burt

Hi All,


Has anyone any experience of the state schools around the L'Eliana, Riba Roja, or even VillaMarxant/Les Creules area?

Would really appreciate it if anyone has children there and could share their experience, recommendations of good/bad schools for children there.

We have two boys 4 & 11 who we intend to go to state school and as everyone knows its very hard to research when you aren't there or can't speak fluent Spanish.

Thanks in advance,

fionamw

Hi, welcome. I live nowhere near, and hope someone (Lynnxa's often about!) will come along and help you. As far as I know, the most important thing you need to factor in is that schools teach Valenciano THEN Spanish but they have to do both. I think! In terms of their ages and integrating, coping, etc., the 4 year old will be fine the 11 year old might or might not, fingers crossed.

lynnxa

I don't know that specific area, but you're sort of right about the Valenciano thing

in the schools in my town they teach the 2 languages alongside each other more or less 50/50 to start with - & the kids eventually concentrate more on one or the other as they get to secondary

you're right about the 11 year old - I'd opt for International/British school for a child that age, for sure

snikpoh

I agree with the above posts. Our children MUST learn and pass both languages (as well as English, of course).

In this area some schools are categorized as either Valenciano or as Castellano. What this means is that they will teach predominantly in one language or the other.

In practice this seems to not be true. We sent our children to a Castellano primary school where some lessons were taught in Valenciano and some in Castellano - all notes came home from school in Valenciano. As you can imagine, even though my wife is fluent in Spanish, we really struggled with the notes.

Your 11 year old will really struggle in a state school is he will have to not only learn the curriculum but also learn it in two new languages before progressing to secondary school.


We have also been told, that if the 'children' wish to, eventually, get a job in this area (ha, ha!!), then they really must be able to speak Valenciano!

paintermujer

We are in Lliria and our daughter has been at a state school for 3 years.

In general the standard of teaching I think has been Ok but this last year we have noticed changes due to the cuts and feel that this last year our daughter has suffered and at times has found it hard to keep up especially in cono.

She has had no extra help this year...this seems to be kept for the ones really struggling.
Some spanish people we know are trying to keep their children from going to a state school and are struggling to pay for uniform and books etc in concertados because they have no faith in the state system at the moment but not all feel this way.The local institutos in Lliria are another story.

Luckily we have managed to get a place for our daughter in a concertado starting in september...a small music school with lots of discipline which most of the schools here seem to seriously lack.

Our daughter is 11.No way could a child start in a spanish school at that age..it is just too late.

cricketman

Yep the PP are doing their best to destroy state education. They want only the poor to use the state schools and everyone else to pay for concertados or private schools, obviously this means the state schools will get worse and worse

If things carry on as there are, then I'd probably choose a concertado as well, at least when they are a bit older.

Hopefully by then the PP will be out though

For the OP, well it depends what their expectations are for their children, and how intelligent they are. My wife had foreigners join her school at 11 or 12 with no Spanish knowledge who passed all the exams with flying colours at 16 and 17.

However, it was quite a posh private school and in Asturias children must speak Spanish or they'd have no friends

burt

Thanks for advice everyone, we also have a 14 year old who will definately be going to a concertado, we're also doing as much as we can to learn as much Spanish as possible prior to any move. It's such a hard situation finding out as much info on all the different state schools in the area when there is the language barrier and most don't have websites for us to look over.
I'm going over there for a look around at the end of the month so will try to see as many state schools as possible in the area.

paintermujer

Replied to pm.

cricketman

The 14 year old should go to an English speaking private international school

Concertados are schools that get state funds but also you have to pay a top up amount. They are just like a normal Spanish school but will a bit more money

English speaking international schools do not get any funds from the state because the government will not fund pupils to follow the British curiculum

lynnxa

absolutely - a 14 year old stands no chance in a Spanish speaking school

an 11 year old would be better off in an International school, too as I said

you''re right though, there are 11/12 year olds who fit right in in Spanish school & learn Spanish well & quickly enough to do well - although they are a minority, especially if there are lots of other expat kids around

equally, & I know I've said it before, but there are kids who join the state system from infants/early primary & never learn enough Spanish to succeed

burt

Sorry, I thought concertado was a private international school.. My mistake..

She is going to a British School, straight into the iGCSE system and will be confirming her options when she arrives, so that's one thing thats sorted. If money was no option we would probably place our 11 yr old in the same school.

cricketman

What does your 11 year old think about that?

If they are spending every free minute learning Spanish and cant wait then great!

If not, then should you really be going to live in Spain? It's a tough world nowadays to come out of school with no qualifications and even tougher to go to a school that doesnt speak a word of your language, unless you really really want to learn it