My family and I will be moving to Coppet/Nyon area in July, 2013 and we have a few questions about moving to coppet, first off it's about schooling. My daughter, 14, will be entering grade 9 and is a fluent english speaker. She doesn't know any french, but I've heard there are extra french lessons to help advance in classes. Most of the international schools are too expensive, and we think that it's a great oppurtunity for her to learn french. How would going to school be, socially? Has anyone else done this, what are your thoughts? Are there any well known public schools, helpful with many english speakers, or cheaper international schools, around 5,000 CHF ? I found ENP - English National Programme, but its closer to france and they aren't really replying to most of my emails. Also my son will be entering 5th grade, and public french school is the done desicion for him, he's still young so he'll learn french quickly. It should be around coppet, nyon or not too far. Going to school by train could be an option, as long as if they miss the bus they dont have to sit in the freezing snow for an hour.
Second, I know that drinking out of the tap as water is common there, are there any health issues concerning the water supply? Also, what is life like there generally, like a typical day. I know that you can't make noise in an apartment after a certain hour, shops close after 7 p.m, any more info like that? How would it be like shopping for clothes, food, furniture, etc, (prices, quality,etc) What is the Chavannes de Bogis area like, transportation wise, safety, etc! Yes, I know I'm a worrier, I can't really help it
Thankyou for the help, It would mean a lot! Hope to see some feedback soon!
Best to post the school related questions in the Education forum. My short answer to those questions is that your children, especially the older one, will have a difficult time if they plan to attend university in the future. But, that is obviously leaving out all the details, which you'll find in many other threads on English Forum. Start by reading what is already here via searching for relevant threads like this: http://www.englishforum.ch/search2.php?q=schools+vaud . Then come back and post more specific questions.
My other suggestion is to buy a copy of Margaret Oertig's book Going Local, which describes the local school system in a lot of detail.
Oh, and the water in Rolle, while safe to drink, has a lot of calcium in it. We used a Brita type filter when we lived there and lots of anti-calc cleaners to remove the white deposits that result.
Rolle is a beautiful little town in a gorgeous part of the country - enjoy!
If living in Coppet and going for public schools, there will be no choice in the school as it is based on your residence, your child(ren) will go the Coppet schools or the one the commune of Coppet sends them to. Keep in mind, as the other poster said, if higher education is sought, entering the system at 14 and 5th grade (age 10-11) will not be easy. Search and read some other threads on this on the EF. In Vaud, streaming is done in 5th/6th grade, so even the younger child will not have it very easy and as for the 14 year old, it will really put them at a disadvantage unless very high achiever who picks up languages very fast. As noted in some other threads, it is not just the French they will have to be fluent in either, in VD the streaming done in 5th/6th is based on French, German, and Maths.
Thankyou, I just came on this website and I didn't know how to start a thread so I just went off another one and created it. It's changed now though ill be sure to check the website
Thankyou. My daughter is a straight A student in a Canadian school, 86% average on Herat report card, so is that enough to stand the French system? I dot understand what you meant by it will be a disadvantage if she would like to go to a university in the future, I thought going to public schools will make it easier and cheaper. We are planning on putting her in a public school, and if she can't do it we can move her to an English school, possibly CDL for IB diploma. Is this a good idea or is it a waste if time putting her in a public school? We think it's best if she goes to a French school to learn her French better, especially if she wants to work in the UN with the French being an advantage when applying. Is French easy to learn if surrounded by French people? She has French courses in school, 4 days of a 5 day week for 40 minutes but she hasn't learned much. She's been taking French for 4 years now, and she can keep a conversation continuing. She doesn't know if she can do it with her limited knowledge of French, she says " in a way she thinks she can and in a way she can't. It might just be to hard and awkward, not understanding what the teachers say while talking French very fast"
On the face of it, the academic side of things looks good, except:
Is a tad worrying. The level of French spoken in schools is, naturally, for native speakers. Therefore in order for your daughter to be successful there, she would have to operate at a similar or close to similar level.
My advice would be to enrol her in an international school that has a bilingual program, so she can take some of her subjects in French and some in English. This would enable her to improve her French and keep up to speed in all her academic subjects at the same time.
The schools you can look at within commuting distance of Coppet are: Champittet, CDL, Ecolint ( La Chat, Campus de Nations or LGB ), II Lamcy ( although this might be a French school, I am not sure ), IS Lausanne and the new Gems school in Etoy. Further afield there is Haut-Lac. If you are wanting boarding schools then there are Aiglon, Beau Soleil or Institut Le Rosey.
There are others, but these are the main ones in the French speaking part of Switzerland.
I think you really need to read up and do some homework on the swiss public schools before making this decision. I think you are missing a big part of the picture. I will explain, but please read some of the EF and other sources Basically even if she is a bright student, without perfect French and perfect German she does not stand a chance to get to and through the pre-university (gymnasium) stream at the public schools. What this means is that even if she is bright she will most likely be streamed with those going the vocational/apprenticeship route, and mandatory swiss schooling ends at 14 I believe in VD, so she indeed stands a chance of being aged out of of the system. Most likely they will hold her back a year maybe more, just to get the French to a decent level, and even then it will be all uphill. The swiss gymnasium stream is very competitive and only a small percent make it in, and stay there. It really makes sense to go the bilingual or international route at that age if she indeed wants to make it to university.
The Ecole Moser in Nyon has a very good bi-lingual programme. It is situated just opposite the train station at the La Combe Shopping Centre, so is ideally located for commuting from Coppet. It is a private Swiss school, and the fees are lower than most other schools.
This is an excellent option to research as the location is good, and the fees are considerably lower than the nearly CHF 25 - 30K you will pay for other international schools in the area (including CDL, which you mentioned).
You do not indicate what your (or your partner's, if applicable) job situation is or whether you will be in Switzerland for just 2-3 years or for many years/permanently. If you are here for only a short time and plan to return to Canada, I would not recommend that you place either one of your children in local school.
Have you considered asking your/your partner's employer for tuition help? If your plan is the traditional one in which your high schooler attends university in North America after she graduates at age 18, you will need to alter your current plan to send them to local schools in Switzerland.
No time to waste, either, as you will find that there are waiting lists for many of the schools that would meet your daughter's needs, and the selection process for the 2013-2014 school year has already commenced. Not trying to frighten you, just trying to be truthful with you.
Generally this is an option, but last I knew, with no or limited French, Ecole Moser will likely not accept. I know quite a few english only or dominant kids who were not accepted.
You are right about Moser. And they just started with their billingual programm.
unfortunaltely, I know it is expensive, but CDL (that is where my kids are) is the best opportunity for your grade 9.
She an do the bilingual program for 2 years and switch to IB. In 2 years, between french activities and french environment, she will have learned enough french in order to work in UN.
Sorry for my "bad english" ... I am french...and a bit tired today...!!!!
If I can help , do not hesitate to contact me.
My kids have been in CDL for 7 years now... and we are local so we pay the school fee.
Cheers.
ps: do not worry , You will love the area... great life and a lot of things to do
You have the International Cottage, they are taking over the Haut-Lac premises in Vevey next year. They have a very strong French program, the IB curriculum and are developing a Green school ID ( linked with the Bali Green school).
So you think that complete French program wouldn't work for our daughter? You're English is fine, Thankyou for commenting! What do you have to say about Chavannes de Bogis? Like the social area, safety, public schools? I heard there are extra helping classes for students that don't know French. I've also had friends of friends who say tht most public schools have a lot of foreigners because they can't afford private schools and tht there are many English speakers? How true is that?
Hi, well we weren't planning in sending her to high school completely in French. We wanted to send her for grade 9&10,, then CDL for IB in English. Or if it was too hard grade 10 in CDL. I heard that they don't fail students and if they do get a low mark they go to summer school, but they don't fail. How accurate is this? Thankyou.
Hi, well we are planning on staying for a long time. She wants to go to university here. And for the younger one, public school is currently a definite choice. He's still young and because we are planing to live her for about 5-8 years, maybe more, he will have learned French fluently and we find it a wonderful opportunity. Have you met anyone who has been in French schools then transferred because of difficulty? I ears the Swiss program is very helpful for non French speakers, extra classes in school to catch up and whatnot. I also heard they don't fail students? How accurate is this information? For my daughter, our plan is to do this: Send her to a public school for grade 9, complete French. If she finds it to be okay, catching up and learning French easy then she can stay. If it is difficult, we will move her to an international school. However, we were wondering if there were any English/bilingual schools (probably around 10,000 CHF, not much more. Our eldest son is going into CDL for his two IB years, and it's very expensive so we just thought that if we have a shot for the French programme, if she learned we'd be saving 4 years of tuition. Are there any cheaper bilingual schools? Around/near the area, probably mostly about 40 minutes drive away at most. The closer the better Hope to hear back soon, Thankyou.
The Swiss system is very different from the Canadian. Regular public schools only go to Grade 9. Grade 9 is a transition year, during which kids get streamed into either vocational training or attending high school, but...there are very rigorous requirements to enter high school, only a small number of Swiss kids manage it. For a foreign kid that does not know the language of instruction that well it is almost impossible, your daughter would likely not be streamed into high school, and it is unlikely she would pass the entrance exams.
That said, the vocational training is very good, and there are still options to study at universities after this, it is just a different way of getting there. One reason why we are moving from Canada is the vocational option for my son, who is 12, as he prefers hands on work to school, so the system is ideal for him. He wants to learn a trade.
Only 25% of students in Swiss schools sit the Swiss university entrance exams ("Maturité" in French - I am, of course, referring to the French speaking region of Switzerland). These exams comprise 11 obligatory subjects, which include two languages, in addition to French. It is extremely difficult, and only really gifted students, fluent French speakers, will succeed.
Chavannes de Bogis is a pleasant place, and even has a grocery shop (with limited postal services) in the village. There is a shopping centre where a variety of shops are located, including a largish supermarket run by Placette. I cannot imagine that the local Swiss shool would offer language tuition.
I think you daughter will find integration into the Swiss educational system very difficult if she does not master the French language. Private education is probably the best option for her, but of course it is expensive. A small, private school would probably give her the best environment in which to flourish. CDL would certainly be my last choice. Good luck!
So, they offer public school until 9th grade? I am so sorry, I'm terribly confused. We weren't exactly heading in the direction to permanent French school, just for grade 9. Any thoughts? Thankyou
Thank you, but we weren't planning on permanent French programme. Just for ninth grade, then after an English programme. Do you know any cheaper international or bilingual schools, around 10,000 CHF? Thank you so much for your help. Also, have you had previous experience? Thanks