am planning to relocate with family to Montpelier by April 2020. I need help in following:
1- different good Areas to live in the city or on the neighbor villages
2- My kids studying English language not French what is the availability of English School or a French school suitable for expats who don’t have French basic
Thank you
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The best thing to do would be to visit first so you can see for yourself as everybody has their own idea of what sort of area they want to live in. Montpellier is a good place generally.
If you are going to be in France for a while, then the sooner your kids learn French the better so sometimes putting them in an international school isn’t helpful in the long run. But if that’s what you want or if you are only relocating for a short work contract then there are three or four international schools in Montpellier (I presume you mean Montpellier, as Montpelier is in America). Google is your friend…like these.
https://www.ecoleantonia-montpellier.com/en/
I think they are also very expensive.
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Hi Stella,
Kindly update it with below:
Rim Abdul
Thank you
Hi Jane,
Thanks for your reply.
My plan to get an area with good standard ( in same time not so expensive on renting fee) we can say 7.5/10 on Scale.
If you can provide some advice this will be helpful.
For School, its a complete relocation( not for short period of time) of course I prefer French School but who has a system to deal with My kids status.
Rim… What is your kids’ status?
French schools take children of all nationalities and all abilities. Even our small commune successfully takes on kids (and adults) with no hint of French language…
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Hi Stella,
I have Two kids,
Next year they will be in Primary Grade one and Primary Grade Two.
I need to do my best in order they will not loose any Schoolar year.
I don’t know what the equivalent to those classes is.
What is each one’s year of birth? That is what decides which class they go into here. Depending on their precise date of birth they may find themselves a year ahead of eg the British system, simply because here a cohort starts off with everyone born in a given calendar year, (not in an academic year).
But at the age I imagine they are just stick them in an ecole primaire, you will need to support the French, possibly with a tutor if you don’t speak French yourself, and keep other languages up at home.
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In my area, two schools share all the children.
In our village we have 2 sets: Primaire (5 yrs) and Grande Section (6 yrs). Our partner school in the local town takes Maternelle (3 yrs) and all other ages.
We used to have another set CE1 (7 yrs) but numbers dropped one year and the govt closed that class, never letting it reopen (rotters).
Anyway… I have personally seen (and marvelled at) the ability of kids to settle in and learn a new language.
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I don’t know montpellier well enough to advise as have only been a visitor. However loads of information available on the web, and if you read a selection of different ones and look at prices in each area for the type of home you want it should give you a starting point. Like this one
Hi Vero,
I have : January 2013 & July 2014.
I speak French but due to my work status I will not be able to be fully dedicated.
For that I am looking for a school who can deal with such language swap case.
Any idea?
Hi Stella,
My main concern to not loose year from my kids on the swap from language to another.
Thank you
Yes, I speak french but due to my work status I will not be able to fully support
I am a bit confused Stella, the official guidelines are as follows:
(the numbers with a dash in front are the child’s age that calendar year.)
Ecole maternelle
Très petite section - 2
Petite section -3
Moyenne section -4
Grande section -5
Then ecole primaire:
Cours préparatoire -6
Cours elementaire 1 -7
Cours elementaire 2 -8
Cours moyen 1 -9
Cours moyen 2 -10
Then collège
6ème -11
5ème -12
4ème -13
3ème -14
Lycée
2de -15
1ère -16
Terminale -17
Obviously over the course of their school career people can go up or down a year. It is likely in rural areas with small schools that there may be two or more levels in one group with one teacher. The child is still in CE1, CE2 whatever.
They will be going into CE1 and CP in September, they will be in GS and CP in April, if they can already read fluently in English, French won’t be a problem. As I say get a French tutor (some primary teachers do that on a Wednesday afternoon) and keep other languages up at home.
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You and me both !.. very confused.
I’ve been told that some of the Maternelle who currently bus to the other school will be coming to us in September 2020 (when I would have expected them to only be around 4 ish…
I have def heard the teacher talking about us currently having Grande Section and Classe Primaire… and the ages are 5 and 6ish … as I have said. Thinking about it… she possibly says CP and I translate/think-of that as “P”= Primaire when it should be P"= Preparatoire… 
Anyway… the important thing is that both schools are geared up for kids who do not speak French… and I know of one Irish lass aged 2.5 years (Maternelle) who is currently going great guns… although she refuses to eat the food at lunchtimes… ah well, can’t have everything.
Hi
Just my point of view but as I teach English for 3 to 11 year olds, I do get to see the inside of the schools!!
Non French kids will of course start slowly but very quickly get up to speed as the GS and CP level your kids will be is very much visual more than written.
Friends will help greatly to speak French and some extra tuition will be all that’s needed.
My 7 year old gives me French lessons !!
Go for it
Simon
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Hi Simon,
You gave me hope.
Any Suggestion for some schools?