France-moving from one commune to another-do I HAVE to change the DCs school/creche?

[sagelynodding]

Just wondered if anyone has any experience of this...

We live in one village and are quite likely to be moving to the village 'next door' during this school year.
DS1 is in GS maternelle, DS2 in crèche.
Both are hugely oversubscribed and brilliant, the DC are very happy there.
So if say in December we move, are the DC likely to be 'forced' to change school/crèche during the school year?
Or when I sign up DS2 for the maternelle in Feb, and they see my address has changed, will he then have to go to school in the new commune?

I am worried as I waited 2 years for the crèche place, and I'm not on the waiting list for the crèche in the other village... Also DS1 would probably struggle to adapt to changing school mid-year.

can I just not tell them??

I don't know about crèche.

Mine were in state élementaire when we moved département but you I had to sign them out of one school and get a certificate of 'radiation' before I could sign them into the other school. So I gather once you're in, you're in.
We are soon moving house within the same town and will be in the catchment area for another school. The head has said that their place at her school is theirs unless I specifically ask for them to be signed out. There are children at my DCs current school who live in a village 30 mins drive away now but the school is close to the parents' workplaces. They have to pay more for school lunches as they are 'outsiders' but that seems to be the only problem.

If you want to keep them in the same school you need to ask for a "dérogation". If I remember correctly BOTH mairies have to agree (i.e. in your old village and the new one). Generally the dérogation is granted, unless either school is particularly oversubscribed. For the crèche you can ask...but if there is a long waiting list for the one where your child is now the chances are you will be asked to give up your place: priority will be given to those who live in the village. You will probably find that if you keep your place the fees will go up A LOT because the mairie subsidy will no longer apply. Likewise you will have to pay more for lunches in school. (I know someone who was able to keep her creche place, but only because she moved in June and the child was starting school in September). The best thing to do is ask your service scolaire / service petite enfance. As PP states if you do move schools tou have to get a "certificat de radiation" from the previous school.

Hmm, thank you both for that! I will ask the creche what their policy is, and pop into the service scolaire when I know exactly what we are doing!

Next school year ds1 will be in CP all being well and ds2 in petite section and can go to the school in the new village, I just hope they can finish this school year where they are now.

I might ring round a few assistantes maternelles just to have some sort of backup plan-so many things to think about!