English speaking schools in Grenoble

[boulderpatty]

Originally Posted by ccbastian

BoulderPatty -

My husband, 2-year-old daughter, and I are moving to Grenoble this August, as well. I was wondering if you have found housing yet and if you can give us any recommendations? We are looking to rent, preferrably to live in the city center (probably an apartment), but if we found a nice house outside the city, we'd be open to that, too. We just need at least 2 bedrooms. What are moving to Grenoble for? My husband is getting his MBA at GGSB, so we'll be there for a year.

Hi there! We have returned from our househunting trip and will be living in St Ismier. My favorite websites for house hunting are: www dot bonjour dot fr and www dot arkadia dot com. You can search arkadia in english, but you are better off searching in french and doing the translation. The prices are lower than the posted english prices since the euro is in the dumps. Click on immobilier and then on the next screen, click on location immobilier. Just put in your euro limits for a place. The apartments are mostly small, but the city seems fun. We went up to the bastille by car. The ride was not so bad and the dropoffs are blocked by a small railing that at least provides psychological comfort.

Renting in Grenoble is painful. For each place you see on the web, you have to use the renting agent (or that was our experience) for that particular unit. They don't call back or follow up as they say they will, so just keep calling. I was frustrated with this the whole week I was there, but once you eat one meal, you forgive and forget. The food, even the pizza, is just amazing.

I didn't find the french to be snobs at all. I learned a few words and did try to say a few things. Many don't speak english at all, but the service staff does. Asking directions on the streets was fun (not).

We stayed in the same hotel as the professional bike racers from the Tour Dauphine, a luxury, and there were only about 300 people cheering the stage start, so you can talk to the riders or take photos of them.

I plan to join open forum or whatever that expat thing is. Maybe I will see you there.

[mandyb66]

If you want any info about primary & secondary schools in Grenoble then please feel free to get in touch. I have been on the PTA at the "international" primary school for 10 years, and I now have 2 kids at the international high school.

Having "been there, done that" I can probably give you soime pointers.

Mandy

[adam1410]

Originally Posted by mandyb66

If you want any info about primary & secondary schools in Grenoble then please feel free to get in touch. I have been on the PTA at the "international" primary school for 10 years, and I now have 2 kids at the international high school.

Having "been there, done that" I can probably give you soime pointers.

Mandy

Hi,

Am thinking of relocating with my employer to Grenoble. The biggest thing putting me off is my daughter is due to start school in the uk in september - that is the main reason we are going back to the UK from Norway this summer. Can you tell me a little more about the international primary school? I need to register my interest in the role very soon so would really appreciate whatever you can tell me - hope you get this message!!

many thanks

Adam

[jbbkt]

Originally Posted by adam1410

Hi,

Am thinking of relocating with my employer to Grenoble. The biggest thing putting me off is my daughter is due to start school in the uk in september - that is the main reason we are going back to the UK from Norway this summer. Can you tell me a little more about the international primary school? I need to register my interest in the role very soon so would really appreciate whatever you can tell me - hope you get this message!!

many thanks

Adam

Hi Adam how old is your daughter? A friend of mine moved to the Grenoble area 3/4 years ago, his boys were 10 and 6/7 and were put straight into the local French school. Being children they learned French very quickly and were pretty much fluent for school within 6 months and now are almost fully fluent. If your staying in France/Grenoble and you have a good local school then I think the end product of a fully bilingual child in their future would be a great asset. Then when they are 14 the international school allows them to do English gcses and other qualifications from the UK, after this the world is their oyster )

[adam1410]

Originally Posted by jbbkt

Hi Adam how old is your daughter? A friend of mine moved to the Grenoble area 3/4 years ago, his boys were 10 and 6/7 and were put straight into the local French school. Being children they learned French very quickly and were pretty much fluent for school within 6 months and now are almost fully fluent. If your staying in France/Grenoble and you have a good local school then I think the end product of a fully bilingual child in their future would be a great asset. Then when they are 14 the international school allows them to do English gcses and other qualifications from the UK, after this the world is their oyster )

my eldest daughter is 3, 4 in June and then due to start school in the UK in september! Norwegians think it is just bonkers that we start school so young but thats just how it is. I expect we'd only be in France for 3 yrs give or take so whilst it is a bonus to have a second language, especially a widely spoken one - (unlike norwegian), i think i'd prefer her to be taught at least partially in english but you're probably right it would make little real difference and woudl help us integrate... nice to have options though...

[Emma78]

hi,

My husband works in Grenoble, but we don't live there. I have two children 6 and 13, both girls. In our village we have an international primary school. They still teach in french, (you find this in all international schools) but have teacher that speak english, but is a private school and you have to pay. My children go to the local schools. we have been here 6 months and both are doing really well. I would say look into French schools in grenoble as it is such a cosmopolitan city that the teacher will more than likely speak english. Surely you are coming to France for a French experiance, that is will proberbly be the best education you can give you children!!

hope this helps emma

[jbbkt]

Originally Posted by adam1410

my eldest daughter is 3, 4 in June and then due to start school in the UK in september! Norwegians think it is just bonkers that we start school so young but thats just how it is. I expect we'd only be in France for 3 yrs give or take so whilst it is a bonus to have a second language, especially a widely spoken one - (unlike norwegian), i think i'd prefer her to be taught at least partially in english but you're probably right it would make little real difference and woudl help us integrate... nice to have options though...

I spoke to my friend nd he said both his kids went to French school one until 11 and one until 15ish but I know from their family that the children speaking French is unbelievably helpful and from what I have been told at your daughters age it won't take long at all for her to be speaking French nd learning probably at the same pace she will learning English hope this helps

[hils]

Am I alone in this?
Beejeezus: if you're going to live in another country to give you and your kids the benefit of exposure to other cultures etc, WHY, please WHY do you insist on trying to get your kids the same or similar education as they might have had in the place you want to leave? Isn't this defeating the object?

Yes, OK, the way things are done here IS different, but I would defy anyone to say that France & its educational system is incapable of producing intellectually and socially adequate contributing members of society.

I agree it's important to maintain a fluency in the language of your home country - if for no other reason than to benefit yourself and your kids of a potential bilingualism. But in my view, as long as you maintain a good, healthy & learning environment at home commensurate with the age of kids in question, there's no disadvantage AT ALL to the kids joining educational, social & cultural life at their local schools.

At Lycee level, of course it's possible to take the International Bac or whatever other international qualifications you might deem necessary, but why condemn your kids to be different even before you've moved in ?

If you don't like the system, why move here ?

H

Sorry, will stop ranting now ....

[adam1410]

Originally Posted by hils

Am I alone in this?
Beejeezus: if you're going to live in another country to give you and your kids the benefit of exposure to other cultures etc, WHY, please WHY do you insist on trying to get your kids the same or similar education as they might have had in the place you want to leave? Isn't this defeating the object?

Yes, OK, the way things are done here IS different, but I would defy anyone to say that France & its educational system is incapable of producing intellectually and socially adequate contributing members of society.

I agree it's important to maintain a fluency in the language of your home country - if for no other reason than to benefit yourself and your kids of a potential bilingualism. But in my view, as long as you maintain a good, healthy & learning environment at home commensurate with the age of kids in question, there's no disadvantage AT ALL to the kids joining educational, social & cultural life at their local schools.

At Lycee level, of course it's possible to take the International Bac or whatever other international qualifications you might deem necessary, but why condemn your kids to be different even before you've moved in ?

If you don't like the system, why move here ?

H

Sorry, will stop ranting now ....

Yes, and without ranting at all :-)

If you move internationally every couple of years and think that may continue the ability to have a continuity in style and language of education is important.

Horses for courses and all that.

Adam

[hils]

Originally Posted by adam1410

Yes, and without ranting at all :-)

If you move internationally every couple of years and think that may continue the ability to have a continuity in style and language of education is important.

Horses for courses and all that.

Adam

Then don't trail your kids around with you; park them in a boarding school "at home" while you get on with "your life". Come to that, why bother having kids at all ?

H

Sorry, still ranting