French school system - repeating a year

[Armeins]

We moved to France in February due to my husband's work. My son is 5 and started in the grande section of maternelle. He's settling in well but has so far only picked up a few words in french although the teacher tells me his seems to follow what is going on. I'm worried that it's really not that long now until the end of the school year and I've heard that it's quite a jump up to CP. Does anyone know whether repeating a year is an option? Is it worth me asking the school? He has an autumn birthday so is a younger one in his year if that makes a difference

No idea of what to do in the French system but I know that children can do a lot of listening(and develop good undertsanding) before they they are confident talkers. The fact he is following what is happening in class is a good sign.

Yes, repeating a year is an option. It's also really not a big deal in France. I suggest you talk to his teacher about it.

Yes, it's not out of the ordinary at all. Far better to have the extra year in Maternelle and get to grips with the language as the jump to CP can be quite a big one.

It's normal to redo a year, but it would be more normal to repeat the CP rather than GS.

I did wonder if they might say to move on up to CP and then repeat that year. My worry with that is he will have made stronger friendships by then and will probably be more aware of being held back a year.

Repeating a year is really common and actually encouraged at this age for kids who have had little time to get a grasp of the language. ( I've seen this with many adopted children or refugee children with a different first language)
It's seen as giving them a chance to fill in the gaps, so they can then progress at a usual pace. Sometimes, during the teenage years, a mature and bright kid might decide to take 2 years in one, and move back up to join those born in the same year.

Not unusual to repeat a year,although I have heard that sometimes parents are vehemently against this. This is obviously not the case with you. Does your sin interact with French speakers outside the school setting?.

The French school system is brutal. What would happen if he has to redo a year later on as well? I would keep him in his correct year for now.

We’re in the french system (it bilingual) Our school would be very against doing GS again, and would prefer them to go up to CP and repeat that due to the jump on formalised learning.
How are you catching him up outside of school?
When we want french speaking to increase we throw our daughter at the grandparents for 1 week and she jumps dramatically. Her reflex changes. Not sure if full immersion is possible?

Unfortunately we don't have any French relatives. He's at school all day and is also going to the Wednesday and holiday childcare plus getting extra lessons two evenings a week from school to help with French. Dh and I are only learning as well so we can't help much. I do make sure he's only watching French TV. He's totally exhausted with it all but is also happy at school. I just can't imagine that he will have enough language to be able to keep up from September.

OP based on what you’re saying you’ll be surprised how quickly he starts talking. If he is understanding everything it might not take long (in my experience it suddenly clicks). I would chat to the teacher and see what they say.

Our son joined CM1 (age 9) - from primary school in England - with virtually no French. We paid for a private tutor for two hours a week (an hour on Weds and an hour on Saturday) and he integrated well enough to 'graduate' from primary school with his peers.

He is now in 3eme, about to sit his brevet. He has seen several friends kept back a year (so they are now in the year below) but also become friends with people who have been kept back from the year above. Seriously, it's such a common occurrence that I wouldn't stress about it.

From a personal point of view, having had a child start English primary school as a young 4-year-old, I'd rather they were in primary with a risk of repeating a year than in nursery at that age.

Two months is no time whatsoever - it's not just language he's adapting to but a heap of new experiences. I'd leave it for now and try not to worry.

We are in Spain and it's really common to repeat - but not at that age.
I'd definitely say repeating can be beneficial language wise - but I think when older. They are still little at that age, and it's often an embarrassment thing with not wanting to speak the language and your DC probably knows a lot more than they let on.
My littlest are 5 and understand everything Spanish but won't speak it yet.

You moved two months ago, that is an incredible short amount of time. By September, his French will be so much better. He will learn at a far greater pace than you and your husband.

Don't make him repeat a year for the language.

In CP all the kids learn to read and write from scratch. All the basics are drilled into everyone. I would expect your child to learn the language really effectively alongside all the others doing the same because of this drilling.