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Original poster

French girl needing a school in London for ONE year starting September

44 replies

MarsLady · 20/07/2007 11:50

Can you help?

She's 14 and so would need to go into Year 10. She's fluent in English.

It's fairly urgent as it looks like the school she was going to go to is falling through. I know it's short notice.

THANKS!

OP posts:
GroaningGameGirly · 20/07/2007 11:56

Whereabouts??

Original poster
MarsLady · 20/07/2007 12:04

Well she'll be staying with me in N London so anything that accessible by tube/bus really. She will be near the Victoria and the Picadilly line.

OP posts:
frogs · 20/07/2007 12:05

Can't F'mere take her, Mars?

Original poster
MarsLady · 20/07/2007 12:07

Have to go through the local council and she can't apply till she's here and there is no guarantee she'll get FM! Gah!!!!!!!! That would've solved loads of problems.

OP posts:
frogs · 20/07/2007 12:09

Ah. So what schools do you not have to go through the LEA for? Would the parents pay for private? Surely F'mere would have to take her if there was a space in Y10?

frogs · 20/07/2007 12:09

How about the Lycee? Or does that defeat the point of coming here in the first place?

GroaningGameGirly · 20/07/2007 12:09

I'm SW and don't know what's in N. Sorry, Mars.

butterbeer · 20/07/2007 12:11

Could she come over to you for a couple of weeks now so that you can start the applications process?

Original poster
MarsLady · 20/07/2007 12:17

Thanks Gameygirl!

Frogs... they don't have the money to pay private. Lycee... exactly as you thought... not really the point of being here.

Bud... yes I'm going to start the process but was just throwing out for a miracle really.

OP posts:
frogs · 20/07/2007 12:22

How are the school/LEA going to know whether she's physically here or not? All the school applications I've ever done have involved filling in forms, rather than presenting a physical child at the LEA offices...

Original poster
MarsLady · 20/07/2007 12:32

True enough froggy my love. True enough.

Anyhoo... I'm filling out the necessary paperwork and hoping.

Need to get back to my essay! Sigh..........

OP posts:
frogs · 20/07/2007 12:35

Well, I've got to go out right now (actually needed to leave 5 mins ago) to pick up ds from school. Swimming costume or cagoule? It's a tough choice. So a nice cosy essay sounds good to me.

ladymac · 20/07/2007 12:57

Have you thought of trying a different borough? The admissions policies may differ. Camden schools are quite good. Lots of girls we know go to Parliament Hill. You ae near Muswell Hill, non? Wouldn't be too bad a journey from there.

Mars, I am the mad woman who accosted you by the lift in Brent X yesterday. Sorry for that. But you do have a friendly face!

Original poster
MarsLady · 20/07/2007 13:05

ladymac... I don't want to scare you honey but I was nowhere near BrentX yesterday! lol

OP posts:
ladymac · 20/07/2007 13:22

Whoops! Can I put it down to having a small baby?

So who is this mystery woman? She must have thought I was bonkers.

ladymac · 20/07/2007 13:25

Yes, sorry, have just looked at your website and realised you are far better looking! But the odd thing was, I said to her 'you've got twins, haven't you?' And she said yes.

Although she may have been trying to humour me....

Original poster
MarsLady · 20/07/2007 14:17

Oh to have been a fly on that wall! lol

OP posts:
ggglimpopo · 20/07/2007 15:57

Bump as I am the one who blithely offered to sort the young French girl out in London and volunteered Marsy.

Panic panic panic!

Any wonderful headmistresses or anyone, anyone out there with any ideas.....

If it wasn't for me they'd have gone through an agency and it would all be sorted now.

hELP! PLEASE§

frogs · 20/07/2007 16:14

Mars, presumably you've asked GCH? Trouble is, most of the better schools will probably be full, and the ones that have spaces will be the, ahem, less appealing ones. But not all schools will fill spaces that close to GCSE, so can't be hopeless. Have you phoned all the local options and asked if they have spaces? If she's a Catholic you might be able to play the Catholic card, providing she can get a priest to write her a letter of recommendation. Alternatively, Acland Burghley is near us, and might be less of a culture shock to a French child than some of the more trad girls' schools like GCH, StM or LSU.

Mercy · 20/07/2007 16:20

The girls school? Or is that the one she may not into?

Original poster
MarsLady · 20/07/2007 16:26

Not Catholic (not any religion).

GCH is the one that might fall through. I only put her forward for that one as it would be easy.

I'm going to go via the council and see what happens unless someone here can save the day.

OP posts:
frogs · 20/07/2007 16:39

why is it falling through? Presumably they've suddenly found another permanent child to fill the slot?

There must be some half-decent school in N. London which would have a place in Y10. Surely.

How about: Camden Girls; Parliament Hill; F'mere (obviously); Alexandra Palace; Hampstead; Acland Burghley; Copthall; all those other quite good schools in Barnet whose names I can't remember.

Original poster
MarsLady · 20/07/2007 16:43

Head was meant to talk to Governors about a place as the school is full... she got busy and forgot! Will look into those other schools. Just need somewhere easy for her to get to.

OP posts:
ggglimpopo · 20/07/2007 16:51

The young girls mother has been a towering pillar of support and never ending kindness to me and my family and I really would love to be able to sort this out for them and for it all to end happily.
We would even consider any one out of London (who was kind and wonderful of course, hairy handed truck drivers need to apply) who would like a paying guest for a year (till next July) and has a willing school nearby.

I can vouch for Sarah 100%. She has not taken up a place here in France as was sure the UK would be sorted out

Oh help! Please help!

ggglimpopo · 20/07/2007 16:52

HAIRY HANDED TRUCK DRIVERS NEED NOT APPLY!

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