We have lived just outside of Pinoso for 6 years. We have a 10yr old who attends the local school, Pinoso has loads of stuff for younger kids. There are excellent sports facilities, lovely swimming pool,2 schools , a kindergarten, and the institute for 16 yr olds.
There is a youth club which is mainly english children
both schools are excellent, I cannot find fault with the schools
We live in the campo but the school bus come daily and its free.
You do need a car to get about but the position is brilliant, you are easily placed for Elda, Yecla, Jumilla and Elche.
We totally love it and enjoy the fact that it still has a spanish feel to it.
As for work, then thats another matter. I defy anyone to say work is easy anywhere . You have to speak very good spanish. i have a number of friends who are gainfully employed in the town and around but its not easy.
You dont say what sort of work you are looking for but that can make a difference, if you have a specialist area or skill?
We love it here but it might not be fo everyone. Your best bet is to come see on holiday or maybe rent somewhere for a while

HI WE HAVE JUST BEEN TO LOOK AT A PROPERTY JUST OUTSIDE PINOSO TOWARDS YELCA REALLY LOVELY AREA A NATIONAL PARK AND LOVED IT BUT WAS PUT OFF AFTER I SPOKE TO A 19 YEAR OLD BOY WHO MOVED THERE WHEN HE WAS 11 AND CRIED FOR 2 YEARS AND SPENT THAT TIME DRAWING STICK MEN AS NOONE AT SCHOOL COULD UNDERSTAND HIM.SO WE HAVE DECIDED TO WAIT 5 YEARS TILL OUR 11 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER FINISHES SCHOOL BUT AFTER READING YOUR MESSAGE ITS GOT ME HAVING SECOND SECOND SECOND THOUGHTS!!!!!!!!!ARE THERE ANY 11 YEAR OLD ENGLISH SPEAKING GIRLS IN THE AREA? CAN YOU TELL ME THE NAMES OF THE SCHOOLS AND DO THEY SPEAK ANY ENGLISH?LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU

The boy you spoke of came when he was 11...so yes, because of his age, the odds are that he would struggle. Poor lad..wonder if he has a job? or graduated from high school?

The problem is that there are so many English speaking children mix only with other English speaking children. Avoid that if you can. My kids are the only English speakers in their school and have to use spanish all day, everyday..they pick it up so much easier by playing with spanish children.

Younger children will adapt much easier like mariejose child, who was 4...best age really.

There are 2 schools in pinoso to take children up to around 13 or 14 and then they go to the Insituto, again in Pinoso.
Both schools have english children and speak english.
Emilys school has an english teacher, by that I mean she is a spanish woman speaking excellent english and she teaches english to the children
The younger the child the quicker they will learn the language but it also depends on the child.
Maybe this young man was not an easy mixer? who knows. I hear of english children who are unhappy and have returned to the UK BUT on the other hand there are the opposite. Emily is quite an outgoing child although i have to admit she has become that way living here
Her youth club has around 3 or 4 girls around the ages of 11 who are local.
There are loads of activites here such as gymnastics, ballet, music, karate, basketball, aerobics. If the child is willing to join in they will very quickly learn the language.
We live about 3k fom Pinoso on the Yecla road. The school bus collects the children from here and that is another way to integrate.
We are selling our house as we have spent the last 6 years restoring it and now want to buy another 'wreck'. We are going to buy local as Emily is so happy and settled we do not want to move her from her school.
We have found the people of Pinoso friendly and helpful and providing you make an effort then they will too. Our little pueblo is small but we have a 'local'. a sort of community hall and we have a neighbours assoc run by the spanish and 2 years ago they invited me to sit on the comittee as they wanted to ensure they included their english neighbours in the activites.
At that time there was only 3 english families in our pueblo!
As I write this i am thinking that the key things are:
1. the early your child comes to spain the easier they will find learning
2. they need to be of the character which means they will want to join in activites
3. you are parents also need to be ready to join in everything

hope this helps

forgot to tell you names of the schools!!
They are San Anton and Santa Catalina
I know lots about Santa Catalina as that is Emilys school, we have friends with children at the other one.

PS have also sent you a private message

Please beware that it wont be easy for your daughter.

It wasnt for mine and she was only 8.

It turns their lives upside down and back again.

Even if they are bright and appear to adapt to things well,it could change in Spain.

Nothing will be the same for them and when the homework comes in and they cant do it you have to be able to help them.

They cant communicate.

Its like losing your tongue.

weve been there with our very confident, able daughter.

Shes fine now.Its taken the whole year to settle.

She loves the whole lifestyle now but it hasnt been without tears.

Please think really hard cos your little one is bordering on puberty now and without lots of extra lessons at the least, I think she will struggle bigtime.

Sorry, but its not worth coming if its not sustainable.

But I wish you all the luck in the world.

This is really hard but I disagree. We know several kids of this age who have come here and adapted really well.
It does depend on how well they adapt, they need a good school that is sympahetic to their special needs.
Perhaps it is worthwhile arranging some classes for them as extra, to learn the basics but I really must say that immersed into a spanish speaking school they WILL learn. Of course there may be a bit of upset in the beginning but this just doesnt last long
I have just asked Emily, she says
" It is really hard cos youre doing brand new things and you are away from family and you have to get used to it
BUT, it is so really worth it because you make brand new friends and they will help you and I so love living in spain "
I have to say that if its hard to start with then the end result is just worth it. The lifestyle the whole experience.......as i write this Emily is playing with her little dog and talking to her in english, at the same time she is watching Toy Story in Spanish - and loving it. Totally bilingual and not only in the language, she has such a clear concept of how the world is made of different nationalities, different cultures etc.
As you must guess......I am so really positive!

???confused........

You disagree with paintermujer that it's difficult....and then....say "of course they may be a bit upset..."

It's great to hear positive stories and I think yours is because your child was 4. But older children will find it harder...to different degrees.

But we are trying to highlight that older children will struggle...

Yeah, I guess I was being a bit confusing!
I suppose what I am trying to say is that its really hard to generalise and it doesnt have to be difficult. I agree that Emily probably managed the transition easier than some as she was straight into spanish school from a young age.
There will be some upset and I think thats true for any child or adult in the process of adjusting to a move from everything they know to a totally new and strange environment
I just feel its important not to generalise and I do know of older children who have found it hard and in one case have moved back to the UK but on the same hand I know of teenagers who have taken to it like a duck to water.
The important thing to remember is that everyone is different and when taking in any comments you must bear in mind your own child and how they would cope in a new situation
The last thing I want to do is confuse people!!