aaron and jo

I need all you expats help on this one please!!Im desperate!!
Thought today we would set abouts finding a school in the vila nova de cacela area for our three girls for jan 08 when we move over, thought the best thing to do first was phone the embassy in london the help!!well there next to useless:curse: so thinking positive went the the net to only find horror stories of schools not accepting british kids not helping them settling and now I have extremely cold feet about moving over!
I have 3 girls Morgan aged 8, 9 in april emily aged 5,6 in march and myia 2 christmas day, We have managed to find a few schools in the area but they seem so basicwe dont want to put them in the international schools as the costs would shot through the roof for 3 girls!
does anyone live in the area? have kids in a certain school in the area?what is there findings or opionions of the schools?am i over reacting?PLEASE HELP!!!!

anna58

I know quite a few people who have put their children through Portuguese schools and have been fairly satisfied, or at least as pleased as you might be in UK where schools can be very poor. I taught in UK and a little bit here and I would say the discipline is better here. The children tend to really love their teachers, so accept that they rest quietly after lunch and other things which are not normal in UK. Children don't go to school until they're 6 so the middle one might start at the same time as eveyone else in Sept 2008, which would be easier for her. If you can get the younger one into a nursery then she would have Portuguese by the time she started. I'm not saying that the standards are better, I think as in UK individual schools vary. There are tests at the end of every year and if the children don't pass they stay down a year. The curriculum is set by central govenment as are the workbooks (which you have to buy at the start of every school year). Unless a child is really special needs they all learn to read and write which isn't the case in UK. Primary schools are better than secondary in both countries. There is an international school in Tavira, www.east-pt.com but as you say it would be very expensive. Hope this helps a bit.

sunshine sue

hi aaron and Jo,

Can't help with schools in your area as we are over border in Ayamonte but can tell you our experience.

we moved here march with 11 yr old son. He being very reluctant to come over but, he has happily settled into school being accepted as only 2nd British child in his class. He is already knowing more spanish than we do.We have found everyone to be very helpful here as I'm sure you will find in your area.

we did visit EAST in Tavira but decided at 7500e he needed to learn Spanish more than Portuguese. There were children there from Cabanas, Villa real and Tavira.

Children are very adaptable and I shouldn't worry to much about them settling in particulary with their young ages. It is more difficult the older they are.

Many parents have said to us that eventually you end up taking child along as your interpretor as they are so good. You must remember though to encourage their reading and writing in English or they will lose the ability to do this as they learn their new language.

aaron and jo

thank you so much!after my mad panic yesterday!!I have managed to find a tutor to teach us for a few hours a week before the big move in jan, and strangly a lady in my daughters class told me she is from portugal and she is willing to teach them the basics also before the move!then we plan to get a private home tutor for all of us over in portugal
hopefully this will help the girls out with school and us