kearon

Hello
Myself, partner and 3 young children are seriously considering moving to Spain. We have costa Blanca in mind. I need advice on all aspects of the move, from where to start. We will be renting, also id like english speaking schools also, as it would be easier for my 4year old daughter. Any help or advise would be appreciated x

amideislas

There's plenty of info here on all the logistics.

But on the subject of schools, at 4yrs old, you still have a choice. If your child were 12, it would be a bit more difficult, but a 4yr old picks up language like a sponge, often fluent within a year, and nobody will tell you it's a bad thing to be multilingual.

But here's the rub: an English school will cost you up to about €12k per year. Spanish school, zilch.

Spanish language is nearly equal to English in this world. Fluency in it will broaden your child's horizons for life, and will cost you far less than maintaining mono-lingual.

snikpoh

Have you looked into how much International schools charge?

Perhaps best to look at where these are on the Costa Blanca and then start looking for somewhere to live.

Personally, at that age I would definitely ONLY consider a state school.

kearon

We will only take the leap if we choose a state school as private is far to expensive. I am just worried that she will not be able to communicate with anyone and become lonely. She can be shy at times. Do they start school at 4 like in the UK or 6 ?

cricketman

Children start school at 3 in Spain (in fact some are still 2 when they start).

Although schooling is not obligatory until the child is 5/6

If you are planning for your child to be brought up in Spain in my opinion their education should be in Spanish, especially if you do not speak Spanish at home.

rspltd

I think there a far more important questions that you need to be asking or researching. For example how are you going to live as a family of five? Don't forget that most of the benefits that may be paid in England aren't paid in Spain. What skills do you or your partner (and that could be another problem because the rules are different in Spain between married and cohabiting people) have that would enable you to find work. Have you any Spanish at all? Have you thought about health care?

cricketman

They could be independently wealthy with no need to worry about jobs - or have work that they can do from home

But yes, as we say a million times on here. Getting work in Spain is not simply a case of "getting of your arse" as some recent new posters seen to think

rspltd

I would have thought that if they were independently wealthy they would have gone somewhere other than Spain. Of course if they intend to work from home then there are considerations of where they will find sufficient speeds for any Internet based activity. As you say 'getting off their a**e' is the easy part (with an of it means something entirely different. )

mikelincs

and, should the UK leave the EU then some of the benefits that are paid may well stop.

Novocastrian

I took two sons then 4 and 2 to Germany. The 4 year old spoke German perfectly within months. It's an astonishing thing to witness.

kearon

Of course we have researched into all those points, and have made alot of plans

rspltd

Just responding to your original posting " I need advice on all aspects of the move, from where to start.........".