Schooling

When we found out that there was a chance we could be moving to Paris, one of the first things we did was start investigating schooling in France. We knew that we wanted to be in the 5eme and that we wanted a school that was relatively close to our home. There are some great expat schools in Paris but not only were these incredibly expensive but they were also situated in more 'expat-centric' parts of Paris. We also thought that the kids would be more likely to pick up French if they were in a French school and speaking with teachers and classmates on a daily basis. Unlike UK schools which tend to have in depth websites stating results and achievements, French schools tend to have less of an online presence so they're not always easy to find! 

We contacted all the schools on our shortlist to ask about spaces and heard back from two. We then made a short trip to Paris so that the head-teachers could meet the children and decide whether to offer places. Luckily, we were offered a place at both schools and we were able to pick our favourite. Both schools were fabulous but we got a really nice vibe from the school they're now attending. 

There are a lot of articles online about French schooling and every article seems to be either passionately for or against the French system, yet both sides use the same statement to back up their argument- 'the French education system is extremely rigorous'! We're still new to the French education system but there are definite differences to the UK (however, we're comparing our experience at one UK school to one French school so we don't really have a big sample!). Also we've moved from a large London school (3 form entry, 90 kids per year) to a much smaller school (probably not more than 120 in the whole school) which also makes a big difference! I'm really enjoying experiencing (as a parent!) primary school culture in a new country-its fascinating to see how different education systems work and also seeing the benefits of each different method. The main thing is that Leila and Harry are both happy and enjoying their new school-they've both been quick to make friends and adapt to new routines and rhythms! Its definitely been a big change for all of us but hopefully we will gain a lot from our time here!