IF the aim is to return to the UK - I'd agree with you 100% - but I get the feeling their aim is to come & stay here.

An 8 year old raised in Spain would be just as happy (and some might say better off) later attending a Spanish university. - I say this as I've a UK friend actively recruiting in Spain currently as he gets "better prepared workers"!.

I know loads of Spaniards whose nippers have been to UK&US universities too.

My niece is 100% Spanish and was raised here and speaks better English than many Englishmen. She was offered a place with grant in a UK university but chose to stay in Spain.

Don't get me wrong - International Schools have their place - BUT in general they're better for short term pupils and Spanish kids whose parents think they need a bilingual education. The latter get Spanish at home of course.

I've a friend who is a teacher in a large International School in Madrid. Her accounts of the type of Spanish kids attending is frankly very depressing. "Spoilt Brats" is about the term. We have a French Int.School near to us and those children simply do not integrate with others well.

I've also a good friend (Half Brit - half German - married to a Spaniard) who runs a language school here. His comments suggest that it's VERY key to be immersed early on. It fixes the local accent firmly - this I see in contacts who come from 50/50 families too.

One exception SEEMS to be the Swedish schools. This may have more to do however with the style of tuition.