Ilene

We are planning a move to Valencia (hopefully Lliria area) in a few weeks. I am fluent in Spanish having lived in South America most of my life. I have a 12 year old son who speaks some Spanish but not quite as fluently since he has been in the UK since he was 5. He is also dyslexic!
I have done research regarding getting him into local schools in the area but it would appear that there are waiting lists and lots of red tape which has to be cleared for a child to attend school. If he hasn't been on a waiting list, will he still get a place in a local school?.
I am aware that some people may suggest that I send him to an International School due to possible difficulties with language and his dyslexia, but by personal experience - when I arrived in South America, I was 12 years old and did not speak a word of Spanish, my parents sent me to a local school and within a few months I was coping quite well. I also believe that although my son is severely dyslexic in English, his difficulties lie more in spelling and reading, Spanish being a more phonetic language, should be much easier for him. That is the theory anyway. I would appreciate any feedback anyone may have on this. Thanks

snikpoh

How is his Valenciano? That will be the predominant language in that area!

I presume you will try and put him in year 1 of ESO (one year behind)? I can't see it being a problem - go to the town hall and they MUST assign him a school, by law.

If, however, you want a specific school then there may be problems. Here, the waiting list is now 3 years for the school that our children are at. I think we 'snuck in' because of our novelty value Our children are the first and only English children there.

Rosemary

Also remember that August is a difficult month in which to see anyone to discuss things.

Rosemary

paintermujer

We live in Lliria and have a 12 year old daughter who will be starting ESO in september.We have been here for 4 years.I guess your son will be at the age to start ESO too.There are 2 ESO schools here..Laurona and Camp de Turia schools..Laurona being for the town children and the Camp de Turia for children in the more rural areas surrounding Lliria so depending on your location either of these schools....can I just say avoid the Camp de Turia school like the plague...not a good school...and Laurona?..well the success there will depend on any childs attitude and the group they mix with..so it can be good and it can be bad.
The concertado schools here are the ones with a waiting list.Our daughter got into a concertado eventually because of who we know if you understand what I mean.In my opinion they are better than the state schools here which I feel have suffered a lot with cutbacks etc..and I dont think discipline is as good either.
There is one concertado which usually has vacancies though.Just slightly out from the town is the El Prat school..actually meaning meadow.Now I know they do have a monthly fee but its not too high..maybe 60 a month?...opinions of this school vary..some say theyre moneygrabbing etc and others may sometimes question the level of teaching but I dont think its too bad so that may be an option..check their website and they may be there at times during the summer.
We dont actually pay anything to our daughters school because it is a music school and has high subsidies..she is actually taught in valenciano in all subjects too which may not help your son.
Hope this info helps a bit..any other question please ask.
...and dont forget that valenciano is spoken widely around here but they are happy to speak in castellano too.Lliria is a very friendly place.
Good luck.

Patrick2976

Make sure you go to the local town hall and sign on the 'padron'. In my experience the schools want to see this before they will accept your application. Good luck!!

Ilene

Thanks to all for your input.

Unfortunately our Valenciano is non-existent. Our Venezuelan is pretty good though.

My brother in law has lived nearby in Vilamarxant for the last 10 years or so and we have visited often so we are quite familiar with the area and I agree that Lliria seems to be a very friendly town, it also seems to have the best transport links into Valencia City etc. on the metro, that is basically the reason that we picked Lliria as the best area to move to. Just far enough out but not too far!

I hadn't really thought about placing my son in an earlier year but that sounds like a very good idea. He will be 13 on August 30 so is borderline. He has always been the youngest in his class here in the UK and that hasn't helped him with his dyslexia issues since he has always struggled being much more immature than his classmates!...I will definitely try to get him placed a year earlier.

My basic concerns are:
(1) that it will be August! and as mentioned a terrible time of the year to try to get anything done in Spain, however we were waiting for the UK school year to be over.
(2) because he hasn't been on any waiting list, will there be no chance at all of getting into a concertada?. (although as advised I will have a wee look at the "El Prat" school).
(3) since it would appear that in Spain dyslexia isn't a very well understood learning difficulty, does anybody know if he will he be given any special help? (he has a statement here in the UK).

He was born in Venezuela and went through some of his primary schooling there. They did not recognize dyslexia at all and we had some issues regarding him being "lazy" and not "trying hard enough"....and this was in Spanish, which was his first language in those days. I am just wondering whether anybody has had any experience with dyslexic children in Spain.

Thank you....

lynnxa

the school will decide which 'year' to put him in - maybe they'll keep him back the first year, maybe they'll see how he manages since he already speaks some Spanish & maybe hold him back later if necessary

August 30th isn't 'borderline' in Spain - it's all worked out on year of birth, so all kids born in the same year will be in the same 'school year', so he'll be a long way from being the youngest

he was born August 30th 2000?
that would make him age-appropriate for Y2 secondary this September

my younger daughter is dyslexic - although the actual word was never used (they don't seem to like 'labels') - she did get a huge amount of help in primary school from the age of 6 - one to one help outside lessons & extra time with exams & so on - she still struggles with reading aloud - she has to 'unscramble' the words sometimes first - but apart from that doesn't need any special help now at all

tbh in your shoes I'd be seriously considering International school

paintermujer

If he is 13 this year then officially he should be in the second year of ESO..def a good idea to put him back a year..its normal and will not be frowned upon.

One thing in your favour of possibly getting him into a concertado school is that last year the class sizes were made bigger so the waiting lists may not be high now..not sure..you need to visit those schools direct when you get here..no good going through the town hall as they will only offer a place in the state schools.The concertados are Francisco Llopis, Santa Ana and the Unio Musical..and of course the Prat school.

Sorry but I cant help with anything to do with dyslexia.My daughter says there is a boy in her class with a learning difficulty but she dosent know what it is.She says he spends a lot of time with the school psychologist which schools have here and he dosent fail the years and have to repeat even though he dosent quite make the grade.Hope this helps.

paintermujer

And dont worry about not knowing valenciano..there are spanish people in the town who dont speak valenciano because they werent born here.Also if a foreign child starts school here after a certain age Ive heard that they dont need to pass valenciano.

lynnxa

I don't think that's right - to graduate you have to pass everything

of course, a lot of kids who join the system as teenagers simply leave school at 16 without graduating

paintermujer

Cant remember who told me but they said after a certain age if they arent spanish they dont have to pass the valenciano language exam.

paintermujer

Would be worth the OP finding out..a bit less for his son to deal with if its correct.

lynnxa

they do at the secondary school my girls go to - or they simply don't graduate

mind you, they'd have trouble studying anything if they can't speak Valenciano, since half the subjects are taught exclusively in Valenciano - even in the Castellano line

lynnxa

best to check with the individual schools I'd say - but like I said, in the secondary schools here so many subjects are taught in Valenciano anyway

paintermujer

Valenciano can be problematic.My daughter is taught soley in valenciano apart from the obvious and most of her friends speak valenciano in the home too.But they speak in castellano to her.Its been a big learning curve for since joining the school.
She dosent speak valenciano in class simply because...her home tutor forces it out of her but Im not allowed to hear..just like it was with spanish in the beginning.I love the valenciano lingo but sometimes I wonder what it would have been like with just spanish as the local language.