Hi and welcome to the forum. I'm up in the Paris area myself, and don't know Nice too well, other than a couple delightful visits I've had there.

OTOH, I have found an interesting website, called the Riviera Reporter, that might have some information for you: Home

You can also contact the AVF (Accueil des Villes Françaises) that are listed on the Riviera Reporter website under Clubs and Associations. They should have information for you about schools and general living conditions. I see by their website that they even do their "accueil" in English on Thursday mornings. The website is here: NICE ACCUEIL - Accueil des Villes Françaises

A year in Nice - sounds heavenly!
Cheers,
Bev