Hi
I have a 14 year old son who has spent the last year at school in France. (French school). He has tried hard but it is just a bit too much for him. We are now thinking of coming to Spain and putting him in an international school for his last couple of years schooling. Am thinking of the Denia/Javier area. Does anyone have their kids in school in that area and any recomendations or places to avoid?
Cheers

Dave

Hi DJM

Bearing in mind your sons age it would be very difficult for him and at this stage of his education he would be better off where he is with perhaps some extra private lessons in whatever he is struggling with.

Please don't take this as a criticism but if he is struggling in a school in France what makes you think it would be better in Spain? By the time they reach his age in Spain they are expected to speak Spanish 90% of the time even in an international school. He would have to sit an entrance test for an international school anyway and may end up being put back a year or even 2 something he may not like very much. His peer group would then be much younger than him which could be difficult. I hate to be a pessimist but its reality it is very difficult at his age to make that sort of jump.

Have you looked at international schools in France? At least he will have a basis of language to build on and his course work for his exams would not be wasted so far.

My son is going to an international school in Spain but he is 5 and knows that basics of the language already. He starts there in September. He is attending El Limonar not close enough for where you are thinking of moving to, but a very good school all the same.

Whatever you decide good luck.

Jo

The international schools we looked at for our daughter, who was 14 at the time, all taught in English and the pupils, mostly Spanish were expected to speak in English throughout the day, including breaks. All the schools we looked at did the international GCSE's which are administered from the UK.

We chose El Plantio in Valencia. There was no entrance test.

I believe a similar school in the Javea area is The Lady Elizabeth. You can find more details of the schools at NABSS

Derek

What is the point of living in Spain and paying to send a kid to school to learn English
Use a free Spanish school, it will do them more good.

I think that rather depends on the age of the child. I can understand that at the age of 14 it would be impossible to suddenly be submerged in a Spanish-only speaking school, what with GCSEs etc. However, for children quite a bit younger then I, too, would favour a Spanish school. It would help them learn the language very much quicker, enable them to integrate locally better. Each to their own, however!

Personally I am paying for my son's education because I want to give him a good start. I pay for his education in the UK. He is not going to an all English school anyway his school is an international bi-lingual, which ultimately studies for the baccalaureate. Which unlike a spanish school he will progress in English and spanish at the same rate. Because I am living in Spain does that mean my son has to lose his identity?

At the age of 5 if he was put into a spanish school he would forget to read and write in English very quickly I know this because I have friends who are now paying to give their children English lessons because they cannot read and write in English, they were quite young when they started in spanish schools so have no basic concept of English grammar etc. My friends concern is that if her children decided to come to england as adults they would have to learn it again before they would be able to work here, because essentially they are illiterate as far as English goes.

[QUOTE=Costa-Convert]Personally I am paying for my son's education because to give him a good start.

You might want to give some thought to employing the edit facility on this one, Costa-Convert!

[QUOTE=un-mundo] yes ok my english is not great so what it is early over here and some twits car alarm has been going off all night outside my house....

I'd have thought that around 5 was a very good age to send a child to a Spanish speaking school if you live in Spain. There they would learn to speak Spanish fluently, and at home they'd speak English all the time. Perfect. Bi-lingual, and what an asset that is, these days, job wise and socially.

14, I agree, is a different situation altogether.

Yes they would speak english at home, spanish in school but they would not learn the important bits of english grammar that all children need to learn. Phonics, spelling all that, spanish schools have as much English lessons in them as we have French in our schools. It is designed to teach the basics and no more until exam level, I want his english to be as good as his spanish.

So that he is literate both ways then he can decide where he would like to live.

Well, I guess there's no hard and fast rule. Three daughters of a friend of mine (now in their early thirties) all went to a Spanish school from a very early age and are completely bi-lingual. I envy them!

Just to add, one of the three has just written a published book, in English. So presumably there's not a great deal wrong with their knowledge of the language, although, of course, editors are a wonderful thing!

As you have already said no hard and fast rule. If we were all the same and did the same thing life would be very boring, everyone to their own I guess.

Anyway DJM getting back to your origional posting whatever you decide has to be right for you and your son good luck with it..



Jo

Well .... no, whatever anyone decides does not, by definition, have to be "right"! One just hopes it is. And at the age of 14, it would be absurd to chuck a child into a totally alien language school. Good luck with finding a good International School, DJM.

Sorry, Costa, not having a go at you, I'm not into smilies but I hope you see that it was just a very gentle dig - more of a nudge, really!

Every school around my area teaches English also.
Why would he lose his identity by going to a Spanish school ?
Do your friends talk to their children at home ?