Moving to The Tarn, schooling
Feb 23rd 2007, 8:11 pm
#1
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Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 3
Moving to The Tarn, schooling
We are moving to the Tarn, Gaillac/Albi area in about 8 weeks. We have 4 children aged 8, 6, 2 and 1 and would like any advice on enrolling in schools. We really want to integrate into a local school, and our 6 year old is slightly delayed in his learning as he has been very ill due to kidney failure. Thankfully 2 years ago he had a kidney transplant. In England he has a statement of educational needs and will need support in France. We are not at all worried about how his needs will be met medically but his continuing education does concern us.
Has anyone in a similar position managed a successful move/school integration? What would be the best way of going about it? My husband is going out there in 2 weeks and we are thinking the best way forward would be to see the mayor initially who will be able to point us in the right direction.
Any advice would be gratefully received.
Tracey:
Has anyone in a similar position managed a successful move/school integration? What would be the best way of going about it? My husband is going out there in 2 weeks and we are thinking the best way forward would be to see the mayor initially who will be able to point us in the right direction.
Any advice would be gratefully received.
Tracey:
Feb 27th 2007, 11:40 am
#2
Just Joined
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 9
Re: Moving to The Tarn, schooling
We are moving to the Tarn, Gaillac/Albi area in about 8 weeks. We have 4 children aged 8, 6, 2 and 1 and would like any advice on enrolling in schools. We really want to integrate into a local school, and our 6 year old is slightly delayed in his learning as he has been very ill due to kidney failure. Thankfully 2 years ago he had a kidney transplant. In England he has a statement of educational needs and will need support in France. We are not at all worried about how his needs will be met medically but his continuing education does concern us.
Has anyone in a similar position managed a successful move/school integration? What would be the best way of going about it? My husband is going out there in 2 weeks and we are thinking the best way forward would be to see the mayor initially who will be able to point us in the right direction.
Any advice would be gratefully received.
Tracey:
Has anyone in a similar position managed a successful move/school integration? What would be the best way of going about it? My husband is going out there in 2 weeks and we are thinking the best way forward would be to see the mayor initially who will be able to point us in the right direction.
Any advice would be gratefully received.
Tracey:
Mar 6th 2007, 3:10 am
#3
Just Joined
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: Canet de Salars about 25km South of Rodez
Posts: 13
Re: Moving to The Tarn, schooling
Hello Tracey,
I moved to the Averyron about a year ago from the Midlands. My wife and I had always wanted to retire to France for all the reasons that other contributors to this site will tell you. We were planning it well in advance of my retirement from one of the public services but about a year into this planning my son (29) lost his job with Rover and although still in employment had to travel 100 miles a day to and from work. Our other doubts about moving was that we were worried we would miss our grandchildren too much. Anyway, one evening while discussing what we were going to do, my wife said that it was a pity we couldn't all live in France together. I said that the only way we could do that was if we bought a business. She promptly phoned our son and asked him if he was interested. It took him all of one intake of breath to say yes. So after lots of discussion with our son and daughter in law we decided to look for a business. Both my son and I had worked in the catering industry and between us are well qualified to run our own hotel. We spent quite a while looking for the right place and eventually in August 2005 found a small, and reasonably successful, bar/restaurant/hotel in the Aveyron in a small village about 25 km south of Rodez. ( We're about 18 miles north of the Tarn Valley)
So that's how we got where we are.
To get here wasn't easy and I'm not sure I would want to go through the process again, but now we are here we have not the slightest inclination to return to the UK. I have three grandchildren (10, 5, 15 months) My 5 year old speaks French like a native Aveyronaise and will be moving up from the école maternal to primary school this year. (incidentally here's a good web site about schooling in France (http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-education/)). Our 10 year old has found the work harder as she has had not only to learn French but also do her normal school work but both are very, very happy here. They play in the village with their friends and the out of school activities are fantastic. They have been skiing, learnt water sports (wind surfing, swimming, jet skiing, canoeing), horse riding and even spent a week at a circus learning about circus life. All organised by the schools or the parents association. My Son and daughter in law have made their own French friends and are beginning to really integrate into the French way of life. My wife and I have made our own friends both English and French. The work we do is very hard and the hours are long but the people in our village are wonderful. They have a simple honesty and respect for property and each other that puts to shame community life in the UK. Our Mayor and his family could not have been more helpful to us. I breath fresh air, eat fresh wholesome food, and as the French say live “dans la paix”
Running any business in France is hard ( tax is a killer) and if there is one piece of advice I can give you it’s this. I thought I could speak a bit of French before I got here…… well I was wrong! To come on holiday here and chatter away will not get you by when you live here. A simple visit to the doctor’s or the vet or the shops can be extremely stressful unless you have more that basic French. Lots of the French people speak some English however they won’t speak it unless it becomes really necessary ( and why should they after all it’s up to us to fit into their life not the reverse). So, learn to speak French before you come. By the way if you’re coming to the Aveyron even learning French in England won’t entirely prepare you for what they speak here. It’s very old French and pronunciation is quite different.
If you’re prepared to jump through the hoops and over the hurdles I’m sure you will be content, we are and it was all worth it. Good luck to you and if you do get to the Aveyron please come and see us.
Richard & Kathy White
Auberge Des Arcades
Canet de Salars
I moved to the Averyron about a year ago from the Midlands. My wife and I had always wanted to retire to France for all the reasons that other contributors to this site will tell you. We were planning it well in advance of my retirement from one of the public services but about a year into this planning my son (29) lost his job with Rover and although still in employment had to travel 100 miles a day to and from work. Our other doubts about moving was that we were worried we would miss our grandchildren too much. Anyway, one evening while discussing what we were going to do, my wife said that it was a pity we couldn't all live in France together. I said that the only way we could do that was if we bought a business. She promptly phoned our son and asked him if he was interested. It took him all of one intake of breath to say yes. So after lots of discussion with our son and daughter in law we decided to look for a business. Both my son and I had worked in the catering industry and between us are well qualified to run our own hotel. We spent quite a while looking for the right place and eventually in August 2005 found a small, and reasonably successful, bar/restaurant/hotel in the Aveyron in a small village about 25 km south of Rodez. ( We're about 18 miles north of the Tarn Valley)
So that's how we got where we are.
To get here wasn't easy and I'm not sure I would want to go through the process again, but now we are here we have not the slightest inclination to return to the UK. I have three grandchildren (10, 5, 15 months) My 5 year old speaks French like a native Aveyronaise and will be moving up from the école maternal to primary school this year. (incidentally here's a good web site about schooling in France (http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-education/)). Our 10 year old has found the work harder as she has had not only to learn French but also do her normal school work but both are very, very happy here. They play in the village with their friends and the out of school activities are fantastic. They have been skiing, learnt water sports (wind surfing, swimming, jet skiing, canoeing), horse riding and even spent a week at a circus learning about circus life. All organised by the schools or the parents association. My Son and daughter in law have made their own French friends and are beginning to really integrate into the French way of life. My wife and I have made our own friends both English and French. The work we do is very hard and the hours are long but the people in our village are wonderful. They have a simple honesty and respect for property and each other that puts to shame community life in the UK. Our Mayor and his family could not have been more helpful to us. I breath fresh air, eat fresh wholesome food, and as the French say live “dans la paix”
Running any business in France is hard ( tax is a killer) and if there is one piece of advice I can give you it’s this. I thought I could speak a bit of French before I got here…… well I was wrong! To come on holiday here and chatter away will not get you by when you live here. A simple visit to the doctor’s or the vet or the shops can be extremely stressful unless you have more that basic French. Lots of the French people speak some English however they won’t speak it unless it becomes really necessary ( and why should they after all it’s up to us to fit into their life not the reverse). So, learn to speak French before you come. By the way if you’re coming to the Aveyron even learning French in England won’t entirely prepare you for what they speak here. It’s very old French and pronunciation is quite different.
If you’re prepared to jump through the hoops and over the hurdles I’m sure you will be content, we are and it was all worth it. Good luck to you and if you do get to the Aveyron please come and see us.
Richard & Kathy White
Auberge Des Arcades
Canet de Salars
