EaB - Paris Monceau and LaMartine

[fairground]

Hi to all you parisiens out there - particularly those with bilingually schooled children. We are moving to Paris soon (Anglo/French couple) and have 2 children (Petite Section/CE2) who are bilingually schooled (following French curriculum) at the moment. We have been offerred places at EaB - LaMartine from April for both girls. My husband is already in Paris, and we are keen to minimise the separation of the family. What is your view regarding this school? I know it is related to EaB Monceau, but it would seem that we cannot get places there until September, and obviously that means 9 months of separation versus 5 months if we take the LaMartine places.
Anyone have any views on the Lamartine campus (particularly versus Monceau)
Thanks

[Bonsoir]

I presume that your 9 year old is a 2003 baby and your 5 year old a 2007 baby, and that in September 2013 your 9 year old would therefore be going into CM2 (last year of primary) and your 5 year old into CP (first year of primary)?

Even if your DC have been schooled in part in France, they are much more likely to get a spot in the immersion classes at EaB than in the main school. If your older DC is very bright, she will probably catch up just fine within the year, in time for collège. However, I would not recommend EaB Collège - not because it is not academic, as I think the academics are fine, especially for properly bilingual pupils, but because it has severe accommodation problems that have recently taken a turn for the worse. There is a severe shortage of space at EaB Collège that is not easy to solve. If I were you, I would try for the immersion/adaptation classes at EABJM as the school has better facilities by far* in collège.

[IntlMum]

Hi everyone

We are planning to move to Paris (for September 2013) from North America, and I have found your comments to be so helpful! And I have a few questions about schools in Paris I hope you don't mind answering.

My husband is French (I'm English) and both DDs (5 and 9) are bilingual - the older one more so than the younger one. They've been schooled in English (with a spell in France), so their written English is much better than their French. The 9 year old is very bright (reading several years ahead of grade level; school is very easy for her). Her current school doesn't push her at all though (not their philosophy). Not sure about the younger one. As we put them in school in France the last time we were there (for 3 months) they both knowand don't necessarily enjoythe more strict French approach to schooling. They'd adapt, but I think they'd prefer an international environment, with a more open-minded, flexible approach to learning.

Given this, what schools would you recommend in Paris? ISP is beyond our budget, and we need to be in central Paris (as my husband will be commuting by Eurostar to London for work).

We think EAB would be lovely, as would EAB-JM. Any thoughts on which one would be better for us? And has anyone heard of the Wi-School in the 9eme? (www.wischool-bilingue-montessori.com). I can't find any reviews about it online.

Also, any tips on chances of getting into EAB or EAB-JM? Reading the comments online here, I'm a little worried!

Many thanks! :)

[Fraktal]

It's not particularly academic.

[Whistlewhileyouwork]

Hello there, can anyone explain why Eab Monceau is not a good choice for College or Lycee, as mentionned in this thread?????

[shophappy]

My girls go to EAB Lamartine - and it is a fantastic school - small, warm and extremely nurturing. In the 4 months my eldest (who was not a great fan of school) has been there she has absolutely blossomed - we have always been in the French system previously, and she found it quite difficult - not academically, but in other aspects. At Lamartine, her self-esteem has been bolstered, and she has become an altogether different child!
It's true the facilities are limited (no parc like Monceau ;) but the staff are fantastic and as it is a very small school the children are not overwhelmed by huge numbers of other children ( a problem both mine faced at their previous school).

Not much good for your eldest as it is maternelle/elementaire only but might be great for the younger one (although I am not sure if there are any places - my elder girl's class had no new students in it this year, and La Directrice has said that there was a waiting list).

[BonsoirAnna]

Ooh let me know how you get on/what you think. I don't have much recent info on any of those schools! Good luck

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Right, we are going to see Marymount and ISP on one day, then the British School another day and the American school on yet another day. Am liking the thought of Marymount best, American school also v helpful.

[BonsoirAnna]

I'm feeling very reconciled to EaB at the moment - you could send your little one to EaB and your big one to ISP?

[MrsSchadenfreude]

LOL. Not belittled, just rolled my eyes a bit at the assumption!

[BonsoirAnna]

LOL. You are an urban(e), hip, globalised sort of person who lives bang in the centre of metropolises and has and makes friends with people from all over the world and you feel belittled that an estate agent couldn't see that

[MrsSchadenfreude]

It was the bloody assumption that I would want to live there and commute and send the children to the British School, living in a British bubble. No thanks, been there, done that in Brux.

[BonsoirAnna]

Too right you don't!

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Right, I will go and see Marymount and ISP first and have told the relocators that I don't want to live in bleedin' Croissy.

[BonsoirAnna]

Marymount has absolutely fabulous facilities by comparison with any other school in the vicinity. School facilities are generally dreadful in France and this is true even of the international schools here.

[pinkhousesarebest]

They follow the American curriculum,and focused on the individual child,but it is well structured and children do very well.I have lots of friends who were there for a few years and who subsequently returned to their respective countries,and they were very pleased at how their children fitted back into their year groups.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Should I go and see Marymount too, then? I like the idea of a cuddly school (but will they learn something there? They are both bright, but idle) rather than the 1950s grammar school, which is how the British School was described to me!

[pinkhousesarebest]

Oooh,I used to teach in Marymount.I loved it,such a nurturing place. Good luck with your choice!

[BonsoirAnna]

Don't worry too much about the move at 14 - all schools here have a break point at 14/15 when children move from collège to lycée. Marymount children move to ASP on the whole.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

ISP not sure they will have room (now panicking slightly). Will look into Marymount, but it only goes up to 14, so may end up moving DD1 for our last year there (she could then, presumably, go to Marymount in London).

[BonsoirAnna]

I have met short-term expat families who have put their primary-aged children in EaB Monceau adaptation so that they become bilingual, but put their secondary-aged children in ISP because they felt it was too late for them to deal with so much French.

[BonsoirAnna]

There's also Marymount in Neuilly-sur-Seine (five minutes from Paris proper) which has fabulous facilities and is quite a cuddly sort of school, from all accounts.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

DD1 engrossed in learning the parts of the horse in French this evening!

[MrsSchadenfreude]

I have lukewarmly emailed the American and British Schools too. Really don't want to live in the sticks or a British/American ghetto. Had long chat with someone about schools in Paris today, and interestingly, she agreed with you on EaB not for lycée.

[BonsoirAnna]

Good for you! Hope it works out (it should do, most of those international schools have lost pupils to the credit crunch and the repatriation of international executives).

[MrsSchadenfreude]

OK...I have finally got the bull by the horns and have emailed ISP and asked if they have room for the DDs...

Finally taking head out of sand...