HilaryBamberger

Hi I have been speaking with Steve who has answered your message also. We are all looking in the same area and again it is the school situation that concerns us all. Having spoken to lots of agents now and checked out lots of website I have found the following. All Intl Schools ie fee paying and teaching IGCSE/AS/A levels and Intl Bacc are based around the major cities. These are mainly in South of France in Bordeaux, Toulouse, Aix En Provence and Nr Cannes. Their fees are about 7000 per year from 14 yrs old on. I have website addresses for all of these if you are intd. I have spoken to lots of agents in Charente areas and surrounding only to find that they do not know of any Intl schools other than those I mentioned and some in Paris. Some schools have Intl Sections but they only seem to teach History and Geography in English and rest of syllabus is in French. The children will therefore have to be very fluent in both written and spoekn French in order to take their exams in French for most subjects. Interestingly, I spoke to a 20yr old English girl last week who is working for one of the big agents. She went straight to a French school at 14yr old. Her French was not good enough to sit exams in French so she left with no qualifications. Her French was good enough to get her shop work and work in hotels. She now works for Estate Agent nad is quite happy. Great if your kid does not want to go onto further education but otherwise......who knows. We have decided that we must not affect our sons education to that degree and have decided to look at South France and at these 4 Intl Schools to place him in one of those and the family in the local area. Hope of help Hilary

Have read all there is to read on this website re education and having posted a message detailing our concerns for our 14yr old son. We want him to be able to attend and Intl School (fee paying I assume) and study ICGSE and the Intl Bacclaureate. We are very flexible as to where we land in France as schools are really the priority here. Have looked at various websites but to no avail. Have details of Bordeaux and Toulouse Intl schools but really looking for any in the Charente/Dordogne/Correze/Creuse areas. Anyone out there can help please? Many thanks Hilary

Hi Steve We too are looking in the Charente area and have the same worry - we have a 14yr old son and an 8yr old son to consider. Our biggest worry is that our move to France does not screw up the 14yr olds opportunities as far as education is concerned. He speaks very basic French having studied it for 3 yrs at school and is happy to learn and happy to move to France. Looks at it as one big adventure thank God. It seems so complicated and difficult to decide which area to land in as far as schools are concerned - no league tables so you would have to visit each school and decide on the info given and your own gut feelings as to whether it would be the right school for them. All takes lots of time, lots of trips and of course time is of the essence. We ould like to be moved and probably renting initially by September before our son Tom has to go back to school and start his GCSE courses. Never seems to be the right time to do all this as now of course all the French schools are shutting down for the summer and we can't get out there to look at the schools until August sometime when they will all be closed. We would prefer Tom to go to a French state school but are not sure if this is best and maybe should consider private schools for at least couple of years? Who knows what to do for the best eh! Steve, my husband and I are sure that we want to make the move this year or we think that we would be obliged to stay in UK at least until he has finished his GCSE's and then of course he will be 16 and probably not very intd in following us to France by then. Dont want to split the family up so its now or wait another 10 years! I would be very interested in exchanging info on our progress and any info that I can find about schools in the area I will gladly pass onto you.