spain

there seems to be more and more people coming over now and sending their children to private British school

when we first moved over our son was almost 7 and sending him to a British school didnt even cross our minds. He goes to the local village school and is doing well - he speaks and writes both Valenciano and Castellano

Just wondering what peoples views are on the schooling here ? maybe we have just been lucky in that he has settled well and made many friends ?

Rixxy

Hi there - I made the move 12 years ago with kids 3.5 and 5 at the time. They both went to spanish state school -a guaderia (private spnaish nursery) first then normal school.

They settled well, we encouraged them to have spanish friends and all was very well until the 1st year of insitute (secindary school) My daughter is the oldest and she went from a small 1 class per year school to this massive place. She had a little problem with bullying but gave as good as she got - wasnt picked on for being english, just new. But I found because the truancy laws came in, the gypsies would rebel in class and create problems to get expelled! Vicky who was top of the whole year - yes really proud of that I am!- started slipping and got in with a cuple of girls who were not bothered at all.

I was beside myself and got her into a spanish private school - she had to take an aptitude test etc cos they kick you out if not up to scratch or dont work - and she was accepted along with her brother. She did fabulously, won a prize at the end of year for strengh in her work and effort put in. She is now in Bachillerato at 'normal' state school and is going to uni to study physics in Granada!

Son I kept in private school as he has a tendancy to fall in with scallys and at least at private school (spanish) there arent any so he is doing ok and at least is not in trouble!

The schooling system is excellent, jids get held back a year of they have trouble undersatanding or do not attain a minimum level - I could go into details but gets really boring.

I belevie the standards here are higher and more thorouhg level of education is given. Very rounded and discipline is given.

Cant rate it highly enough. Kids at englisj private schools tend to be rather stuck up and brattish - my opinion and I used to be a kids entertainer!!!

mrsjdr

If they are growing up and living in Spain then Spanish School, will help them far more in the future. Our Grandson was born here and went to both Spanish only Nursery and "Big" school here, our Grandaughter will do the same. I taught sports in a private British school for awhile when I first came here, and a lot of the parents complained that their children were not learning enough Spanish, only had so many Spanish lessons a week.

Only thing regarding Spanish schools is reading and writing in English, you may have to help out a little there, I remember a little girl of 10 once, she asked me a simple question regarding something written on a sign, I said surely you can read that, and she said she could only read and write in Spanish, which seemed sad, does not take much to help your kids out.

maryann

my babes are in spanish school, so much better that the english one, and she doing better than ever. In my area the international school has a repution for grabbing the money and running. I am sure it is down to which area you are in. My daughter still does English work at home following the british ciriculium. It's a bit soon to judge my son, he is only 15 months!

love

mary x

spain

Yes I agree there - on the funny side my son pronounces English words the Spanish way (as in every letter) which gives us a laugh every now and then sometimes we really have to think about what word he is trying to say

spain

They do that at our sons school too - so far so good though, he hasnt been kept back at all and if he carries on doing well he will be going to the institute next September with his friends - some of the Spanish kids in his class have not been so lucky, 3 were held back last year so I was very proud that he wasnt one of them

brisca

Friends of ours have a sister who came to Spain when she was about 12. She rapidly became fluent in Spanish, and settled in to life here very happily.
However, now that she's 17, they've noticed that her ability to converse with any maturity in English is a bit lacking!
They feel she's "stuck" at the level of a 12 year old in English, which is interesting.

Rixxy

My daughter particularly is the same. Sometimes her vocabulary is missing! Makes for hilarious discussions at mealtimes but she is taking english at a language school to ensure she has a high qualification.

written english is ok but her pronunciation can be a bit behind.

Speaks German and French as well through the schools! Her response is that she is spanish, will be going to spanish uni and working here!!!

spain

Its funny how they "become" Spanish - after the recent England v Spain football match my son said "we" had won - which as I hadnt watched the match thought was good as England were losing 1-0 when I had last asked - then after a few confusing looks at each other and me asking who had scored I realised "we" were Spain

Rixxy

Hah - yes I get the same! Fortunatley I can outdo my two as my bloodline is rather mixed - french/italian grandmother, greek grandfather and english mother and living in Spain!

Last European cup I had the choice of 5 and Greece won!!

Son likes England to win so he can wind up his classmates - all taken in good humour luckily...

brisca

Well good on her! She sounds like she's doing really well

I can relate to the difficulty in word finding!
We've only been here a year, but last summer I couldn't for the life of me think what "calabacin" was in English!! It came to me about two days later (maybe not helped by the fact that "courgette" is a French word anyway, of course!)

Sometimes I think of a word in English ("fireworks" for example) and I'm not sure if I'm recalling it correctly! How bizarre is that!?

I find I occasionally dream in Spanish, and our friends' 14 year old (who's been here two and a half years, and is fluent) talks in his sleep....in Spanish!!

spain

I find it totally amazing that they (or anyone for that matter but especially kids) can switch from one language to another - just wish I was half as clever

My son will talk to himself while playing his playstation in Valenciano - then speak to a friend in Castellano and then me in English - and think it hilarious that I dont understand what him and his mates are sniggering about