Billo

I'd love some advice from those having done or doing what we are doing! i am 26, my partner is 30 and we have 2 children aged 4 and 1. My partner is in the process of looking for work and we are looking at places to rent in Duquesa.

I plan to work too, but not for the first few weeks while the kids get settled in their new surroundings. I then have a plan for childcare so I can work.

The main issue I'm having is finding solid information on schooling. As h is only 4, we have decided we feel its best to send our son to a spanish public school, then perhaps move him onto a private high school later on. Does anyone know anything about Pablo Picasso school? Or the process of getting him in? All i know is we must have proof of a spanish address before they will accept him but nothing more and I'm struggling to find any information in English.

any help would be sooooo appreciated... Thanks in advance xx

Rosemary

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

mikelincs

Not wishing to rain on your parade, but unemployment is very high in Spain, and unless you or your partner have special skills that will attract an employer over the merits of one of the thousands on unemployed Spanish people then he, and you, are going to have a bit of a struggle. How good is your Spanish.

Your 4 yr old would be perfect for a Spanish state school and he would become proficient in Spanish very quickly, but remember that no Spanish schooling if free. Tuition is free in the state schools, but everything else, text books etc, has to be paid for.
You also need to carefully weigh up the costs of healthcare, getting a contracted job would cover you for the Spanish health system, but until then you would need private cover.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

flotsum

I do not know the school or that area but I can tell you what we had to do a few years ago in our town. We needed proof of spanish address, padron from the town hall ( we needed a collectivo which showed that we all lived at the same address), we needed NIE numbers for ourselves and the children, (we also needed a form from the social security office to say that my husband was supporting us in spain as an autonomo however I think this was because he is Spanish but does not have a family book). In our area school places have already been allocated for next year, you cannot choose just one school if there are more than one in a town, it is the same as in the UK you must put your preferences down in the order you want them considered and there is certainly in our area a very lengthy appeals process. Text books and stationary set us back about 300 euros per year sometimes more.

rspltd

You also mention the word partner. Spain treats married people very differently to those who live together. If your partner did (eventually) find legal work it is not automatic that the children (or you) would receive free health care.