French parents? please help! Post Reply

[mmb]

Hi fellow French parents,
My children are educated in an English school and I am starting to teach them French via the CNED "Formule Royaume Uni". I am a bit confused about the programme, the time I need to spend per week, whether to teach not only French but also Maths in French and History and Geography in French....
If anyone has experience of the Formule, I would be very grateful if you could share it.
Thanks

[greybird]

Salut!
I'm not sure if my reply got posted first time as my WiFi went haywire!
I'm an English mum married to a French man. Two of my children have been through the CNED system (one still is). I would say that maths is a must. Please feel free to inbox me if you want a chat x

[supergirl]

Hello

How much time per week does it requires?

Many thanks, supergirl

[greybird]

To be fair, we decided to have them taught within a group rather than tackle it ourselves. Doing it it his way involved one and a half hours twice a week up to and including CE2, then two hours twice a week for CM1 and 2. We felt they would benefit more from being with other children whilst learning.
Let me know if you want info on the lady who organises these teaching groups x

[supergirl]

Please can you post or PM the info? Do you start in CP then?

Tganks

[monaco]

I have mentioned it before : try to attend the French Between the Commons lessons. They are held in Honeywell and Belleville once or twice a week depending on the level (once a week for grande section, twice a week for CP etc..).

From CE1 onwards, they follow the CNED schedule.

info@frenchbetweenthecommons.com

ps : I am not the organiser, just one of the parents who send her children there.

[MamanMummy]

My girls are in an English school and I do CNED at home with them (I buy the material only and we send test for review to a teacher). I only started with CP and I only do French and Maths because for me these are the two key subjects. It takes us about two hours a week (each) so quite a big commitment - not even mentionning the patience it requires. The joy of it is that by CP English school has already taught them phonics so they pretty much apply it to French so reading is a breeze - not spelling though!. We've also found the maths quite easy up to now.

[mmb]

Thanks for your replies so far...
I find the material a bit confusing as it is the same as for children who are completely home schooled, although I expected a programme specific for children educated in English schools (more condensed lessons...). I understand we are supposed to work on the same material but "a la carte"... We started on Saturday and did 2 "days" of lessons in about 2 hours, but in am not sure it is workable on the long term... I have planned to do 2 sessions, one on Tuesday after school and one on Saturday, probably 1.5 to 2 hours each. And we do CE1.
Greybird and mamanmummy, how often do you send "evaluations"?
Do you also send "evaluations" in Maths and "Espace et Temps"?
Have you managed to do the programme of a whole school year in actually a year, i.e. do your children have the level they would have in a French school at their age?
Monaco, I agree, French between the commons is probably the best way to do it and I already considered it last year but it was not possible for my son to be on time at Belleville to attend the lesson.
Greybird can you please give me the details of this lady who organise the teaching groups?
Thanks for your help!

[supergirl]

@mmb: what is your ultimate goal for doing that? Ie. do you intend to have your children able to move into a french school eventually or is it solely to teach them french as well?
The reason i am asking is because then if your goal is the latter then you ease yourselves in and not necessarily push yourselves to do a year in an sctual year, but enjoy the topics snd the learning at a reasonnable pace (i found 3-4hrs a week a lot personnally).
I absolutely have no idea but this is what i understood some french mums are doing. The ones that intend to keep their kids in tge english system, do the CNED but in a relax way and just french and math.

Or have i understood incorrectly?

[greybird]

Hi mmb,
Sorry, I don't think I've been very clear. The teaching group I mentioned is French Between The Commons, as mentioned by Monaco. Trial and error suggested to us that this was the better way to go as our plan was for our two girls to go to South Ken at the end of juniors, so more structure was needed. This only worked for the elder of the two: be aware, if this is your goal, they have changed their admission policy and you will find it virtually impossible to get in if your children aren't already in the French system. You can't even apply for 6eme these days except for at their sister school in Kentish Town.
Contact Tina Rabin at tinarabin@btinternet.com. You never know, she may have classes elsewhere that suit your timings. We also used to have Tina at our house to help our son (he has only ever been in the French system) through his Lycée coursework one-on-one.....maybe she'd be happy to do a top up lesson here and there if you stay with the home-CNED-ing???
Also, for the evaluations, they need to go in regularly and, so far in my experience, they get really 'funny' if you send more than one at a time. I have only ever sent them by post, never been down the online route. Plus everything must be received a mid-June deadline....which I find at pain, but then I'm not very organised!
Hope I was more helpful this time x

[mmb]

Hi Supergirl
My aim is really for my children to have the same level as the one they would have in a French school, as we may move back to France at some point; but mainly, if we stay in London, we want to keep the option to send them to the French Lycee in secondary school.
I also think that 3-4 hours a week is a lot and I don't know if I will manage on the long term but I hope this will be temporary until they get a place in the bilingual section at Wix...
so yes we really need to do a school year in an actual year...

[mmb]

Hi Greybird
We were probably typing at the same time yesterday as I didn't see your post before I submitted mine.
Thanks for the clarification.
I do aim to have my children in the French system (or ideally in the bilingual stream at Wix) before the end of primary school, so that they are "guaranteed" a place in 6e at South Ken (however criteria may still change by then we never know...).
I guess I will try to teach CNED myself and see..., and be in touch with French between the commons if we struggle.
Thanks

[northside_mum]

Hi everyone,
I have been trying to contact Tina using the email address in this post and the mobile number I found on the internet but I have not had a response for the past couple of months. Would any of you know if she is still running her classes? She did respond to my initial enquiry back in December but has not responded to my request for further information (timetable, costs, registration process etc) since then. I am interested in Moyenne Section classes at the Belleville Meteor site and am trying to work out if it will be feasible for my daughter to attend (she will be coming from Eaton House the Manor where classes finish at 3.30pm).

I would be grateful if someone could give me alternative contact details and/or further information about this specific class.

Thanks very much!

[monaco]

Yes, Tina is sometimes difficult to get hold off. I dont have another email but my recommendation would be to go to Belleville at the time of the classes Mondays and Wednesdays between 15:30 and 15:45.

This is when children have a break after English school and before starting the lessons and Tina is generally here. She is the tall lady with dark short hair and often a cap on her head.

Hope it helps