Commuting for playdates / rural living in Toulouse
Jan 30th 2019, 6:25 am
#1
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Commuting for playdates / rural living in Toulouse
Hi there! We’re currently considering a move to Toulouse with my husband and our 6 year old daughter. Looking at areas to live it seems we would be able to get what we want for our budget in villages to the north / west. I know that most expat families are living in the Blagnac, Colomiers, Pibrac, Tournefeuille areas but we can’t get what we would like for our budget in these areas. Our daughter will most likely be going to the International School of Toulouse.
The only concern I have with living a 20 / 25min drive from the expat areas is playdates. I’m happy to drive my daughter to see friends but I’m worried that no-one will come to see us! And it would be such a shame because I love hosting kids at our place. Of course she might make some friends in her local area but the places we’re looking seem quite remote, which is great for us but might not be great for an only child who craves other kids at the weekends.
If I can get an idea of the ‘playdate’ culture from other families on this forum that would be much appreciated. Do families tend to stick to their areas or are your children’s friends more spread out and you find yourself doing playdates at weekends that can require a 25minute drive sometimes? As she will be making friends at school mostly I’m sure at the weekends she would want to play with these friends who most likely will live closer to the school.
I’m trying to work out whether we get the house we want further out or make compromises and finder somewhere closer to the school. The last thing I want is to invest in a lovely place in a village if my daughter is isolated.
Any advice welcome please!xxx
The only concern I have with living a 20 / 25min drive from the expat areas is playdates. I’m happy to drive my daughter to see friends but I’m worried that no-one will come to see us! And it would be such a shame because I love hosting kids at our place. Of course she might make some friends in her local area but the places we’re looking seem quite remote, which is great for us but might not be great for an only child who craves other kids at the weekends.
If I can get an idea of the ‘playdate’ culture from other families on this forum that would be much appreciated. Do families tend to stick to their areas or are your children’s friends more spread out and you find yourself doing playdates at weekends that can require a 25minute drive sometimes? As she will be making friends at school mostly I’m sure at the weekends she would want to play with these friends who most likely will live closer to the school.
I’m trying to work out whether we get the house we want further out or make compromises and finder somewhere closer to the school. The last thing I want is to invest in a lovely place in a village if my daughter is isolated.
Any advice welcome please!xxx
Jan 30th 2019, 7:09 am
#2
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Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Hérault (34)
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Re: Commuting for playdates / rural living in Toulouse
Hi there! We’re currently considering a move to Toulouse with my husband and our 6 year old daughter. Looking at areas to live it seems we would be able to get what we want for our budget in villages to the north / west. I know that most expat families are living in the Blagnac, Colomiers, Pibrac, Tournefeuille areas but we can’t get what we would like for our budget in these areas. Our daughter will most likely be going to the International School of Toulouse.
The only concern I have with living a 20 / 25min drive from the expat areas is playdates. I’m happy to drive my daughter to see friends but I’m worried that no-one will come to see us! And it would be such a shame because I love hosting kids at our place. Of course she might make some friends in her local area but the places we’re looking seem quite remote, which is great for us but might not be great for an only child who craves other kids at the weekends.
If I can get an idea of the ‘playdate’ culture from other families on this forum that would be much appreciated. Do families tend to stick to their areas or are your children’s friends more spread out and you find yourself doing playdates at weekends that can require a 25minute drive sometimes? As she will be making friends at school mostly I’m sure at the weekends she would want to play with these friends who most likely will live closer to the school.
I’m trying to work out whether we get the house we want further out or make compromises and finder somewhere closer to the school. The last thing I want is to invest in a lovely place in a village if my daughter is isolated.
Any advice welcome please!xxx
The only concern I have with living a 20 / 25min drive from the expat areas is playdates. I’m happy to drive my daughter to see friends but I’m worried that no-one will come to see us! And it would be such a shame because I love hosting kids at our place. Of course she might make some friends in her local area but the places we’re looking seem quite remote, which is great for us but might not be great for an only child who craves other kids at the weekends.
If I can get an idea of the ‘playdate’ culture from other families on this forum that would be much appreciated. Do families tend to stick to their areas or are your children’s friends more spread out and you find yourself doing playdates at weekends that can require a 25minute drive sometimes? As she will be making friends at school mostly I’m sure at the weekends she would want to play with these friends who most likely will live closer to the school.
I’m trying to work out whether we get the house we want further out or make compromises and finder somewhere closer to the school. The last thing I want is to invest in a lovely place in a village if my daughter is isolated.
Any advice welcome please!xxx
Your daughter is at an ideal age to start school in a French Primaire. At 6, they learn to read and write and she would soon be fluent (at her peers' level). No problem for her social life!
Even if you aren't intending to live in France forevermore, she'd be young enough to adapt to another country and this would be a good experience for her later on.
We live in a rural area and my daughters played locally with their Primaire friends. When they went to the nearest town for Collège/Lycée, we found ourselves taxiing them around on Wednesdays and weekends for their various activities and social life, sometimes a good half-an-hour's drive away (for both, and not always in the same direction), since the catchment area is large. It's one of the drawbacks of children living in rural areas......
HTH
Jan 30th 2019, 8:09 am
#3
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Re: Commuting for playdates / rural living in Toulouse
Hey! Thanks for your reply! Oh the French school system is so tempting for the language benefits and the local friends – we are leaning towards keeping her in the international school environment which is a familiar setting to her current expat life, until we are settled (our lives will be sooooo different in rural France we will all need to adapt considerably) and then after a year or two put her in a local school so that she doesn’t get the shock all at once (I’m not sure with her very talkative personality she will do well not being able to communicate and could become introverted over time, which is something I’ve observed in some kids who have moved to a new country – not all, just some). But perhaps I’m letting the examples of just a few kids worry me too much and perhaps she will be fine – it’s so difficult to know! You make a really good point about her being the perfect age for starting the French system. I don’t worry about her English because she’s already way ahead in her English reading and I’m happy to keep working on it at home with her. It’s only the isolation I worry about and not making friends because the other kids might find it too difficult to communicate with her and leave her out – that would break my heart!
Jan 30th 2019, 10:46 am
#4
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Location: Scotland & Touraine [37]
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Re: Commuting for playdates / rural living in Toulouse
Hi,
I don't have any personal experience but I knew a family where he worked for Airbus in Toulouse.
The parents never became proficient at french. The son who was born in England was proficient ++ in french.
The daughter who was born in France was bilingual in spoken English and french but her written work in both languages was poor.
They spoke English at home and the kids spoke french outside the home.
The daughter translated for her parents.
As adults, the children moved back to England but I don't know what qualifications they had - probably french.
If your daughter ultimately remains in France then the french education system would be ideal.
However, if she returns to the UK then UK-recognised qualifications would be better.
On another point, are you thinking of buying or renting in France?
Good luck with your proposed move.
I don't have any personal experience but I knew a family where he worked for Airbus in Toulouse.
The parents never became proficient at french. The son who was born in England was proficient ++ in french.
The daughter who was born in France was bilingual in spoken English and french but her written work in both languages was poor.
They spoke English at home and the kids spoke french outside the home.
The daughter translated for her parents.
As adults, the children moved back to England but I don't know what qualifications they had - probably french.
If your daughter ultimately remains in France then the french education system would be ideal.
However, if she returns to the UK then UK-recognised qualifications would be better.
On another point, are you thinking of buying or renting in France?
Good luck with your proposed move.
Jan 30th 2019, 11:05 am
#5
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Re: Commuting for playdates / rural living in Toulouse
Thanks for the advice and luck cyrian! So my husband speaks French pretty well and I did it at school and plan to get to a reasonable level. Regarding staying in France long-term, I’m not sure yet as will need to see how it goes but we definitely plan to stay for 6 years at least until she is high-school age and then will need to think about whether a move back home is needed (closer to our parents as they get older, how career progression is going etc), but we are open to the idea of staying in France if everything’s good on the work and home fronts. This is why it’s difficult to decide on either UK system or the French system for schooling. We are looking to buy (I know from reading other posts people have advised against this, suggesting to rent first and get to know the areas) but we’ve been renting all our lives and desperate to own our place that we can make a long-term home ☺️
Jan 30th 2019, 11:40 am
#6
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Location: Scotland & Touraine [37]
Posts: 3,019
Re: Commuting for playdates / rural living in Toulouse
Thanks for the advice and luck cyrian! So my husband speaks French pretty well and I did it at school and plan to get to a reasonable level. Regarding staying in France long-term, I’m not sure yet as will need to see how it goes but we definitely plan to stay for 6 years at least until she is high-school age and then will need to think about whether a move back home is needed (closer to our parents as they get older, how career progression is going etc), but we are open to the idea of staying in France if everything’s good on the work and home fronts. This is why it’s difficult to decide on either UK system or the French system for schooling. We are looking to buy (I know from reading other posts people have advised against this, suggesting to rent first and get to know the areas) but we’ve been renting all our lives and desperate to own our place that we can make a long-term home ☺️
The problem with buying in France is that it is unlikely that a french property will keep pace with house prices in the UK and indeed after such a short time as 6 years you may not even get your purchase price back.
Even if you upgrade a property, you may not see an increased price - unlike in the UK.
HTH
Jan 30th 2019, 1:58 pm
#7
Austin. TX.
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 5,930
Re: Commuting for playdates / rural living in Toulouse
sooo, we moved to Toulouse when my eldest was almost 6. IST wasn't an option for us since OH wasn't airbus. We wouldn't have chosen that one anyway for all sorts of reasons and after being there for 11 years I still wouldn't choose IST. We left France 5.5 years ago btw and are now in the USA.
IST was originally set up for UK airbus families on 2/3 year contracts with the idea that they would be going back to the UK after that so a UK based education was necessary. However, for many years, families spun out the contracts and the kids stayed in IST until A levels or IB diploma.
At 6, your daughter is indeed at an ideal age for learning French and becoming truly bi-lingual. If you put her in IST, she won't be. In French school She may take a year to be up to speed enough to learn properly but it will be a gift to her for the rest of her life. At IST her french will most likely be abysmal since they teach in English and all the kids speak in English. You'll also end up in an "airbus" bubble socially - however they are a sociable lot if that kind of expat deal is what you want.
The towns in NW area that you mentioned are pretty and unless you go way out past the Save Valley, they're pretty much airbus commuter towns. Especially Levignac, Mondonville, L'Isle Jourdain and Merville.
Socially, a french school will probably mean better integration into the local community, IST will be the Brit/German(?) Airbus community.
IST was originally set up for UK airbus families on 2/3 year contracts with the idea that they would be going back to the UK after that so a UK based education was necessary. However, for many years, families spun out the contracts and the kids stayed in IST until A levels or IB diploma.
At 6, your daughter is indeed at an ideal age for learning French and becoming truly bi-lingual. If you put her in IST, she won't be. In French school She may take a year to be up to speed enough to learn properly but it will be a gift to her for the rest of her life. At IST her french will most likely be abysmal since they teach in English and all the kids speak in English. You'll also end up in an "airbus" bubble socially - however they are a sociable lot if that kind of expat deal is what you want.
The towns in NW area that you mentioned are pretty and unless you go way out past the Save Valley, they're pretty much airbus commuter towns. Especially Levignac, Mondonville, L'Isle Jourdain and Merville.
Socially, a french school will probably mean better integration into the local community, IST will be the Brit/German(?) Airbus community.
Jan 30th 2019, 5:48 pm
#8
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Joined: Jan 2019
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Re: Commuting for playdates / rural living in Toulouse
Thanks for all the advice everyone, seems the hubbie and I need to sit down and think again about a few things- renting potentially and saving money for investing back home instead and there are obviously some issues with the international school. Thank you very much, I hope others with the same questions get to see this advice, it will definitely help!
Feb 6th 2019, 3:08 pm
#9
Austin. TX.
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 5,930
Re: Commuting for playdates / rural living in Toulouse
Knighte, In response to your pm I think you would be better off joining this FB group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/247856731993140/
They are mix of families that have chosen the different options available and would be able to give you a wider range of opinions/experiences.
I can talk about the schools but in the end we are a family that decided to leave France altogether after 11 years. Every country is different, no education system is perfect We loved France while we were there but in the end we all felt that we wanted a different future.
They are mix of families that have chosen the different options available and would be able to give you a wider range of opinions/experiences.
I can talk about the schools but in the end we are a family that decided to leave France altogether after 11 years. Every country is different, no education system is perfect We loved France while we were there but in the end we all felt that we wanted a different future.
Feb 6th 2019, 5:33 pm
#10
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Re: Commuting for playdates / rural living in Toulouse
Great thanks, I will join the Facebook group!
Feb 7th 2019, 2:09 pm
#11
Austin. TX.
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 5,930
Re: Commuting for playdates / rural living in Toulouse
Hi,
I don't have any personal experience but I knew a family where he worked for Airbus in Toulouse.
The parents never became proficient at french. The son who was born in England was proficient ++ in french.
The daughter who was born in France was bilingual in spoken English and french but her written work in both languages was poor.
They spoke English at home and the kids spoke french outside the home.
The daughter translated for her parents.
As adults, the children moved back to England but I don't know what qualifications they had - probably french.
If your daughter ultimately remains in France then the french education system would be ideal.
However, if she returns to the UK then UK-recognised qualifications would be better.
On another point, are you thinking of buying or renting in France?
Good luck with your proposed move.
I don't have any personal experience but I knew a family where he worked for Airbus in Toulouse.
The parents never became proficient at french. The son who was born in England was proficient ++ in french.
The daughter who was born in France was bilingual in spoken English and french but her written work in both languages was poor.
They spoke English at home and the kids spoke french outside the home.
The daughter translated for her parents.
As adults, the children moved back to England but I don't know what qualifications they had - probably french.
If your daughter ultimately remains in France then the french education system would be ideal.
However, if she returns to the UK then UK-recognised qualifications would be better.
On another point, are you thinking of buying or renting in France?
Good luck with your proposed move.
We also did the english at home, french outside the home BUT -
OH spoke french at work.
I initially took a lot (100 hours) of one on one classes to improve my school girl french. This took about 1.5 yrs. Then I was lucky enough to get a job working in my area of expertise so I became very fluent. I noticed from the airbus lot, that those who took their (free) english classes regularly did much better than those who went when it fitted their busy social lives(
). Kids became bi-lingual and still are. All have excellent written french ( youngest dd attended a 'frenchies" group here to continue for a year or so). In France they all had 1 hour a week of private English tuition to keep their english at the same level as kids in the UK. This was a godsend when we eventually moved to the USA. Maths though ( eldest in particular) all their math vocab and knowledge of concepts was in french. We hadn't thought about that. Luckily, eldest is a clever girl and worked through it.
In the longer term, In Colomiers, there is the Lycee International (not IST!). The College and Lycee both have a British section within the french education system. Entrance is competitive on english level and will keep your daughter's english to native level.
The high school french bacc international that they get from there is highly valued both in France and in other countries. My daughter's friends went on to some of the best universities in the UK and EU (see what I did there
)The IST do the International Baccalaureat and A levels. Both are in English.
If you are thinking long term - please remember that once the UK leaves the EU, the situation regarding UK tuition fees may change for you ( depending on which visa status you have)
