Moving to Brittany from Melbourne

[Atoo80]

Hello all, I have been offered a job in Retiers, the job is a good position but I have a 13 Y old boy who is in grade 7 in Melbourne and I am so worried about how his transition between school works, we do not no French but have about 3 to 4 months to learn basic, any recommendation from your experience is highly appreciated. Thanks

What is your native language, OP?

We are saying that you cannot possibly expect your son to go from zero French to studying for French exams and coping with French collège or lycée in a year, even if you had him start intensive lessons.

If you find an international school for him, then that's a different matter. Several of us have said the same; your rephrasing the question isn't going to get you the answer you want, I'm sorry.

Tbh these are questions you need to be asking the firm making the offer. If they have a business there, they surely must be able to tell you if there is an international school.

Op if your son was under about 8, he’d be fine… at 9-10, I’d be hesitant… but at 13 you would be setting him up for failure academically and possibly socially too.

OP, kindly I don’t think this is a plan you should consider further

there is no real international school in Rennes.

as others have said if your son was under 10 you could perhaps manage this, with difficulty. At age 13, no way.

I am also wondering what sort of job offer you have in Retiers. It’s tiny. Is it really that worthwhile?

if you had an opportunity for a well paid job in Paris and your son could attend an English speaking school, I’d say brilliant

How you have been offered this role is beyond me quite frankly.

@Atoo80 as a parent who has moved DC around 5 counties (not France but other non English speaking countries) I can say with some degree of experience that this has disaster written all over it. From a language perspective even full time immersion for 6 months and being extremely motivated is going to put DS at such a disadvantage educationally if there are no English language international options. Personally I think your best bet if this is an exceptional opportunity work wise is to look at boarding schools either in Melbourne or in the UK. At 13 you really need to consider educational cycles to ensure you don't end up needing to leave at a critical educational point.

So you're apparently bright enough to be sought after in a different country but not smart enough to realise what a disaster it will be for your son?
I'm calling AI again....

Have you ever been to Brittany? I had family there and went a lot but never warmed to it. Which isn't to say it's not got nice things about it but it's not for everyone and a huge shift from Melbourne. The culture shock would be big even without the language issues. No way would I consider this unless it was the best job in the world and would pay enough for my DS to go to boarding school somewhere else, although I (and he) wouldn't like that either. But the idea you can cram for a language and then be au fait enough to cope with secondary-level maths etc in that language is crazy, plus the social aspect. If you must go, sort his schooling separately without the French element.

Do you have money? Would sending him to boarding school on the English south coast be an option?

What on earth is the opportunity that is so good you would consider doing that to your son?

Is English your first language?

You can fly Rennes to Gatwick, so if you could afford it and find one, you could do boarding school in that area?

You need to find an international boarding school in either France or UK. There’s plenty of boarding school near Gatwick as said before.

Are you moving from Melbourne Australia to a small town in France?

As well as everything else, that will be a huge culture shock for all of you, but your son most of all.

Methinks this is a windup. 🤔

We did the opposite lived in France when my son was 3 to 8 and decided to move back to the UK even though his French by the time he was 8 was excellent and he was often top of the class in grammar. I would not move a 13 year old unless I absolutely had to. My son is at Uni in the UK now and loving it and he had brilliant teenage years in the UK hopping on and off trams, trains and buses to big cities with his wide circle of friends. He often comments he was glad we decided to return to the UK even though he loves France too. I love France and we hope to move back there but I also felt it wasn’t the best place for my son as an expat to be a teenager. Can you wait 5 years to gain this promotion? How does your son feel?

I don't think English is her son's first language either, she said his English is good

Would a boarding school in England be an option? they will organise airport transfers and flights to Rennes start at £34 from Gatwick airport.

My son went to a school on the French/Spanish border with many students who were boarders. He made it clear to us he would never want to be a boarder so you have to ask your son what he wants too he may detest the idea of boarding school or he may love it. How does your son feel about the move?

Thank you everyone for your kind and honest support, I have declined the offer. The job was a high tech level in global R&D centre of my company located at Retiers, I am a chemical engineer and my company has a huge r&d centre in retiers, but I could not sacrifice my son over my career, thanks everyone....

Wry difficult decision to have to make. FWIW I think it’s the right one.

In 5 years it might be a different proposition entirely.