can you choose a state school?

jojo · #1 (**permalink**) 16th October 2009, 03:51 PM

I'm toying with the idea of putting my 12yo daughter back into state school. She went to one in our village last year and it was a disaster for a variety of reasons, so we sent her back to the international. however, there is apparently a really nice state school in the next town from us, I've heard good reports about it and am thinking of trying to get Ruby in! Can you simply choose which school your child attends here? Or does the ayuntamiento tell US which school she must go to??? Cos if thats the case, they'll send her to the same school she left. Also I dont want to keep changing her schools as its not gonna do her any good!!??

Jo xxx

Suenneil · #2 (**permalink**) 16th October 2009, 04:00 PM

Hi Jo

I dont know the answer! but a quick google gave me two separate sites that gave the following information, the second one has more that may be helpful to you.

Sue xcc

Page 2 - THE SPANISH EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

HOW TO REGISTER YOUR CHILD IN THE SYSTEM

To register your child in the local state school you will have to live in the catchment area which means they will be on the local town hall register (padron).

.......................................

Finding a School

In Spain, children attend a state school (primary or secondary) within a certain distance of their own home. Lists of locals school and their catchment areas can be obtained from town halls and provincial Ministry of Education offices. Those living in some rural areas may have little or no choice of schools, while those living in bigger cities such as Madrid may have a number of possibilities.

* To find a local Spanish state school (not university): Click here (in Spanish)

On arrival in a region, a family should register on the town hall list, the Padrón Municipal de Habitantes, then visit the Education Department at the Ayuntamiento. Here a school registration form and a medical certificate form (to be completed by a doctor) are issued. The medical report must include a child's full medical history and confirm that the are vaccinations all up to date.

The school registration form should be completed and include the NIE as well as other identifying information of the student's parent or guardian. This form also allows a parent to select if they want the child to be taught in Spanish or the local dialect, and whether the child should be taught religion or ethics. In state schools, Catholicism is taught, however some schools allow for other religions (Judaism, Islam) to be taught in the ethics classes.

The Education Department at the Ayuntamiento determines which school and class a child will attend and should notify the parents.

jojo · #3 (**permalink**) 16th October 2009, 04:07 PM

thanks Sue, thats not what I wanted to hear! We're registered in Alhaurin de la Torre and thats our postal address, altho our village is in between La Torre and El Grande, the school in question is in Alhaurin El Grande?? I guess I should go and ask!! But theres no way she'll go back to the school that they recommended last time!

Jo xxx

xabiachica · #4 (**permalink**) 16th October 2009, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jojo

I'm toying with the idea of putting my 12yo daughter back into state school. She went to one in our village last year and it was a disaster for a variety of reasons, so we sent her back to the international. however, there is apparently a really nice state school in the next town from us, I've heard good reports about it and am thinking of trying to get Ruby in! Can you simply choose which school your child attends here? Or does the ayuntamiento tell US which school she must go to??? Cos if thats the case, they'll send her to the same school she left. Also I dont want to keep changing her schools as its not gonna do her any good!!??

Jo xxx

you can try

you can apply for a place in the school of your choice & if there is room you might be lucky, if they think you have a good enough reason

I know people around here who have managed to move their children to different schools - even to schools in different towns

one family got their daughter into an Instituto in a different town to the one her big brother goes to - their reasoning is that he got into drugs/drink - they blame the school & the kids he hangs around with

I don't know if that's what they told the school though!

I also know people who have been refused

Xose · #5 (**permalink**) 16th October 2009, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jojo

I'm toying with the idea of putting my 12yo daughter back into state school. She went to one in our village last year and it was a disaster for a variety of reasons, so we sent her back to the international. however, there is apparently a really nice state school in the next town from us, I've heard good reports about it and am thinking of trying to get Ruby in! Can you simply choose which school your child attends here? Or does the ayuntamiento tell US which school she must go to??? Cos if thats the case, they'll send her to the same school she left. Also I dont want to keep changing her schools as its not gonna do her any good!!??

Jo xxx

JoJo,
The easiest way to find out without any commitment, is to make an appointment to see someone at the school secretariat. Ideally the Director as you would have to end up with them in any case. State your case. I'm sure that if your daughter found it hell on earth at the other school, they won't force her to go back there. You might have to spin a bit. Mention something like "you'd like her to go to a state school to ease her intigration into Spain and at 12, you don't want to mess about too much, but at the previous school, it was impossible".. or some such. Obviously he will ask why, what was the problem etc., but usually they are sympathetic - because the conselleria de educacion tell them to. Cut and dry scenario is where your daughter flatly refuses to go to the other school, you simply can not keep sending her to private and so the choice is that school or no school. The conselleria would see it as very bad practice, if they had space, to not offer you the chance.

Slightly less daunting would be to ask them for a route sheet of all the school's bus transport. If there's a stop/pickup anywhere near you (within half a km or so) you know that kids from your area definetely go to that school. This would be great ammo pre the above meeting.

Best of luck whichever way you choose to go.

Xose

Caz.I · #6 (**permalink**) 16th October 2009, 09:22 PM

As xabiachica says, you definitely have the freedom to choose to APPLY for a place in a different school, but it depends if they have a full intake that year or not. And it depends... who you are dealing with, and if they are sympathetic or not. If you are just a bit outside the catchment area, that should make a difference too, well in theory.

I know when my son was at state nursery school, and I was trying to get a place in a different one (the one opposite my house!) it was mega complicated . Both had massive waiting lists, and once he got a place in the first one, they said I could only apply to change to the second one at a certain time of year (before February or something) and even then I had to have different circumstances (ie new address - even though I couldnt actually get any closer to the nursery without moving in there), and I already worked 5 minutes away.

So I had to wait till the following year to apply, which they then said was impossible because I couldnt apply for another nursery place in a Junta de Andalucia nursery if he was already down on their computer as having one - I only wanted one, it wasnt like I was being greedy! lol.

In the end, after much lobbying (I kid you not), a way was miraculously found to bypass all this bureaucracy, and I cant even explain to you how stressful this whole experience was, but he did finally get in.

Having said all that, I think the schools process was easier in some ways, though they did not correctly award the points that they should have done (and I have been in dispute with the Junta over that too for about a year and a half, although they have now given me some of the points). I also know of some parents who couldnt get their child (aged 6) into the school which was in their catchment area!

I have heard that when it comes to schools, like a lot of things here, it makes a difference if you have a personal connection (enchufe) with the school. If not, try to make one (before you make the appointment)! If you know of any parents, preferably Spanish, with children there, they might be a help. Or at least try to find out who is a sympathetic soul there, and approach them (whilst smiling sweetly!).
Wish you luck on this one.
Caz. I

jojo · #7 (**permalink**) 16th October 2009, 09:43 PM

What bothers me is that we made a mistake before by sending her to what we now think was a bad school! but was it?? Having spoken to friends this evening, its possible (from the things they were saying) that ALL the schools that have a high proportion of expat kids are the same - and all schools in our area are full of ex pat kids - even the one that was recommended to me!! There is a dislike by the spanish of the Brit kids because the brit kids, in general dont mix, or intergrate or bother to learn the language and therefore learn nothing and become an isolated and disruptive group. There is bullying amongst the British and there is animosity between the Brits and the Spanish. Teachers tend to disregard any bullying and dont go out of their way to teach the British cos they feel they hold the whole class back. I repeat - this is a generalisation, but should I be sending my daughter back into this kind of environment. She's a bright girl, likes to work hard and enjoys learning. She loves her international school and has learnt more Spanish there than she ever did in the 9 months she was at a state school and she has a lot of friends!!!

The trouble is its so much money!

Jo xxx

Caz.I · #8 (**permalink**) 16th October 2009, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jojo

I repeat - this is a generalisation, but should I be sending my daughter back into this kind of environment. She's a bright girl, likes to work hard and enjoys learning. She loves her international school and has learnt more Spanish there than she ever did in the 9 months she was at a state school and she has a lot of friends!!!

The trouble is its so much money!

Jo xxx

Well it sounds like you have answered your own question there, Jo.
You can hear a variety of opinions about the same school, so then it comes down to whose opinions do you trust? Or whose feelings? Your own.

jojo · #9 (**permalink**) 16th October 2009, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caz.I

Well it sounds like you have answered your own question there, Jo.
You can hear a variety of opinions about the same school, so then it comes down to whose opinions do you trust? Or whose feelings? Your own.

..... and would she get into this school anyway, cos we're not in the catchment!!???

I'm gonna go and hang around the school gates next week (Its ok, I'm a mum, not a perv lol) you can tell alot by watching the mums, the kids and how they all behave when they go in and out!

decisions, decisions.........!!!!

Jo xxx

Caz.I · #10 (**permalink**) 16th October 2009, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jojo

.....

I'm gonna go and hang around the school gates next week (Its ok, I'm a mum, not a perv lol) you can tell alot by watching the mums, the kids and how they all behave when they go in and out!

decisions, decisions.........!!!!

Jo xxx

Yes, and if they come out crying hysterically, its probably not a good sign!