registering for school
 

has anyone successfully applied for (& secured) state school places for their children before actually moving here

I'm talking recently - it's changed since we went through the process


do you register as resident before you actually move here (is this possible/legal?)

I know you can get a NIE without living here & it's possible to sign on the padron - it's the 'resident list' (what some still call 'residencia') I'm not sure of

Re: registering for school
 

Everytime we've wanted to get my daughter into a state school, we've just walked into the school and said "can she join please" (in spanish of course!!??) and they've said yes, given us forms to fill in and return, on which we wrote our preferred start date and thats that - in a nutshell!

Jo xx

Re: registering for school
 

exactly - but you're already here & registered as resident

Re: registering for school
 

Hi Lynnxa,

It's Sally here from the British Embassy in Madrid. There's some information on our website about residence requirements, which might be useful:

http://ukinspain.fco.gov.uk/en/help-.../residence-req

Hope it helps to clear things up a little!

Sally

Re: registering for school
 

thanks Sally

I know you need all that - I just wasn't sure if it was possible to 'register' before actually living here

logically I guess you can't - but then you can't register for state school until you live here, so can't really 'get the ball rolling' as it were

Re: registering for school
 

*ahem* I think it might depend on the area/school etc. Ok littl'un's now at a n other place, but when we put him down for the local state school we weren't living here full time, and we'd hedged our bets and enrolled him at a state school in the UK plus the state one here - had padron, nie, but not residencia. Indeed I've only got that in the past year or so..... Anyway, they (school) wanted to see padron & nie, plus his inoculation stuff but that was it. Once the decision was made, he & I moved here full time & he was in school. End of, as they say!

Re: registering for school
 

that's what I'm thinking - although it was a few years ago when you went through the process too - wasn't it?

all we had to show when ours started was padron & NIE etc(although the kids didn't actually need a NIE either, although they had them) - but that was in the days of the old residencia

I was hoping someone who had done it in the past few months might know.......

I'm sure i read on somewhere (here maybe:confused:) of someone doing the 'resident's' bit before actually living here - which doesn't seem right

I guess it would just be a case of going to the Ayuntamiento/Casa de Cultura & getting a definitive list of requirements locally

Re: registering for school
 

Applications started (from memory) April/May 2006, he started school in the Sept.

(off topic, but we didn't get him an NIE & I recently wanted to open a kids' savings account at the bank & they wouldn't without his NIE??? Is it as easy as adults?)

Re: registering for school
 

it's exactly the same

Re: registering for school
 

We have never been asked for our son's residency number at either school that we have applied to (in two different regions of Spain). I don't think it is a requirement for schools, as the children of illegal immigrants can go to school (i.e. people who don't have this number). I think the padron is essential as people have said, because otherwise people could just apply for all the best schools wherever they fancy.

Re: registering for school
 

last time I translated for someone at a local school they were asked for it - about a year ago, so unless it was an 'off day' or things have changed - again - they are asking for it around here

ah well - I know someone about to start the process so I'll know if it's currently required definitively within the next week or so


my real query was for someone who isn't living here yet - can they register as 'resident' and get things moving?