Katnat

Hi everyone. I am planning on moving to Spain with my children. Can anyone recommend good, yet affordable English schools in southern Spain? My kids are 3, 10 and 15 years old. I am not sure if Spanish schools is a good choice since they cannot speak any Spanish.

bob_bob

The three year old should have no problems in a state school, the ten year old would find it harder and the fifteen year old would not handle it well. Personally I'd not move a fifteen year old until they had as least finished GCSE in the UK, its just not fair on the child IMHO. International Schools would be a good choice, certainly for the fifteen year old who could finish off their GCSE at one. Cost wise whats affordable to one person is out of financial reach for others.

Others will be along with experience of their own children going to International Schools here but at a (wild) guess you need an education budget for the three of around fifty thousand Euro a year; may be less but could easily be more. Obviously you have a well paid job to go to or you'd not consider the move.

christmasoompa

OP is in Namibia according to their profile - so GCSE's may not be a factor.

HTH.

spainrico

IMO if you are moving to Spain and are serious about adopting the lifestyle culture etc let them go to a Spanish school, yes they will be lost on Day 1 but they will make it - many friends of mine have done this and the children have all done well.

Katnat

Right now I am more lost than before.. but thank you for the advice.

bob_bob

A 15 year old will not fit in, will not learn the language easily and their education will suffer.

dmu

This is also the general opinion in the France forum where the question is often raised. At that age, impossible to arrive in a State school without any Spanish Grammar and Culture and pass the equivalent of "O-Levels" which is needed to move up to Lycée to pass the Bac (equivalent of "A-levels"), in turn indispensable to get admitted to further education.
(Presumably the OP will sort out the Namibian equivalents of the European school diplomas at about 14-15 years old and 17-18.)
The 10-year-old could do the last two years of State Primary in order to get used to the Spanish Education System, pick up Spanish Grammar and culture and make friends, before going up to Secondary.
No problem at all for the 3-year-old who would soon speak Spanish like a 3-year-old Spaniard!
HTH but it sounds as though there's a lot of research to be done....

Katnat

Thank you all. I agree with not putting my 15 year old in an all Spanish school. It'll just be too much and I would not have liked that for myself. Right now my main concern is my 10 year old. Some people say a child should be 7 or 8, and they'll just adapt . Others are of the opinion that a child 10 years and older would not adjust.

bob_bob

How old will they be when you arrive? Do you have contracted employment?

dmu

As said, your 10-year-old (if no older when you arrive) should manage to adapt, if he/she accepts to do the last 2 years in State Primary.
In France, many French children stay down in Primary for a year (sometimes even two) in order to reach an adequate level in Grammar and Maths to cope with work in Secondary. There's a mix of ages and your child wouldn't feel too old, and there'd certainly be nothing to be ashamed of. (I'm presuming that this system is also applicable to Spanish schools....).
With 3 children in 3 different schools, you yourself are going to have to adapt to their different lives and requirements! Fore-warned is fore-armed!
As asked, have you got a job lined up which, in turn, will give you Social Security coverage?

snikpoh

Our 10 year old was simply fine. He had no Spanish when he arrived yet didn't have to repeat any years.

It all depends upon the child - and only you can answer that. What helps most is integration and help at home.

Katnat

Thank you all once again. We are planning on next year. I am self-employed. I have thought about everything especially the financial aspects. My ten year old is very enthusiastic about learning Spanish and has started on her own through Youtube and making notes! It might not be much for some,but it means the world to me.

dmu

You should start another thread on Self-employment in Spain, and those in the know will advise on all the formalities.
All the best for your children!

chrisjolly

Interesting question and really difficult to answer as everyones experience is different. We came here with three children, 8, 10 and 15...the two youngest went to Spanish school and the oldest after spending a summer here decided to go back to the UK and go on a course. Of the two who stayed, one learned Spanish but was disruptive because he was different and left school at 15 and the other never learned Spanish, in fact she hated it, and left school early without any useful qualifications. I also used to teach in three different International schools and can say that the standard of education in those was below that of a good British school. Our experience of the Spanish education system is that it is a very structured and formal way to learn with very long holidays and short school days and the private International schools is where the fees seldom reflect the childs outcome. Obviously there are those children who will succeed in any system and we have friends whose children have gone on to Spanish University and have got good jobs but for most of our friends the experience for their children has been miserable and they have left school to do nothing. Think about it very seriously as it is your childrens future.

Eric S

Have her check out Duolingo. It's free (and fun) and has both desktop and mobile phone apps.

- Eric S.