if anyone knows about any nursery in which they speak English with kids? I am looking for English speaking nursery for my kid.
kindly share as many as you know.
thanks in advance.
Dear,
Hello and welcome to Neuchâtel. Not sure where you are in the area, but those 2 work on bilingual basis French/English. If your mothertongue is not English, personally (as a teacher) I'd be careful not to introduce another foreign language, but stick to your own and French initially (I know many will disagree with me)- especially if you intend to be here long term. If short term and possible going on to English speaking country, then it is a different matter. Bonne chance.
Perhaps join The Neuchâtel International Club on Facebook to meet other mums in the area and ask there for their choice/opinions.
Dear Odile, thanks for quick response.
Our language is English that's why we intend to send our kid to a nursery with English language.
Your point is very valid, we are planning to stay in Swiss for long term, but problem is still there, swiss is tri-lingual (may be more, i guess), even learning French alone may not help as good as in case of one single language country. right?
I am supposed to live in Neuchatel University area. Any suggestion for nursery? though the community you proposed doesn't seem to be active, i will try it.
Dear,
I am looking for English speaking nursery for my kid in Neuchatel.
kindly share as many as you know. I am coming to live in Neuchatel University area.
thanks in advance.
[admin: sorry, i posted it earlier to a wrong forum]
I doubt you will find an english only nursury in Neuchatel. Around here, GVA, there is a lot of english spoken and a lot of expats, yet I do not know of any 100% english daycare. What you might find is bilingual but is still may be something like 65% french/35% english at most. If looking for school or pre-school (3 years), or Montesorri that is something different, but assuming you are looking solely for childcare (creche).
The main points are that childcare spots are often rare and difficult to find, i.e. long wait lists, and further there is the relatively high costs. As such, most of the growing number of spots are state run, i.e. city/commune, etc.. and subsidised. As such, they will be french only. I believe you will find some english at the more progressive private ones, but the quality of the childcare and the language abilities should be looked into before you commit.
Depending on your budget and number of hours per week, you may want to consider a nanny if you really want english daycare.
Lots and lots of English speaking expats in Neuch Runnigdeer- with many small and a few very large firms with large expat contingent (Phillip Morris, Celgene, Johnson and Johnson, etc)
But the only English speaking school (St George) only lasted a few years due to lack of pupils.
thanks for reply.
consider a nanny? what does it mean?
I am looking childcare for 18 months son.
if i couldnt find any 100% english nursery, then bilingual is good to go with. especially 60% french and 40% english as you mentioned. can you name that nurseries please?
Crèche Kid's Care
2000 Neuchâtel
International School of Neuchâtel Montessori method
2000 Neuchâtel
This is the Montessori in Serrieres which is bilingual but I believe there is one class with more English and another with more French so you may be able to place your son in the English class.
It's a nursery school rather than a crèche which will probably be better for your son but I believe they have to be 2 before they can start there.
http://www.montessori-neuchatel.ch
I believe that they also speak English as well as French at the Philip Morris crèche in Areuse/Boudry but I'm not 100% sure in that.
hello BelgianMum & odile!
you both are just awesome! both are great nurseries indeed. but both are 30min by bus on one way from my location. that is the only thing negative about them.
i was looking something near to my university, from where i can drop & pick my son easily, on foot preferably. I dont know how easy accessible journey is by bus in neuchatel, but i am bit scary to think about far locations of nurseries. let me keep looking, may be i find anything similar near my neuchatel university.
thanks again for your time.
This one is more in the centre:
The Swiss Montessori Centre's main goal is to promote the educational Montessori Method at regional, national and international level.
Contact
Beaux Arts 11, CH-2000 Neuchâtel
SWITZERLAND
Telephone: +41 (0)32 544 4886
Telephone: +41 (0)32 730 38 53
[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Unfortunately that one only starts from age 3.
OP do you actually have your accommodation yet? Not all the accommodation via the university is actually right next yo the university, it's highly possible that you may be located somewhere further out of Neuchatel.
Will you be coming here alone with your son? If so I presume you will be looking for full time child care. If you won't be alone then could your wife/husband not take your son to nursery and collect him?
dear
thanks for your help. i will come with my husband, who is a professional man, an engineer, he is going to leave his good job for me. he will stay in neuchatel for 4-6 months until i get settled well with study and nursery stuff.
I will be coming to neuchatel in mid-september. I am still looking for an apartment, i have contacted few flat owners, they asked me to visit in person, but that is not possible until i reach there. it is really difficult time for me.
Odile: thanks for sharing Swiss Montessori Centre, it is really near to the university, i just checked they have mentioned 3+ age for kids. i have sent them email, lets see of their reply.
Well, for swiss montessori centre, fees is 600CHF for 4 hours/day only. I am looking towards full day. Which will cost me very high. Also, International School of Neuchâtel Montessori & Montessori neuchatel is charging 1200CHF.
Do you think above nurseries offer subsidized rates by canton government?
thanks for your help.
Hello,
I work in an English speaking nursery in Neuchatel, La Maison des Enfants. We take children from around 20 months and older. We are full for the moment, but it wouldn't hurt to contact us to be on a waiting list, sometimes we will have a place available. We are a bilingual Montessori school.
Dear could you please tell if this nursery comes under canton subsidized nurseries? (As i will be on government job, so part of nursery fees will be paid by canton).
Thank you.
Here is a list of all the nurseries in Neuchatel. The ones shaded in grey are the none subsidized ones.
It is possible that some of the others are also subsidized by the individual communes depending on your income.
http://www.ne.ch/autorites/DEF/SPAJ/...es_creches.pdf
And these are the private ones which receive no subsidies at all
http://www.ne.ch/autorites/DEF/SPAJ/...ie_atelier.pdf
It seems the Montessori falls under the second category.
This site is helpful when looking for care for preschool children.
Are you sure about that?! First time I hear a canton subsidizes directly for daycare...
A full time place in a private daycare costs around 2000.-/month. And the daycares listed above are private...
Subsidized ones will speak French, and normally have a waiting list to get in...
Where I live in Neuchâtel Canton but up in the mountains, childcare is heavily subsidised in many ways, once by Employer's fund and also by Commune and the Canton. Parents only pay about 1/3 of cost, so about 35CHF per day. This is for any crêche or maman de jour and not means tested.
In Neuchâtel it is:
36.4% parents
38% Commune
11.7 Canton
13.9 employers
In Neuchâtel you pay according to the parent/s total salary- but subsidies are only for the approved list of nurseries, as posted by BM above. They have plans to greatly increase the number of places available from 3900 to 4400 next year- and up to 5080 in 2018, and to 5400 in 2020.
I'm not 100% certains but I think she's referring to the communale day cares of which there are 5 in Neuchatel and all French speaking.
I think you get subsidies from the canton in thoses crèches if you work for them but I'm not sure that doing a PhD at the university would qualify as 'working for the canton'.
The English speaking facilities all figured on the private daycare lists that I posted above.
Well, I'm employed by UNINE this semester, and they certainly don't subsidise me!