French exchanges - do children in England still do these and how are they organised?

[Anna8888]

We were talking about this last night. Both of us remember from our youth that schools in England and France had long-standing agreements and sent children back and forth at the end of the summer term on a regular basis, with children attending school either end.

Does this still happen? If not, how do parents ensure their children learn French (and other languages) beyond what they acquire in the classroom?

[snorkle]

Anna or any interested others, I've just been told about this new website which aims to match families for language exchanges or study holidays. It's currently got an initial offer of free registration (normally £50) if you join before 31st August.

[Milliways]

DD's school only does a German exchange - but she has been to France severak times on school trips.

This summer though she is doing a DIY exchange with a girl introduced via a Teacher contact. Hope it works! This girl comes here for a week & then they fly back together for a week in the French Alps.

[Anna8888]

[Brangelina]

Absolutely Anna, it's a deal

[Brangelina]

Yes, but only for a month, so I'm not sure it would count as residency (isn't it 60 days or something in the UK?

Basically, schools in Italy break up in early June, so the idea think would be to send DD from then until the UK end of term, so 4-6wks? I might have a word with the school when my niece starts, my sis is such a wuss about these things.

[Anna8888]

Hmm - my partner has been studying Italian for the past three years (since he opened his Milan subsidiary...) but DSS1 speaks French (obviously), has 5 years of English, 1 year of Latin and is just about to start Spanish (don't think Italian was even an option).

But our DDs can do an exchange in a few years time as I want mine to learn Italian and presumably you want yours to learn French .

[Brangelina]

No, but got a 13yo stepson who loves his playstation. Do you want to send yours to Italy instead? DP's ex has got loads of room too....

[snorkle]

Brangelina, I think it might be worth asking the school, I suspect some are more flexible than others over that sort of arrangement. I know my step sisters children attended state school for half a term when they were back in the UK on their last visit and that was organised in advance, so they weren't resident when it was arranged or even permanently resident when it happened. Wouldn't your children be resident with their cousins in any case for the time spent in school?

[Anna8888]

I did loads of residential language courses in my youth (France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Germany) and always loved them, so have nothing against a (good) EFL course except the (bloody awful) cost .

But a family would be great... anyone got a 13 year old DS who loves French?

[Brangelina]

I have the family (my dsis) and hopefully DD won't need an EFL course, it was just a shame she couldn't do the last month of term at the local primary with her cousin. It would have been sooo handy on so many levels (well, for me really, not sure what the school would get out of it, but still....).

My school was twinned with another in Rouen and used to do a lot of exchanges that way. I believe they still do, but only because the twinning relationship goes back a long way. Both are Catholic schools, btw, papal network and all that.

I agree you need to find a family, much, much better than an EFL course, not to mention cheaper.

[Anna8888]

I've done lots of hunting and that was much the best option I've come across, unfortunately it was 5 weeks of the boys' term time here in France and we couldn't take them out of school here for so long.

We are planning on sending them to Millfield next summer (EFL courses) and that costs about £750 a week... so if we could find lovely families for each of them with boys the right age, that might be our preferred option.

[Brangelina]

[Anna8888]

We looked into a school near Bristol for my stepsons that charged £2,500 for five weeks boarding.

[Brangelina]

The ? was supposed to be euros.

[Brangelina]

Oh I wouldn't mind paying, I'd be paying £££££ (or rather ?????) for summer activities here. How expensive would it be?

[Anna8888]

Brangelina - think it might be very difficult in a state school. Some private schools have a regular thing going, taking on foreign students for short periods (but you pay £££££££).

[Brangelina]

Oh, is it really possible for a non resident child to attend school in the UK for a short time? Or does it only apply to private schools?

I did wonder about this as my DD (OK, she's only 3, but I'm thinking ahead a bit) will have a whole bl*°dy 3 months of summer holidays when she goes to elementary school so I had thought wouldn't it be a wonderful thing for her to attend school in the UK with her cousins for the month before schools break up there. However I was told it wouldn't be possible as child has to register, be resident in the area bla-de-bla etc. etc. Is it possible after all? Has anyone ever done anything like this successfully?

[grassland]

Thanks everyone. I have asked the school why there are so few places and it's to do with the numbers coming from the exchange school. I think they might be running another one the following year so hope dc will get a chance then.

[Anna8888]

Thanks for asking him snorkle

[snorkle]

grassland, I think there are limits on numbers for the exchanges at dc's school and places are offered on first come first served basis, but they take several weeks to fill up usually (if they do get completely full) so I don't think it's usual for anyone whose really keen to be disappointed. Can you ask the school if it's possible to expand the numbers? (Of course this is only possible if the exchange school can increase their numbers too)

[snorkle]

Thanks for your CAT Anna,I have replied, but ds wants to stay with the family he exchanged with last time again - apparently the lads have been discussing it already but not thought to mention it to me .

[WendyWeber]

Well I suppose it partly depends on the number of exchangees - our German trip had twice the number of the French trip, and there were more French girls than French boys who wanted to exchange so quite a few of the English boys had a French girl.

I wasn't aware of anybody missing out but maybe some did, I will ask DS2.

Look at the links earlier on this thread about DIY exchanges though, grassland - it's actually cheaper

[grassland]

Is this because there are lots of places available or that not that many want to go? Our school is only offering a handful of places and double that number actually applied so there are quite a few disappointed kids. I feel a bit miffed as the school's been encouraging people to apply by stressing what a wonderful experience it could be, benefits etc etc but then ends telling half of them they've missed out.... Our dc was one of the unlucky ones - but you've probably guessed that

[WendyWeber]

Our grammar school does French/German/Spanish exchanges in Y10/11 & anyone who wants to can go (if they pay c. £300 per exchange )

[grassland]

Just wondering how different schools organise exchanges, if at all. Our dcs go to a school that sets up exchanges but only a few of them can go and it's all done by lottery. Is the way it works everywhere else? Would be interested to know if this is typical?