Hi

You have two options here...

Private school, which is at a cost, typically around CHF 19'000 per year for each child (you can pay alot more, but not much less)..and there are a few in the area. (the two big ones are the International school in Founex, and one in Versiox  called "something ...Leman", both are ok, but not UK boarding school standard, and there are others dotted around the area...) there are English streams (where French is also taught) and French streams where English is also used... but most lessons are in the stream base language.

For the older boys, depending on how long you plan to live here, this is probably your only option.

.......Or local school, when you register in your Swiss Commune, they are obliged to give your kids a place, but not guarantee its the same school for all three, since there is such an age gap. These are French speaking schools, and your kids will have a steep learning curve. It free of course, but you will have to put up with the strange Swiss system of not working on Weds afternoons etc (or in some cases at all on Wed)... sport and extra curricular activites you have to do yourself with them..eg tennis, swimming, skiing, footie, rugby etc.

These local schools wont answer you, the local authority where you end up living will be able to help, but since you dont know yet where that will be I can understand the frustration, and also their lack of response.

Scholaships are either non existent for private schools or few and far between. So I would probably discount the chance of this if I were you.

A bit of an "Oh my God" I expect..... but the local standard of education here is pretty good, and there are lots of benefits compared to the UK schooling state systems...

If you want to have your 3 boys at the same school, the only option will probably be a private school. The International School (Ecolint) might be a solution for you as they're a bit closer to the UK system - if you've been looking around on the internet I guess you've found them (if not: www.ecolint.ch). Then it depends on how much money you want to spend - tuition fees there vary from 23000 to almost 30000 CHF per year...

Most families in Switzerland put their kids in public school and it has good standards (you will hear lots of pros and cons on here but really, it's totally fine, it's just that it works differently from what you know). The Swiss (and also French) public schools are for free, so we don't have a scholarship system like you have in the UK. If you're thinking of staying in the region for several years, the public school might be an option at least for your younger ones - they're still young and will learn french in no time. In my view, the advantage of Swiss schools vs. British schools is that the pupils don't have to narrow down to just a few choices (like for A-levels), but they keep studying all the basic subjects until the end of high school (basically they come out of high school and can study anything they want at university). So if you're thinking of staying longer than just a couple of years this might also influence your choice.

If you choose a public school then your boys will just go to the closest one to your home - that's how it works here.

Some links that might be interesting for you:

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/country_information/country_profile/Education.html?cid=4176606

http://www.about.ch/education/index.html

http://educationscene.educa.ch/en/swiss-education-system-1

thank you both for your speedy replies.

I really worry more about my older boy and causing him to much upset.

The 2 smaller boys will manage in public school.

How about the french private system... is this worth considering?

We are looking at the Divonne area for a place to rent. 

Is it better to be at international school for them to make friends quickly or public?

I will look at the links you have suggested.

thank

Clare

In addition to the Geneva international School and College du Leman, you can also try Geneva English School and the British School in Geneva. Their websites are below. Good luck.

http://www.geneva-english-school.ch/about.php

http://britishschoolgeneva.ch/

Hi Clare

My children were in the public school in switzerland (We have now moved to france and they are in local schools here) If you send your children to the local school then all their friends are going to be in your village or very close. If they are at international school the children come from a very wide area so they may not have any friends they make there close by. I found the Swiss local school very good and the same with the french. My 6 year old is fluent in french and now corrects me

thanks both for your replies.

I am thinking for my oldest International school and the others public.

how do you find out about local public schools though?

Do you just get put into the nearest one to where you live?  who tells you where your children should go?

when u find a place. yyou register (in switzerland this is..no idea abt Fr) and each member of xyour family gets a permit, all kids over 4 have to go to school..and you'll be asked what you want. "internat or public?"

then you will be allocated spaces.

that bit is simple.... the choice is understanding if its a good school or not. (most are)

the internats, you have to do yourself, then you will be asked to provide proof (ie a doc from teh Int school) that shows youre educating yur kids properly, There is no bunking off school here, you as parents get warnings and fines for absences...and there is little or no flexibilty. Holidays only in holiday time etc...

sorry crap spelling...

cant type

hi charlie

thanks for that info.

we are thinking that if we cant organise the start date to work with our arrival date, then we might have a week or so without them attending school!!  or we might still be deciding on schools when we arrive.

this really worries me but practical reasons mean that we may have no choice. due to wait lists etc.

its right to be worried... but 100's of families do this each year... relax and it will work itself out... you cant force it here... just go with the flow

this might help

http://www.knowitall.ch/

i have the book of this and have tried to absorb every word! we cant wait to get to geneva lots of great activities for the boys to try out.

Hi all.

I´m in the same education boat, so to speak: relocating (from Chile), three children, looking, learning... And I too am undecided about the education of my childen. According to my wife´s colleagues, the French public school system is better than the Swiss system. I have no idea.

Any comments? suggestions?

Hi,

You can try this school named  (JEANNE D ARC ) in gex in france it is semi private and the fees is also reasonable,and close to divonne area where you are planning to live.It has school bus service ,cantine etc .The school staaf is very friendly and helpful good luck.

> It's a state school with a french curriculum and an English section that follows the Britsh curriculum and is very good ( costs about 2000 euros per year).

I think this is your best bet. I doubt your 15 yr old would cope with a pure French state school (even the younger ones may have trouble).

Think carefully before you decide where to live. The Ain academie is generally considered pretty good with good results at Bac.

hello again

thanks to all of your replies.  I am in contact with the lycee in ferney voltaire now as well as some international schools.

will come back and let you all know how we get on.

perhaps we will stay in bucks ... but most likely we will relocate.

thanks

@Kenneth I am not sure how old your children your are so don't know if this will be relevant but I now have had experience of both the swiss and french school systems. My son started the local swiss school at age 4. The school was very good but i did have an issue with their allowing the children to develop their independance. This meant at age 4 my son at the end of the school day was let out of the classroom and had to come and meet me in the playground. All well and good apart from he was able to exit the school by 2 different doors one at the back of the school and one at the front. I had always told my son that i would be at the door at the front of the school. One day my son obviously had been distracted and exicted via the other door (It also happened to be the day my inlaws picked him up!) I had a frantic call from my in laws to say they couldn't find him and had been to the classroom  and everywhere in the school but couldn't find him. I went to leave to go down to the school to find a sobbing 4 year old on my doorstep. He had run all the way home. I spoke to the school about this and suggested they lock one of the doors so all pupils have to leave by the same door and got told this is all part of growing up! When I asked if the consequences of this "growing up" were being hit by a car or taken by someone would that bother them  I got blank faces!!

Anyway one "bad thing" that happened apart from that I was happy with the swiss schooling. We have now moved to France and found that my 6 year old was behind in reading and writing as they don't start as early in switzerland but he has caught up. My 3 year old (They start a year younger in france) enjoys his school and also the teacher doesn't let them leave without you coming to the classroom and getting them. always a good point in my book

I am very happy with the french level and would probably have stayed happy with the swiss. If your children are older this won't be of any relevance sorry

Just get here and see how you feel about the place.. My daughter is in the Swiss public school and loves it!  We did the French the private, and they didn't work for her she now has more friends more intergrated and i have no outlay!! School is just a means to an end you are their world and your values are what is more important...