move and for DS to eventually become bi-lingual. We both teach French (and are fluent) - DH in university, and me in a secondary school (part time). A long time ago before DS we always thought we'd like to move to France and Lyon is a city that we both like. However since having DS (6) we (well, me in particular) have changed our minds about France and are really very happy where we are. We live in a wonderful village, with a busy social life, grandparents 30 minutes away, a great house, and both of us enjoy our jobs. DS goes to a fantastic primary in our village and has lots of friends etc

If we move obviously DH will be fine job wise but I'll have nothing, and as a French teacher with British qualifications would not be able to teach French in a French school. I'd have to look at international schools which are highly sort after. I'm worried that I won't have work, we'll be broke, and I'll struggle to meet people if I'm not working. Also I am in a good position in my school at the moment, involved in coaching & teacher training etc.

am trying to think about the advantages & disadvantages but am quite upset at the moment and struggling to think clearly.

advantages:
the job DH has always wanted
chance for DS to be bi-lingual
better weather

disadvantages:
i lose my job (that I enjoy & do well at)
DS has to move schools & start again
further away from my family
I might feel very isolated & struggle to meet people
we have to sell house

am sorry this is so rambly - I feel that I need to talk about it all to help get it clear in my head what is best to do. Has anyone been in a similar position? Can anyone offer any advice? Do we take this risk and throw away a very comfortable happy life here? Arrrggghhhhhh

AA thank you again for your help. I think DH did need a bit of a reality check - he was so excited initially but didn't really have any facts. It has been really useful 'speaking' to someone in the same sector. What is CNU qualification? He has HDR...I will take up your offer of Pming if and when we get any details. Merci!

Normally, in order to apply for university posts in France, you must first be "qualified" by the Conseil National des Universités, in the section corresponding to your speciality (your DH would be 9th section).
The sections are here.
This happens both for MCF posts, after your doctorate, and for Prof posts, after your HDR. The basic principle is that if you are not qualified, you are not entitled to apply for posts. It is very unusual for someone not be qualified after their HDR, more common after a doctorate, for various reasons.
I think that one effect of the various LRU (loi relative aux libertés et responsabilités des universités) reforms was to stipulate that candidates from overseas did not necessarily have to submit an application for qualification to the CNU before applying for posts. If your DH has done an HDR in France, his supervisor should be able to advise him on this.

Thanks AA. He has his HDR from France so I think this counts as CNU qualification. That was interesting advice about footing the travel expenses if called to interview. DH is definitely wavering and I think this has been a bit of a reality check in terms of uni work in France. You know how it is - the grass always seems greener elsewhere, and now maybe he is beginning to realise it isn't as green as all that. The deadline is the end of March I think so we'll see....

One of the best international schools is in Lyon, and it's free!

We are moving to Lyon this summer with our 4 children so have had a fair bit of insight into the schools there. The CSI school has an international section but it is very difficult to get in (hugely oversubscribed and ridiculous exam entry system, where you find out the day before term starts if your child has a place) and it has fees for the anglophone section, not huge but around 1700 euros for the year. We have also looked at a number of sous contract bilingual schools, DS3 will be going to a school at 500 euros a month and that seems to be the average. Please PM me if I can help in anyway, I am personally dreading leaving the UK but think that Lyon is probably a wonderful place to live...

VV - which school?

I think Lyon will be a wonderful place to live Hollypocks. It is very beautiful & perfectly situated for sea & mountains. Are you going to rent initially? What is your situation - moving for work?

The one shaped like an upside down question mark, but apparently the English section is now fee paying?!? I had no idea, it used to be free for everyone, not quite sure they're allowed to charge some people and not others, sounds like discrimination to me. But yeah, you get priority if you're arriving from abroad and your children don't speak French yet (the argument being that it would be difficult to integrate a standard school without speaking the language, but that's utter nonsense).

ahhhhh - didn't know about the shape!!! So which one is that? Did you go there?

It's the CSI, I almost went there, 20 years ago now though! I was offered a place in 3ème, but decided to stay in the UK for a little longer, then I came back to France later and did my degree here (in the south of France) and have been here ever since. I did spend two years in France as a child which is when I picked up the language and despite hating it at the time, I'm now extremely happy my mum dragged me along with her!

Last year's fees for CSI Lyon anglophone section were 1707 for primaire and college. That's the basic fees. Pretty cheap compared to UK private schools but not free.

hmm as you say cheap compared to UK fee paying but seeing as we'd be taking a massive cut in income (ie losing my pay) would add to my financial worries

Chocolateschoes, do some research on what the average family income is in France for a 2 parent family with one child including child benefit. My guess is that the net income will be quite a bit less than 4k per month. CSI fees are just over ?140 a month. IF you both worked, you as a teacher in college / lycée, I'm sure your monthly income would be above French average. You need to think in terms of France and income and not in terms of the UK.

We live in Belgium. I gave up my job to come here and luckily found another without even trying. Our income is still less than it was in the UK. But our real income is more, as other costs are less here. We are financially probably better off here (well not this year we aren't but that is another story).

Chocolate - you would be able to get an idea of the tax you'd pay by looking at the impots site which does a tax calculation for you.

We moved with dd just over 5 years ago, to a village north of Brive. She is now 14 and is fluent, and started at a small village school. She has not had to repeat a year, and that is despite leaving the UK in year 4, and being in year 5 2 days later (because her birthday is in October).

Our village has about 1000 people, and is fairly, closed - ie if you don't have your gggp's buried in the cemetery, you aren't worth talking to, and if you are smiling, you aren't truthful. I imagine that the Lyon area will be a little more outward-looking.

A friend has managed to get some English teaching, after temping as a classroom assistant. She taught English in the UK, but I don't think she's managed to get a permanent post. As well as schools, there are always all the 'soutien scolaire' companies that are all over the place, and businesses who would require business English.

"and as a French teacher with British qualifications would not be able to teach French in a French school. I'd have to look at international schools which are highly sought after."

You wouldn't be able to teach French in an international school in France, either. Parents and pupils would expect to find a native speaker teaching French to pupils in an international school in France.

You could teach English as a 'contractuel' in a standard school, you'd get about 1400? for an 18 hour week (I mean 18 hours in front of the kids).

I would have thought CHOCOLATESHOES would be better to think about teaching English than French in France. The level of French our 13 year old is studying is far too advanced for me to help him now, my French is pretty fluent but our son's French is almost mother tongue standard now, I couldn't imagine trying to be French Second Language and teaching French to first language children, whereas I could teach English

Chocolateshoes - don't do it! I think you'd have to be bonkers to leave the British education sector for the French of your own volition! Quite different of course if you have a French partner or are in France for other good reasons.

Sorry for late reply, yes we are moving due to D's job, he is French and I lived in France for 8 years before being expat in the UK bizarrely! My major concern is schooling, as Bonsoir hints it can be challenging to adapt to the french ethos, or at least now I have seen how it all functions in the UK I am reluctant to return. But our children are all totally bilingual and I am sure we will adapt fine. We are renting initially as not sure if we will stay long term and have a house elsewhere in France. Good luck with your decision

thanks again everyone. Natation I think I'd have to possibly re-train to teach English as don't know the grammar! I had thought I'd be able to teach French as a foreign language ie in an international school but maybe not after all. I don't really want to give up my job really - I've recently been promoted so I coach other staff and also train teachers as well as do my own teaching. I have the balance of classrm and training I always wanted and on pretty good terms. Am not sure I want to go back to wholly classroom teaching and having to start again, proove myself, all that.

Hollypocks am sure you'll adapt - as you say your kids are bilingual. Hopefully the school you've chosen will have some experience of British kids and help them get used to the system.

one week on and I think DH might not apply. However if his supervisor rings and tells him how wonderful it all is he might want to apply again

I have checked, and indeed for EU members, CNU qualification is not required.
here