HELP! Please tell me about French primary standards - CP and CE2 in particular

[CSLewis]

We're considering spending a year in France, for financial reasons and so that our children can learn French. Up till now they have been home-educated in the UK, in a fairly relaxed fashion. My eldest turns 8 in August, my second will be 6 in November.

I'm slightly concerned about the double whammy involved in putting them into a rigid school system where they will both be likely to be 'behind' their French peers, AND with a language in which they are nowhere near fluent.

If anyone could give me any more detailed information about the level of attainment expected in CP (6-7 yo) and CE2 (8-9 yo), I'd be very grateful. Also, what would be the likely attitudes of their teachers to such children arriving in their classes in Jan 2011?

CP is for learning to read and write, so they would be expected to know their alphabet and have pen control, know their numbers and do simple additions, they start proper school behind english children. I don't know about CE2 as my french nieces are not yet there, and I am sure it has changed a lot from when I was there.
The way they will be integrated totally depends of their teachers some good one and some terrible one.
But bumping so those with children in France at the mo can answer you.
May be you should post in bilinguism/ abroad section?

Oh! the french school year is from jan to jan (not sept till sept). So your 6 yo will be one of the youngest in his class you might want to consider putting him in Grande Section of maternelle instead.