I Need Help Finding A School In / Near La Marina Please!!!!

Hi Joolz30, welcome.

If you are going to be on La Marina urb, then the local public school will be the one in San Fulgencio - this is the one our daughter attended primary in (now in seniors)

Don't worry about your son. At 6 he is at a good age for starting in a Spanish school. The school is good and the teachers are dedicated and kind. He may have a few teething problems in the first week or two adjusting, but I'm sure he'll settle in fine. The teachers in this school are used to teaching foreign children, so with a lot of gestures and patience, they will get your son to understand, and he will be taken out for additional help with Spanish and other subjects until he masters enough of the language.

There are a lot of English children at this school, so he will make new friends quickly, (hopefully he will integrate with the spanish kids too) The children at this school are happy kids.

It's the older children (11 + ) that have the problems if they don't already speak, read and write well in Spanish. The atmosphere in Spanish secondary schools is less disciplined and more relaxed than in British schools. The students, having been taught self discipline from an early age, the onus is on the child to study with the support of his or her family. Regrettably a typical reaction of a British adolescent thrown into this situation is to assume that because no one is forcing them to hand in their homework, they don't need to do so. If this is allowed by the parents, they will be in danger of failing exams and falling by the wayside academically.

Our daughter started school here at 8 and apart from a few odd bullying problems, which she could have found in any school and any Country and which were soon sorted out, she was very happy there and did well. She did have problems in the first year of seniors, but that was because of her own attitude - now, in her second year she's trying harder and is doing very well again and getting good marks in her exams.

I think the standard of education is good, if done a little differently from the UK. Maths in particular is at a higher standard I feel.

Primary Students study the following subjects: Spanish language, Maths, Conocimiento del Medio (a general knowledge subject which includes biology, history, geography, general and local knowledge and social awareness), Physical Education, Art and Craft and a second language (usually English.) Where English is the subject it is taught by a specialist but there is no obligation for the pupil's own class teacher to speak English. The local dialect and culture may also be taught as a subject.

The state system also provides support teams consisting of a psychologist, social worker and speech therapist which are shared by several schools. Children normally have the same class teacher for each two-year cycle.

If you can, try to get additional support for your son with a private lesson or two at home per week. We have a Spanish man come to us for an hour a week to help our daughter on any subject that she has not fully understood by going through the topic with her. He has helped her greatly as the teacher in the school obviously can't spend an hour with each individual child to explain.

Hope this helps.

joolz30 Hi
There are a few private international schools around the wider area. one in Elche/Alicante area (Newton College), one in Alicante near airport(British School of Alicante), one in San Miguel (Mar Azul) and another in T¨vieja called El Limoniar. They all have primary and secondary levels, and the cost is about the same a day nursery care back in UK. All of the schols have a bus service that run from/to La Marina pueblo (old Village area near the beach).
You can register at any time during the year, if there is availability.
May be an option for you, even in the short term.
Hope this helps

I am not sure when you intend to come over. However be aware if you want to stand any chance of getting your child a place in School next September you will have to register them in this month. Given the over crowding at the school you may not get in at all. The School in La Marina village is in a different catchment area, so unless you live in the village you will not qualify for entry. The other option is La Hoya. The problem with La Hoya is that it has no school bus service, but it is regarded as a better school.
An additional issue with La Hoya is that it insists on the students being able to speak Valencian as well as Castilian Spanish. Making it even more difficult for English children. Most seem to be put back a year or two because of this.

I do not know what you intend to do for work over here, as that is a far bigger issue than schooling.

Hello Landlady,

Your reply was most helpfull, many thanks! I am going to be living in La Marina urb so I will look into the school you suggested, san fulganeco. Is the school on the urbanisation? If it isnt how far away is it, would I have to drive / bus it? and do you know if I can apply for a place anytime of the year? I am not going over until march and would like my son to start school as soon as possible, do you know the procedure? One very last question! What are school hours? I read on a search engine that they were 9 - 12 then 3 - 5, is this correct? they seem rather strange times? You seem like the lady with all the information so anything you can help me with I would so very much appreciate!

Joolz30

No the school is in San Fulgencio village. The children are picked up in the mornings and dropped off after school by school bus at various points on the urb. (free service) Im not sure about booking a place, and it was a long time ago when we registered our daughter - things have changed, so you're better getting advice from someone who has done this recently. School hours may have changed slightly too, though those times are approx. correct - our daughter is not in this school now so I don't know.

One thing I can tell you is that they serve lunch, (Spanish & free) for the children coming from the urb. If the child won't eat this, they will be strongly 'encouraged' There is no option for taking packed lunches, so if like us you have a difficult eater, you will need to take your child home during the lunchtime period and return them back in time for afternoon classes. We had to do this for 3 years! Seniors (instituto) starts earlier without as many breaks, and finishes at lunchtime so we no longer have to do this

You will have to buy their school books each year too.

Hi Joolz30
Glad to hear your getting somewhere with the school problem....thats what this forum is all about, helping people like you.
If you need any more info on the International school set up....please don´t hesitate to ask.
As for your long term rental situation, we may be able to assist you there, give me a PM and i´ll forward you some more info
Regards

Hi Seanmc7

Thank you for your reply, we are relocating in march next year so I still have 10 months left in the UK to sort something out. I have been told about a school near the urbanisation San falgenico which I will look into. We all have jobs to go to so that isnt a problem. Our next issue will be finding a long term rental for all of next year.......anyone looking for tennants???!!!

Thanks, Joolz30 x x x

Joolz, with regard to the school hours at San Fulgencio, my children are picked up 2 minutes away from our house at 8.30 and dropped back at 5.30 every day except wednesdays when you can either collect them from school at 1pm or they can stay for lunch and come back to the urb by bus, usually about 2.30pm. But note that in June and September they only go for half day every day because of the weather and then of course have 3 months off for the summer break. Good luck with your move!
Wendy

Hello carlnwendy,

Thankyou so much for your reply, it was most helpfull!
So, do you have childern going to San Fulgenico school at present? If you have would you mind telling me how they settled in and how they are doing? I am worried about my son who is nearly 6. I am worried he will not pick up the language and will not learn anything! Of course we will do everything we can to help him at home but we cant do it all! It has been suggested to me that we should get him extra spanish tuition when we move, did you do that for your children when you moved over there? I would have thought English tuition would be more beneficial to him?
Well I am coming over in a few weeks to sort a few things out before the big move in March, and I plan to find out as much as I can!

Also, you wouldnt happen to know anything about nurseries in La Marina would you? Are there any private English run nurseries?

Thanks again!

Joolz30 x x x