About the school

Hello everybody,

I would like to move to Spain for a job. I have a son who is 7 y/o, so my biggest fear and "problem" is connected with his school. What are the possibilities for finding the schools? Maybe somebody could tell me the first steps I could do. Thank You in advance.

Hi Rituske,

We have several friends who have their children in local schools and all have a positive experience.  But I believe you must decide whereabouts in Spain you intend living before anything else.

Thank You for reply. Yes, I know, that firstly I need to find some place where to live and work, but anyway before moving I would like to know is it easy to integrade in a Spanish school for a kid who is 7 y/o. Maybe we should prepare for something, f.e. to learn some words in Spanish. We are now in the 1st grade, next autumn we are going to be in the 2nd. Thank You for advises.

Hello rituske and welcome to Eye on Spain.

There are schools throughout Spain. Entrance to state schools is generally allocated according to your catchment area (for both primary and secondary education), so this may influence your decision on where to live. Some state schools in certain areas of Spain will teach in the dialect of the given region, instead of Spanish. So, in Catalonia, Galicia, Valencia or the Basque country, subjects may be taught in respectively Catalan, Gallego, Valencian or Basque. This is not always the case but is something to investigate, as it will mean your child will be taught in the regional dialect before learning Spanish. That said, most children master both the local dialect and Castellano (Spanish) as part of their general schooling.

Schools vary considerably in size and sophistication but often provide a strikingly caring and kind environment for small children. Schools in areas with concentrated foreign populations may lag behind the general standards, as students don't speak Spanish as a first language and it can hold back the academic progress of the classes. You may want to find a satisfactory school for your children before choosing a property, otherwise your child might not be eligible to go to your preferred school.

It is impossible to advise anyone on financial matters without full facts of their circumstances and objectives. You will need income of about 20,000 euro per year from somewhere to have basic standard of living. Skivvy job (barmaid, cleaner, fruit picker, etc) in Spain is very low pay and usually illegal work.

You are getting good advice here already.We came to Spain when our son was 10. He was speaking     Spanish within 6 months.We had a tutor for him too.Usually expats have to repeat a year.Even though he is fluent work and training was impossible so we returned to UK when he was 16.. Yes schools are caring  environments  but the subjects and homework is tedious and detailed.

I would be more concerned about work for yourself but you do not say what your qualifications are. Some mum's I know get classroom assistants jobs in private schoolsector but other families struggled and took hours in work unsuited to the children's needs so returned to UK.

Research Health care too. Your son may be covered  but you would be expected to pay into it. We transferred to Spanish health system and we found it different but good.

Spanish extended family life is interesting to observe and very close knit. There is still great freedom for children to play outside safely.

Contrary to what many think Spain can be very cold and windy in Winter. Inside our house is colder than standing out in the sun!  Pool fun is seasonal.

Let nothing deter you from a bit of adventure.Best wishes

The last thing you should be worried about is your child's education... Reading between the lines I think you are a single mother ...so you are going to struggle in Spain ...even if you could speak Spanish fluently you are going to find it hard to juggling a job  and trying to look after your child's welfare ...the Spanish welfare system does not offer you the support that you are  receiving in the UK  /Family tax credit/Family allowance/Rates reduction/DSS help to pay your rent....sorry to be blunt but all that Spain has to offer you is the sunshine around 7 month's per year ...and low wages.

Rita is from Lithuania and earns 500-600 euros per month. For some reason she believes that would be adequate in Spain for her and her son including property rental costs. Perhaps the better option for her would be UK benefits paradise land whilst the door is still open.

Oh, seems I am getting lot of "negative" messages that better not to go to Spain:( Well, I agree with Your comments, but also I don't know what to do to make life more simple...

You seem to be confused.... So I don't think running off to Spain will  Help the matter ...you did not say what country you are from so ..I assumed you are from the UK.apparently you are from Lithuania ...this is something I cannot comment on ..regarding cost of living in you country .

In Spain, a lot of good cities to live. Therefore, perezzhat there is a good choice.

Good afternoon! My name is Victoria, I am a representative of a bilingual (Spanish/English) Montessori school in Murcia. We offer full-time and distance learning, as well as summer camps for children from 5 to 18 years old.

This Saturday, March 12, we will have an Open Day.

We offer experienced teachers of the British system who will help secondary school students prepare for the British International GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) exams and for the Edexcel International Advanced Levels exams to enter a British University or any other international one.