Thread: Moving to Costa Brava

Don't know the area but if you aiming for the state sector, you need to visit asap. Schools started back in September so they are already well into the first trimester. We don't have half-terms over here but the children in Colegio, Junior school, will finish school at the beginning of July until around September 11. I think I had to provide all details for Dom, passport, a copy of the empadron ( evidence that his is on the electoral role as proof of residence and obtained from the town hall)and you are also required to provide a record of the vaccinations your child has had. Children from the UK generally are not up to date with vaccinations as per Spain ,as here they vaccinated routinely for Hepatitis and do more polio jabs. Dom was sent to the local Health Centre where he was brought up to date..much to his distaste!
My son spoke limited Spanish when we came to live here full time 8 years ago. He cried on his first day ( aged 11!) although we had visited the school and put his name down the previous May. By lunch time he had loads of friends and came home full of it. Three months later he was fluent and today at 18 speaks little English during the day and only has Spanish friends. He is called Dominic ' who used to be English'. If we had sent him to an English or International School he would have been isolated from his friends in the neighbourhood.
In Spain it is considered your responsibility to get your child to study, there are exams at the end of each term and the of each year, where all subjects must be passed in order to progress. (Every child is required to purchase the textbooks for their year of study. Schools do not provide these. ) Junior school lasts until they are 12 and then they pass to Instituto for 4 years of secondary education. This completes obligatory education, ESO, after that is bachillerato leading to University or higher study. At 16 students are able to progress to Formacion Profesional, which is the equivalent of FE. My son is studying to be an Electrician at a local college and again we have to provide all of the textbooks and stationery that he needs. He will complete his qualification which is about NVQ2/3 level in two years of fulltime study.
If you need to know anything about the system just ask. I am sure others have experience of local schools in your area.
The most important thing for your kids is to start mixing with Spanish kids. If they don't they will always feel shy and awkward with learning and speaking the language. Usually they are welcomed by the Spanish children for their novelty value and are made to feel at home very quickly.