lynnxa

no, not shooting the messenger - just trying to stop the chinese whispers

and as you admit - you have no experience of the Arenal school

and not wanting to get into an argument

but.......

some of the kids I'm talking about have been through Vicente Tena & are now in ESO in the pueblo - & their parents do in fact care very much - so much that they are now paying for private classes for them - at a time when money is tight for most of us here - & at least one of them has a parent who speaks fluent Spanish

& yes, I know parents who don't care, and never try to learn the language - & I know of kids who compete to fail as many subjects as possible - in ALL the schools in Javea!

I'd also just like to mention that ESO1 is also 'fed' by the port school - a very 'Spanish' school


there really isn't much difference between any of the schools



no matter what is 'widely said'


probably not just in Javea either - although I'm sure there are some fantastic schools & some dreadful ones - the vast majority are giving a pretty good to very good education

bess

Thank you all for your replys. As I said before we have not decided on the exact area. We are still considering. Calpe was another option along with Benissa, Benitachell and Moraira. We are coming out completly blind regarding schools so it would be very helpful if anyone can give us their personal experiances. In England we have Ofsted to give us an academic gage. Are there any governing bodies in Spain offer the same type of grading. Many thanks for all your advice.

barneysmum

Benitachell have a very good junior school, I haven't heard anything bad about it but it is very popular with Spanish and English alike and to stand a chance of getting in there you need to live in Benitachell if at all possible.

My youngest was going to go there (it's actually the nearest school to me) but we are classed as Javea where we live so not in catchment. However, we found out on the phone that they had 2 places (I seem to recall) available when we moved over so we went up to register. By the time we got there the places had gone.

bess

Hi there do you happen to know the name of it. Someone else mentioned a school in Benitachell to me and said the same thing. I just don't want to put our children into any school. I walk 20 mins every morning just so my child can go to 1 of the best schools in my Borough. I could have sent her to the local 1 which is a 2 minute walk. I know again it depends on the child. However, the school plays a huge role too. My daughter is having Spanish lessons once a week here so she will know a little. Our other child will be 1 the time we put her into nursery so if you know of any good nurseries that would also be of use. I'm trying to not to worry too much. But you know how it is with your children. Also do any of the townhalls offer Spanish lessons for the adults do you know. Sorry to bombard you with so many questions. However, I guess you have been in our situation so know what its like. Many thanks for your help.

lynnxa

almost certainly this one

http://www.educateca.com/centros/cei...-magdalena.asp

barneysmum

Yes that's the one - CEIP Santa Maria Magdalena.

To be honest I don't think you will go far wrong with any of the schools in Benitachell or Javea. Apart from Vicente Tena, another school with a great reputation in Javea is called .... hmmm, the name escapes me but it is in the Port area. I know some people heavily involved in the education system in England (examiners / teachers) who firmly believe that the education here (and most of Europe) is far superior to that of the UK. It is a different way of educating, but if the kids work hard enough then it works

Also, bear in mind, living in the Valencian region that all schools will teach certain subjects in Valenciana as well as Castellano. You can choose which stream the kids go into - mainly Valenciana or a mix of both (which is the most popular choice). By the time our little devils go through the school system here they will have at least 3 languages to put on their CVs

I think your oldest child is still quite young (?) so they won't have problems with the languages. My oldest was almost 12 and is finding it harder but she is still doing well. I don't have any problem sending her to extra language classes if I think she needs them.

I don't have any personal experience of nurseries, I know of one in Javea run by a nice English lady but couldn't tell you what it is like. I could only put you in touch.

All the town halls offer Spanish lessons. Benitachell organise free Spanish lessons for residents of Benitachell. I went to the beginners course and as I was classed as a resident of Javea I had to pay, but it was a nominal fee of something like €30 for the whole course. I'm not sure I would recommend it, I found it very slow going but maybe the more advanced courses are better.

There are numerous private institutions that do lessons for adults, at varying costs, but I believe these are generally quite a high standard. I need to go to one as I have been way too lazy with my Spanish.

I had loads of questions before I made the move and after 2 years I still have questions so don't worry about asking! My current topic of "joy" is self employment and the social security system a

cricketman

Even I think that goes a little too far!

lynnxa

maybe far superior might be


but having had personal experience of the UK, the USA & Spain - for my kids


it is definitely superior IMO

barneysmum

OK, let's remove the word "far" if it makes it sound better. I do get a little wordy.

The people I have spoken to have many years of experience with teaching and examination boards, one of them holds a very high position and is highly respected. The dumbing down of GCSEs and A Levels you hear about is no joke. My partner has just had to witness his son miss out on a place at Uni after the school made a stupid mistake over the name of one of his A Levels. He has a place now, somewhere else, but it caused weeks of heartache. I'm pretty sure lots of kids in England are still without a place at Uni.

Having experienced UK and Spanish systems only, IMHO Spanish is better.

<edit> Some colleges / schools in England are dropping A Levels in favour of the International Baccalaureate. That should say something.

cricketman

The Spanish system is definitely a higher level academically and more difficult. For that reason bright kids do very well, but it leaves the children with lesser ability behind and many end up with no qualifications.

Saying that, a bright kid will do well anywhere and the Spanish system isn't bad. I'd have no quarms about sending my "future" kids to Spanish state school, especially at primary level. At secondary level it will depend very much on the area we will be living in, a lot of Spanish kids on the CDS are very chavvy!

barneysmum

Spanish chavs!

javea342

Hi Bess
I have 3 children who have spanish education in Javea. They went to L'Arenal and the IES no 1.
I have nothing but praise for these schools and the children are happy and receive an excellent education. We have been her 5+ years, the qualifications my eldest has gained are recognized in the UK and I would definitelly recommend both these schools to you.
Good Luck

bess

Hi thanks for all your help. My friend rang Magdalena school in Benitachell and they have told her that as my child was born in 2004 there would be a place for her. On all your advice that is where we are going to send her. Many Thanks.

barneysmum

Glad you have made a decision - now the fun part begins!

Does that mean you will be moving to Benitachell?

bess

I guess so or very close. To honest I have only been there once for an afternoon and wasn't keen on the actuall village. I would like to live on the outskirts with some nice views. They said that Cumbre del Sol comes under that catchment area. However, a lady we know who lived in Teulada said that it was a bit rough up there. Again, your advice would be greatly appreciated. I also looked on the townhall's website and got the impression that the locals really do their best to help foreigners integrate. They offer language lesson in Spanish and Valenciano. Also they offer tours of the village to tell you about local history. I think all that is great. We really want to integrate and have Spanish friends too. Anyway, any advice on local areas would be great. Obviously its not going to be Javea or Moraira now.