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Living overseas

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Original poster

Going back to the Uk (just for a while!) from France! Help, huge school issues!

31 replies

rosbif · 22/01/2009 11:40

Hello all

We are going back to the UK for two years from Sept due to DH job. We are a bilingual family and DT's are six years old and currently in an exclusively French school. They are doing very well academically but clearly their written and reading French is better than English. They speak both languages fluently though. They are in CP. I have discovered this week that they will enter Year 2 in the UK as they have an October birthday - this means that they will be effectively repeating a year but in english. On one level I think this is good for them as it will give them time to get to grips with the English element but DH is having a fit. He is concerned, and so am I, that when we come back to France in 2 years they will be in a lower class level than they would have been if they hadn't gone to the UK. It appears that we will need to follow the CNED courses (distance learning) to enable them to come back into the 'right' aged class iykwim! I am worried that this is far too much work for them and wondered if anyone else had ever been in a similar situation. Thanks so very much,

OP posts:

PuzzleRocks · 22/01/2009 12:27

Bumping for you.

Othersideofthechannel · 22/01/2009 12:50

Hi Rosbif

I'm interested in this thread as we are considering a 2 year stay in GB for DH career but for us it would be in about 2yrs time.

I wonder why they would insist on you following the CNED courses. Plenty of British people move to France with primary aged children with minimal French who just go into the relevant class for the age group. Your DCs will have the advantage over such children of speaking and reading French fluently.

Original poster

rosbif · 22/01/2009 13:00

Othersideofthechannel, you are so right, maybe DH is worrying unnecessarily, he is adamant that they won't redo a year.

OP posts:

Othersideofthechannel · 22/01/2009 13:18

Who was it who mentioned the CNED?

I think that when you bring them back to France they will put them in the appropriate year for their age but if they do struggle, they will have to repeat the year.

Original poster

rosbif · 22/01/2009 13:34

DH mentioned the CNED! Being French he is neurotic about 'redoubling'

OP posts:

lljkk · 22/01/2009 13:41

Hmmm... just my tuppence.
I imagine the British school will end up streaming them according to ability (eg, let them work for Yr3s or even Yr4s where they have the ability and they aren't sufficiently stretched working at the level of other Yr2s). Personally I don't think your DH should worry.

The worst that I would expect to happen is that they could leave their French school having been in top sets, and come back to being in lower-middle sets in the French school in 2 years time. But if they are quite able children, they will make up the difference to get back where they would be ability wise, within a single school year or so.

You might have more problems with methods, for instance, if they only use number lines in the UK and have to come back to working only with units-tens-hundreds in France; but even that difference, an able child will be able to resolve quickly in most cases with only a little extra support from parents.

Othersideofthechannel · 22/01/2009 16:12

I think any sensible recruiter in the future is going to see that the advantages of being bilingual and having spent time living and learning in another country far outweigh the negative connotations of 'redoublement'.

SachaF · 22/01/2009 16:18

A good teacher can teach to a wide range of abilities in one class. Streaming for 6 year olds? Not something I have come across.
In our village school they have decided this year to have 3 mixed year 3 and 4 classes rather than a year 3, a mixed year 3 &4, and a year 4. The teaching is by topics and the children are stretched according to their ability. So I don't think you should worry.

TheStatueOfLiffey · 22/01/2009 16:21

Do they have International schools in the UK?

I know they have them in Ireland, students mix with eachother in some classes, but are being geared towards several different exams, either bacalaureat, bachillerato, gcse

I think that would be best for them I think.

TheStatueOfLiffey · 22/01/2009 16:23

Oh, sorry, they are only little. If both their languages are good and so long as they keep up with maths then I think they should be able to slot back in to the French system.

Themasterandmargaritas · 22/01/2009 16:25

We left Cameroon for the UK, dd was 5 and exclusively schooled in French from 2. She is early November born and went into Reception, to be honest she found it all pretty easy after the challenge of schooling in French, but the teacher recognised this and she was pushed accordingly into doing more Yr 1 work. Since then she has moved to a kindergarten in Kenya for 6 months then to a British prep school this sept in Kenya, adapting all the way.

I think you will find that the teacher in the UK will hopefully push them if they find the going easy and if the DTs go back into their correct year group in France, they will still be young enough to be able to catch up with their peers. If you are still worried on your return to France perhaps then you can give them some extra tuition. What lucky children though to have a good grounding in both languages and cultures from an early age.

BonsoirAnna · 22/01/2009 16:30

I sympathise. My DD is at a bilingual school in Paris. As she has a November birthday, she would be in the same position as your DTs were we to go back to England, and have to repeat a year. That would be fine were we never to return to France but of course it is not fine for a child who is likely to return to France after a short stay in the UK.

The only solution I can think of is for your DTs go to a French school in the UK or to a private school that works at a level way ahead of the NC.

BonsoirAnna · 22/01/2009 16:32

Where do you live in France? Any chance of your DTs going to a bilingual school on their return? My DD's school is quite flexible as children arrive from all over the globe and loads of different systems every year - it doesn't make children redoubler.

Themasterandmargaritas · 22/01/2009 16:34

It's near impossible to find a French school in the UK, we looked. They are few and far between and with waiting lists that go back for years.

I also don't thing private school is the only answer either. I think it is important to choose which school they go to to make sure they can be pushed/not get bored if it is needed. Sometimes a smaller village primary school has mixed year classes which can help for example.

BonsoirAnna · 22/01/2009 16:40

You would be prioritaire for the lycée in London though, as your children are (presumably) French nationals schooled in the French system and likely to return.

BonsoirAnna · 22/01/2009 16:41

Oh sorry, I was responding as if you were the OP.

dilbertina · 22/01/2009 16:41

Hi Rosbif, now I'm confused, we are you in reverse - going to France for 2 years - dd is 5. Thought I'd got to grips with this....maybe not!

Why would the dts be repeating a year? I've been told they don't really start reading / writing until CP whilst in UK they do it in reception. So effectively your boys will be going into a class in uk (year 2) where their classmates will be embarking on their 3rd "proper" year - whilst they'll be embarking on their 2nd "proper" year, so actually skipping a year not repeating it....where am I going wrong?!

BonsoirAnna · 22/01/2009 16:43

Moyenne Section = Reception
Grande Section = Year One
CP = Year Two
CE1 = Year Three
CE2 = Year Four
CM1 = Year Five
CM2 = Year Six

However, in France the intake year is the calendar year whereas in England the intake year goes from 1 September to 31 August. Hence issues for children born between 1 September and 31 December when changing countries.

BonsoirAnna · 22/01/2009 16:44

My DSSs both went to French state maternelle and primary and both were reading fluently by the Christmas of CP because they had been so well prepared for reading in Grande Section. Don't take the "they only start to read in CP" too literally. The method and preparation is different to the UK.

dilbertina · 22/01/2009 16:50

ah, ok - but still because of the differences in the systems/approach it's not as simple as repeating a year either way. I guess it comes down to finding a school that can work with them....

BonsoirAnna · 22/01/2009 16:51

EaB and EABJM are specialised in helping children adapt.

BonsoirAnna · 22/01/2009 16:52

It's not like repeating a year - children arriving in France who have missed out on French maternelle will feel the difference. Maternelle is far from being play school.

pillowcase · 22/01/2009 16:59

AFAIK Most children arriving in France for first time are put into the correct year for their age. If they really struggle they may be put down the following year. I have seen lots of 8 and 9 year olds going into CE2 and CM1 without a word of French and getting on very well. I'm fairly sure yours will have no problems at all going back to their own year. I would say enjoy the experience of the English school it will do them good to see the differences.

BonsoirAnna · 22/01/2009 17:00

It's a bit different for children who are taken out of school in France and later return - the French parents are supposed to keep their children up to the required level. There is greater tolerance for children who have newly arrived in France.

Othersideofthechannel · 22/01/2009 19:15

Oh that's interesting that they treat the children differently. Can I ask where you got that bit of info from?

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