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Starting 8 year old at school


Melons
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Hi, my daughter and I are planning on moving to France next June(2007) near to Rochechouart (87), whilst my husband works in England and comes home to us at weekends, as he does now here.

I want to start the wheels in motion for getting her into school.  Is there anyone in the area who can advice me on how to go about this.  My french is limited, so I am apprehensive about going to the mairie as I understand his English is limited too!

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been in this situation....am I?

Any assistance would be gratefully recieved

Melons [:$]

 

 

 

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Hi again

Thanks Debra, I had forgotten about the medical records. I will sort that out first.

Are your children going to attend school in Rochechouart as I understand it depends on each area wheather you approach the school direct or the mairie?

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  • 4 weeks later...

hi, we have two children who started school September 2005....they were aged 7 and 9.  We went along to the school on their last day of summer term, we took all the childrens school records with us, we were told to go to the mairie to get a certificate and also the doctor (he had to check the immunisations were up to date and give us another certificate). Also, you need public liability insurance for the children too...doesn't cost much..about 13 euros if I remember rightly.  The school were pleased with the old school records (even though all in English and handwritten, I couldn't understand alot of it).  The school took photocopies of everything, so did the mairie. We found that taking all our documents along in a folder we covered everything and they love it! To be honest everywhere you go from the bank to the school to cpam etc, they all want the same things; passports, birth certificates, marriage certificates, driving licenses,and then the golden utility bill! we went and had loads of passport size photos taken before we left uk, after I read somewhere that we would have to give them to banks etc...but no one has asked for them...and we took loads of photocopies of our driving licenses etc, but they all prefer to copy everything anyway! just take everything and watch their faces light up!

We were given the list of what the children would need for the year, and the teachers home telephone numbers!  The children were introduced to their future classmates, and at that time they were to be the only english children in the school.  We were introduced to the canteen staff, and the children had a tour of the school (we were left behind).  Their first day at school was ok..the second morning was a heartwrenching nightmare! as they didn't want to go back...they came out smiling and happy at the end of that day and things have got better since, of course a few highs and lows in between.  Good luck, it will be hard work for you as you won't have your husband to go back and let out your 'woes' to, your phone bill could be a bit extortionate for the first couple of weeks! but you are giving your daughter a different experience of another culture...and I seriously believe that I have given my children an extra couple of years of childhood......good luck.

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Yes, I reiterate all the above, my boys started September 2005 too.  Both 8 years old. No problems, fantastic teacher, lovely school.  A little bit of mickey taking, but they are very happy. Don't worry too much, they do far better than us adults.  Plus they get to go on more trips out. How good is that? More homework for us adults though, I mean helping out is expected, you have to get involved. But it's great for your French.

Georgina

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  • 4 weeks later...

Great to read your story and others like it.  We are weeks away from our move to Haute Savoie 74 and the nerves are setting in.  A piece of advice we were given by friends who are 2 years into their new life in France was to envisage the worst and the reality will be a pleasant surprise.  We are over actively envisaging the worst now !  Our children our 9 and 10 and registered with the local school in Samoens.  Do you or anyone else know if the BCG is given in France at age 12 as it is here?   Also, how do we go about organising personal liability insurance for the children, is this something the school organises?  Many thanks, Peekaboo [blink]

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hi peekaboo! my children are coming to the end of their first school year!! i really can't believe it!!

for the liability insurance, you just go to any old insurance agency (we use AGF) you will probably need to organise house insurance or car insurance I am sure.  It is not very expensive, I can't remember  how much it is..maybe about 30 euros for the year.

As for the BCG.....they are supposed to have it very young here....my children are 10 and 8 and have not yet had it.....but they will over the holidays.  When I enrolled them into school, I was told they would need to have it, but we were never chased up.  But, I will sort that one out soon.  I don't know if you would be able to get it done over in the UK?...but it would give you an excuse to go and meet your doctor here, and you will most likely need to get a certificate from him anyway for the enrollement.  Also, you would be advised to ask about the medecin traitant while you are there!!..sorry to bombard you, but you can do a bit of research and then kill lots of birds with one stone!!  also, another word of wisdom....if you ask your doctor in uk nicely, he might give you a printout of your family's prescription history....can help if you have regular prescriptions (ie. my son has eczema and asthma), and the doctor here could see what things have been tried and when.

good luck, enjoy the summer! and your new lives!!!!

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My 7 year old son is starting full time in September.  His school is private (about 50 euros per term) and so I didn't need any of the forms that are mentioned here.  Private schools are worth looking at - they are much cheaper than in the UK private schools although the class sizes are bigger.

We did a three month trial with all our four childen first, which was worth doing.  It gave all the childen (and me) the confidence to know that we were doing the right thing. 

My husband has to stay in the UK most of the time so I've done it mostly on my own.

The list of things that my son had to take to his temporary and permanent schools is very long, including a large desk diary, protractor, endless exercise books, paints etc etc.  The whole lot cost about 60 euros, not including the little suitcase on wheels that they take to put everything in.  They have to be far more responsible for their own things than in the UK.

We had an introduction party at our home for his classmates a couple of weeks ago so that he could meet his new friends.  It was a great idea because he bumps into them occasionally.

He knew no French when he started at his temporary school and yet picked up everything that he had to do within two weeks.  Although I speak French, I have been told only to talk to him in English so that he doesn't pick up my accent.

I hope that this helps.  Reading this thread, you can see that you are not alone.

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Hi there

Our two children (aged 6 & 7) are starting at the village school in September.  We visited the Mairie and got a form stamped by them which we then had to take to the school, where we met the head and saw round the school (it is tiny - only about 30 pupils!).  They needed to see birth certificates, copies of vaccination records and they insisted that the children must have BCG vaccinations before starting school.

I have managed to arrange that in the UK through my doctor's surgery.  They no longer do the vaccinations at the surgery but they are being done at the local Child Health Clinic.  It is free!  I don't know if this is the case nationwide, but the practice nurse knew all about it.

I am hoping that when we get to France in a couple of weeks (counting the days!!) that the list of school requirements will be waiting for me.

Miszter

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Thank you.  Your answers were a great help. Having just had the kids vaccinated for travel in Africa before moving to France I might leave the BCG for a month or two - give their systems a rest!  However, I will do as you say and go armed with my list to a doctor as soon as we get to the mountains!

 

 

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