Pau and its surroundings: villages/schools?
Aug 29th 2013, 9:55 pm
#1
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Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 3
Pau and its surroundings: villages/schools?
Hello,
We're planning on moving from just outside of Aix en Provence to the Pau area next summer. I'm British and my husband's French, our daughters (4&6) are bilingual and we're starting to look at schools, places to live etc.
I have already found the APP group which is great, but could anyone out there recommend a nice village/area + good local "maternelle" and "primaire"?
Any suggestions would be greatly suggested as we're heading over that way in a couple of weeks to check out Pau and its surroundings!
Ideally we don't really want to be more than 30/45 mins from Pau airport and not too far from Pau either.
Merci d'avance
Nancy
We're planning on moving from just outside of Aix en Provence to the Pau area next summer. I'm British and my husband's French, our daughters (4&6) are bilingual and we're starting to look at schools, places to live etc.
I have already found the APP group which is great, but could anyone out there recommend a nice village/area + good local "maternelle" and "primaire"?
Any suggestions would be greatly suggested as we're heading over that way in a couple of weeks to check out Pau and its surroundings!
Ideally we don't really want to be more than 30/45 mins from Pau airport and not too far from Pau either.
Merci d'avance
Nancy
Aug 30th 2013, 10:28 am
#2
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 18
Re: Pau and its surroundings: villages/schools?
I grew up in Pau and absolutely loved it. Still do - it's a great place for kids to grow up in - small enough that it feels safe but still has so much to offer from skiing in the winter to beach in the summer. I can't really comment on the best places for school etc... but can tell you I went to Bouillerce school ( which is a maternelle + primary) and loved it there. Not sure how much it has changed but its got the pau university nearby as well as the gendarmerie and so has plenty of bus links.
Good luck on the move and make sure to take a stroll on the boulevard des pyrenees and have a coffee there... on a sunny day especially! And head over to Artigarrede ( patisserie) who makes the very famous gateau Russe. It is heaven. truly.
We are in Tlse but try and get over to Pau when we can even just for a day trip!!
Good luck on the move and make sure to take a stroll on the boulevard des pyrenees and have a coffee there... on a sunny day especially! And head over to Artigarrede ( patisserie) who makes the very famous gateau Russe. It is heaven. truly.
We are in Tlse but try and get over to Pau when we can even just for a day trip!!
Aug 30th 2013, 12:00 pm
#3
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Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Hérault (34)
Posts: 8,895
Re: Pau and its surroundings: villages/schools?
Hello,
We're planning on moving from just outside of Aix en Provence to the Pau area next summer. I'm British and my husband's French, our daughters (4&6) are bilingual and we're starting to look at schools, places to live etc.
I have already found the APP group which is great, but could anyone out there recommend a nice village/area + good local "maternelle" and "primaire"?
Any suggestions would be greatly suggested as we're heading over that way in a couple of weeks to check out Pau and its surroundings!
Ideally we don't really want to be more than 30/45 mins from Pau airport and not too far from Pau either.
Merci d'avance
Nancy
We're planning on moving from just outside of Aix en Provence to the Pau area next summer. I'm British and my husband's French, our daughters (4&6) are bilingual and we're starting to look at schools, places to live etc.
I have already found the APP group which is great, but could anyone out there recommend a nice village/area + good local "maternelle" and "primaire"?
Any suggestions would be greatly suggested as we're heading over that way in a couple of weeks to check out Pau and its surroundings!
Ideally we don't really want to be more than 30/45 mins from Pau airport and not too far from Pau either.
Merci d'avance
Nancy
Unless you want to go private, your children would be going to the Maternelle/Primaire of your Commune and if the Commune is large (e.g. Pau), the Mairie will allocate the schools depending on your address (You enrol your children at the Mairie, then meet the Directeur of the school). In all the time I've lived in France, I've never heard of a "bad" Maternelle/Primaire - it's when children reach Collège age that you look for a "good" one!
So when you come over, look for somewhere which corresponds to your preferences, and be confident that your young children will be in good hands, wherever!
Aug 30th 2013, 12:30 pm
#4
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 3
Re: Pau and its surroundings: villages/schools?
I grew up in Pau and absolutely loved it. Still do - it's a great place for kids to grow up in - small enough that it feels safe but still has so much to offer from skiing in the winter to beach in the summer. I can't really comment on the best places for school etc... but can tell you I went to Bouillerce school ( which is a maternelle + primary) and loved it there. Not sure how much it has changed but its got the pau university nearby as well as the gendarmerie and so has plenty of bus links.
Good luck on the move and make sure to take a stroll on the boulevard des pyrenees and have a coffee there... on a sunny day especially! And head over to Artigarrede ( patisserie) who makes the very famous gateau Russe. It is heaven. truly.
We are in Tlse but try and get over to Pau when we can even just for a day trip!!
Good luck on the move and make sure to take a stroll on the boulevard des pyrenees and have a coffee there... on a sunny day especially! And head over to Artigarrede ( patisserie) who makes the very famous gateau Russe. It is heaven. truly.
We are in Tlse but try and get over to Pau when we can even just for a day trip!!
Aug 30th 2013, 12:31 pm
#5
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 3
Re: Pau and its surroundings: villages/schools?
Hi, and welcome to the Forum!
Unless you want to go private, your children would be going to the Maternelle/Primaire of your Commune and if the Commune is large (e.g. Pau), the Mairie will allocate the schools depending on your address (You enrol your children at the Mairie, then meet the Directeur of the school). In all the time I've lived in France, I've never heard of a "bad" Maternelle/Primaire - it's when children reach Collège age that you look for a "good" one!
So when you come over, look for somewhere which corresponds to your preferences, and be confident that your young children will be in good hands, wherever!
Unless you want to go private, your children would be going to the Maternelle/Primaire of your Commune and if the Commune is large (e.g. Pau), the Mairie will allocate the schools depending on your address (You enrol your children at the Mairie, then meet the Directeur of the school). In all the time I've lived in France, I've never heard of a "bad" Maternelle/Primaire - it's when children reach Collège age that you look for a "good" one!
So when you come over, look for somewhere which corresponds to your preferences, and be confident that your young children will be in good hands, wherever!
