Local or international schools?!?

[HayleyBryant]

Hi, I have recently moved to Sitges with my hubby and 3yr old daughter and am in the process of looking at schools. She hasn't done any kind of nursery at home and is fairly clingy (especially since we have moved) so I am keen to ease her into me leaving her somewhere!
I am keen to hear people's experiences of both local and international schooling here in Spain.
Thoughts please...... Thanks :-)

[xabiachica]

Originally Posted by HayleyBryant

Hi, I have recently moved to Sitges with my hubby and 3yr old daughter and am in the process of looking at schools. She hasn't done any kind of nursery at home and is fairly clingy (especially since we have moved) so I am keen to ease her into me leaving her somewhere!
I am keen to hear people's experiences of both local and international schooling here in Spain.
Thoughts please...... Thanks :-)

both my daughters went to International school here when we first arrived - we were trying it for a year to see if we liked it & didn't want more upheaval than necessary for them

to my mind the year they spent there was the biggest waste of 10,000 € ever - my older dd (then 7/8) had already covered everything she was taught there, either in the UK or the US & the younger one (then 4/5) pretty much learned nothing either - also I suspected she was dyslexic but they said I was wrong - it was identified within weeks of her starting at Spanish school!

she also hated it there & had to be physically pulled away from me or her dad every morning!

after a year we decided that we were staying & moved them to state school

as you can imagine, I was a bit worried about how the younger one would react - especially since she didn't know any Spanish & although she had loved preschool in both the UK & the US, she clearly had 'issues' by now

from day one she loved it! The teachers are allowed to hug & kiss the kids so she was greeted every day with a hug - she was smitten!

that was 8 years ago - both my girls are teens now & I have always been happy with the education they have had - dd2's had lots of help with her dyslexia - she still struggles a bit, but has learned ways of dealing with it & now no longer needs extra time or help with exams

my older dd is completely tri-lingual (English, Spanish & Valenciano) the younger is bi-lingual English & Spanish but speaks Valenciano to a good level too

at the age your daughter is - to me it's a no-brainer - at the very least try state school

[codex70]

We're planning a move to Mallorca, initially for a year to see if we like it. For exactly the reasons you state above we wanted to send our kids to an international school, at least while we decided whether we like it or not. If we decided to move back the least disruption the better.

I'm also concerned that the current economic situation will have a significant impact on the provision of education within the state system.

Having said all that, I'm yet to hear anything truly positive about the international schools. Be good to hear some more experiences of both state and private schools.

[jojo]

If you're planning to stay in Spain for a significant amount of time then state school is probably the best. International schools are great for older children just arriving or if you're planning for a british education in the long term

Jo xxx

[xabiachica]

Originally Posted by codex70

We're planning a move to Mallorca, initially for a year to see if we like it. For exactly the reasons you state above we wanted to send our kids to an international school, at least while we decided whether we like it or not. If we decided to move back the least disruption the better.

I'm also concerned that the current economic situation will have a significant impact on the provision of education within the state system.

Having said all that, I'm yet to hear anything truly positive about the international schools. Be good to hear some more experiences of both state and private schools.

some international schools are very good - one around here is now a truly bilingual school & I'd have no problems sending my kids there if I was going that route

I know my co-mod jojo had good experiences with International school with her two - they were much older though - for a young child I'd advocate state school for sure

[lynn]

Originally Posted by codex70

We're planning a move to Mallorca, initially for a year to see if we like it. For exactly the reasons you state above we wanted to send our kids to an international school, at least while we decided whether we like it or not. If we decided to move back the least disruption the better.

I'm also concerned that the current economic situation will have a significant impact on the provision of education within the state system.

Having said all that, I'm yet to hear anything truly positive about the international schools. Be good to hear some more experiences of both state and private schools.

I'll champion the International School that my children attend/ed!!!

Mine were 16,12 and 10 when we arrived, so were too old to go into Spanish education system. Plus, our intention was always that they would leave Spain once they reached 18... We could never truly say that we'd stay here and wanted to keep them within the British curriculum so that we could move back to the UK, or to another International School in another country if necessary.
Eldest did extremely well at A levels and is now studying Economics at Loughborough Uni. DD has taken her Spanish GCSE a year early (year 10) after only learning Spanish for 2 and a half years and has got an A*. She and her younger brother are thriving at school. Most of their cohort are Spanish, as well as other nationalities. No other English kids in my youngest child's year group, and I think only one other in my Daughter's class....
Obviously, it isn't a cheap option, but much cheaper than private education back in the UK, and I am convinced I'm getting value for money.

[jojo]

Originally Posted by codex70

Having said all that, I'm yet to hear anything truly positive about the international schools. Be good to hear some more experiences of both state and private schools.

I think international schools are brilliant, as long as they are affiliated to a governing body of course. My daughter initially went to a Spanish school when we arrived in Spain - she was 10. She was bullied and teased by both the English and the spanish and didnt learn a thing - she refused to, she hated it and we had to take her out in the end because she wouldnt do any work and started bunking off.

so we put her into the same international school as her brother and they both flourished and loved it. My son got excellent GCSE grades (A*, Bs, Cs) and they both became pretty much fluent. At 14, my daughter was predicted all As and Bs for her GCSEs at the international school, sadly we left there last summer. She's been in a UK state school for a year and has had renewed GCSE predictions a few Es an F and ungrades!!!!! The UK school is so far behind the stuff they did in spain and the teachers are so unbothered whether the kids work or not, so my daughter doesnt bother either - even her Spanish there, she is predicted a C!

Jo xxx

[HayleyBryant]

Thanks for all the advice! My main problem is that I would like to start her off doing a couple of mornings and week and ramp it up so she can get used to it. We have only been here a month so I don't want to unsettle her further by throwing her into school 5 days a week 9-5 when she's never been.
I have done a small amount of research and it seems most local schools are all or nothing. Some would let her do mornings only but I've read that the children can be singled out as they don't return for the afternoon session.
I have just found an international morning school that is very flexible on the number of mornings the students do so was considering doing that for a year while I research more on the local and international schools in the area so that perhaps she could start next Sept (when she's 4).
One thing that worries me slightly about local school is that I currently speak zero Spanish and would struggle to communicate with her teachers! Perhaps in a year that would be different (hopefully!).

[xabiachica]

Originally Posted by HayleyBryant

Thanks for all the advice! My main problem is that I would like to start her off doing a couple of mornings and week and ramp it up so she can get used to it. We have only been here a month so I don't want to unsettle her further by throwing her into school 5 days a week 9-5 when she's never been.
I have done a small amount of research and it seems most local schools are all or nothing. Some would let her do mornings only but I've read that the children can be singled out as they don't return for the afternoon session.
I have just found an international morning school that is very flexible on the number of mornings the students do so was considering doing that for a year while I research more on the local and international schools in the area so that perhaps she could start next Sept (when she's 4).
One thing that worries me slightly about local school is that I currently speak zero Spanish and would struggle to communicate with her teachers! Perhaps in a year that would be different (hopefully!).

I spoke pretty much zero Spanish when my 2 started - the school gate & the local bar for coffee after you drop your daughter off is a great place to learn

[onedaymaybe]

Originally Posted by lynn

I'll champion the International School that my children attend/ed!!!

Mine were 16,12 and 10 when we arrived, so were too old to go into Spanish education system. Plus, our intention was always that they would leave Spain once they reached 18... We could never truly say that we'd stay here and wanted to keep them within the British curriculum so that we could move back to the UK, or to another International School in another country if necessary.
Eldest did extremely well at A levels and is now studying Economics at Loughborough Uni. DD has taken her Spanish GCSE a year early (year 10) after only learning Spanish for 2 and a half years and has got an A*. She and her younger brother are thriving at school. Most of their cohort are Spanish, as well as other nationalities. No other English kids in my youngest child's year group, and I think only one other in my Daughter's class....
Obviously, it isn't a cheap option, but much cheaper than private education back in the UK, and I am convinced I'm getting value for money.

Hi - this is a question for Lynn - could you tell me which International School your children attended? Many thanks...