# Want to move to Valencia



## Yolly

Any thoughts on moving to Valencia. Is it a nice place to live? My children would need to go to an international school. I have heard of Caxton College and Los Olivos. Any thoughts? Do either of those have a good reputation? Where would be a good location to live? Near to be no more than 30 minutes form airport but close enough to a good international school?Any thoughts or ideas very much welcome!

Thanks
Yolly


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## SteveHall

Why would they "need" to go to an International College? 

Why Valencia?


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## jojo

SteveHall said:


> Why would they "need" to go to an International College?
> 
> Why Valencia?



IMO, international schools are much better Steve!!!! and as you know I've done some extensive research!! If you have the money - then IMO, its the way to go!!!!

And why Valencia ???LOL

Jo xxx


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## Yolly

SteveHall said:


> Why would they "need" to go to an International College?
> 
> Why Valencia?


Hi Steve.
We live in uk and would like to live in a warmer climate for a few years. Our kids are all under 8yrs. We aim to be in uk for their secondary education, but have a window of opportunity about 5 years when we could go and live in a warmer climate and experience a different way of life. My husband would still have to do alot of work in the uk so we don't want to be too far from uk, so being near an airport is essential. Spain and Portugal both appeal to us. Because we intend on returning to uk for our childrens' secondary education, it is importnat that they remain in the british education system and therefore attend an international/british school. If we were staying abroad for ever, I would definitely put them in local schools. So, that's why "international schooling". Secondly, why Valencia? Well, the main ariports and towns are Barcelona, Madrid or Valencia, I guess. Madrid is inland, so Barcelona or Valencia would appeal more.

Either that or the Algarve in Portugal might be a possibility.
Any thoughts / comments / advice?

regards
Yolly


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## jojo

Yolly said:


> Hi Steve.
> We live in uk and would like to live in a warmer climate for a few years. Our kids are all under 8yrs. We aim to be in uk for their secondary education, but have a window of opportunity about 5 years when we could go and live in a warmer climate and experience a different way of life. My husband would still have to do alot of work in the uk so we don't want to be too far from uk, so being near an airport is essential. Spain and Portugal both appeal to us. Because we intend on returning to uk for our childrens' secondary education, it is importnat that they remain in the british education system and therefore attend an international/british school. If we were staying abroad for ever, I would definitely put them in local schools. So, that's why "international schooling". Secondly, why Valencia? Well, the main ariports and towns are Barcelona, Madrid or Valencia, I guess. Madrid is inland, so Barcelona or Valencia would appeal more.
> 
> Either that or the Algarve in Portugal might be a possibility.
> Any thoughts / comments / advice?
> 
> regards
> Yolly



Málaga has a good airport - in fact it'll be amazing when its finished!! But its nice that you have managed to narrow your choices down a bit, so many folk havent a clue where they want to be and Spain is an enormous country. 

I dont know about the international schools in Valencia I'm afraid. What you need to do is come over and have a good look around!!

Jo xxx


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## SteveHall

Valencia is no way third as an airport!! It´s the third city in terms of population but only 10th in terms of flights and generally not great for UK flights. Probably not even top 10 for UK flights. 

Better bets in your circumstances? Málaga, Alicante. 

I like all three areas and with you not knowing any of the areas well I´d say to get yourself over here, "interview" the schools and see what "fits". 

Os deseo mucha suerte ...and YES ...learn Spanish.


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## Yolly

grahunt said:


> Happy to help out. I know about all the international schools here and my wife works in one of them, the best of course.
> PM me any questions relating to your move exactly.
> 
> Regards From Valencia
> Graham


Dear Graham,

As I mentioned previously, we are just looking to escape the uk for up to 5 years, whilst our children are still young. Our eldest is 8yrs old and we plan to move back to the uk when the children get to secondary level. 

In the meantime, it would be lovely to experience a different life style in a warmer climate and really get the most out of life. My husband would have to continue working in the uk as he runs a family business but he is considering the possibility of joining us for weeks at a time and spending quality time with us as a family. 

That is why we need to pick a destination near to a main airport so he can return to Bournemouth airport in the south of uk. I know Bournemouth does flights to Barcelona, Valencia and Alicante. I have never been to Valencia but from what I have researched it looks like a very appealing place to live. Is it a nice place to bring up children? We wouldn't really want to be inland. Love the coast.

As well as choosing a destination near to one of those airports, we would need to be near a good international primary school. My children go to a prep school in uk, so we are happy for them to go to a fee-paying school. Bearing in mind we would plan to return to uk, it is important that they follow the national curriculum and do not fall behind too much.

Where does your wife teach? Could you recommend some good schools and good areas to live in and around Valencia or do you think we should be considering a different destination? Malaga? It would have to be a place you could fly to from Bournemouth.

Thanks for listening. I appreciate any light you can shed on the topic!

Kind regards

Yolly


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## Yolly

jojo said:


> Málaga has a good airport - in fact it'll be amazing when its finished!! But its nice that you have managed to narrow your choices down a bit, so many folk havent a clue where they want to be and Spain is an enormous country.
> 
> I dont know about the international schools in Valencia I'm afraid. What you need to do is come over and have a good look around!!
> 
> Jo xxx


Hi Jo,

Don't think I have narrowed it down actually!! Basically I have to choose a destination which has flights from Bournemouth airport in the uk. That means the choice is Malaga, Alicante, Barcelona, Valencia or Mallorca??? I thnk they all have international schools, but not sure which offers the best quality of life and which is the best place to bring up a young family? Any thoughts?

Yolly


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## SteveHall

I think it is all VERY subjective. I have spent time in all those areas and ALL of them would be happy homes for me - except for Mallorca in winter! 

What I would NOT do is base my decision on Ryanair´s route map although to be fair they show Bournemouth-Valencia and the official Bournemouth Airport site does not!!! 

Bournemouth Airport : Valencia

Think what else you want - if you want quality football Valencia is the only place outside to be! Espanyol fans might disagree!


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## jojo

Yolly said:


> Hi Jo,
> 
> Don't think I have narrowed it down actually!! Basically I have to choose a destination which has flights from Bournemouth airport in the uk. That means the choice is Malaga, Alicante, Barcelona, Valencia or Mallorca??? I thnk they all have international schools, but not sure which offers the best quality of life and which is the best place to bring up a young family? Any thoughts?
> 
> Yolly


Well my thoughts are going to be based on what I've done. My husband works in Southampton - logic would tell you that he would want to be near an airport this end that flies into Southampton airport. After extensive research however, the best, most frequent and cheapest routes that we could find were Gatwick to Málaga! Hense we live near to Málaga airport. The trip in the UK to Gatwick is about 45 mins
and this end we're about 20 minutes. There are a wide variety of flights that go several times a day and at the moment flights are about 30€ return.

So then we looked at schools - well how do you choose?? Because we'd established that Málaga was our chosen area we loooked at the schools in the area. They all looked ok I guess, but what I look for isnt the school that tells me how good they are, or how great their academic results maybe. What I look at are the children. How they seem when they go in and come out of school - are they happy, are they polite, what are their parents like??? I found a school that I thought was perfect - and IMO it is! 

One thing you must remember is that most international schools teach towards the IGCSE (international) qualification, which, yes is english and excellent, but isnt necessarily compatible with the GCSE, so you may need to work out when you leave to go back to the UK, to avoid starting the course work (this would be at 14yo). That said, I'm sure that it wouldnt be a major problem??!!!

So that was the "jigsaw" nearly complete. It was then a matter of finding a town/village/property near to the school and the airport - which after three attempts we finally have! The first two properties were ok, but not perfect!

Anyway, here we are and so far, so good. We're just coming up to our 2nd year aniversary of being here and the time has flown and no regrets

Jo xxx


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## grahunt

Well the best international school in Valencia is Cambridge House where my wife works and all three of my kids go. If you want more information send me a message and I will give my wife's email address. She knows the ins and outs of the school and teaches in Primary so will know more about availability etc... 
The Bournemouth Valencia route is new this year and looks decent value as Ryanair want to get it off the ground. However Gatwick isn't too bad and flights to Valencia from Bristol also happen when Ryanair isn't having an argument with the airport authority.
The IGCSE is totally compatible with GCSE. Most expat kids here in Valencoa are actually ahead of kids in the UK because the school year intake goes Jan-Dec rather than Sept-Aug. My daughter did her Maths IGCSE at 15 years old and the AS level at 16. She has 11 IGCSE's and is dong 5 A levels after passing 8 AS levels. Her riends are doing 7 or 8 A levels as it is bnecessary to get into Spanish University (Long story don't ask) If your children's education is the priority and it should be then you cannot beat the education in the international schools around Valencia 
BUT!!! I cannot say that in other areas. results here are superb but driven by the fact that over 90% of the kids are Spanish. In the more Expat friendly areas schools tend to have the same problems as schools in the UK. I could give examples but won't on a forum. However in areas with high expat populations where over 50% of the school children are from the UK as you can imagine you have the same issues as in the UK. 
As for the schools you mentioned. Los Olivos is great too.


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## jojo

grahunt said:


> The IGCSE is totally compatible with GCSE. Most expat kids here in Valencoa are actually ahead of kids in the UK because the school year intake goes Jan-Dec rather than Sept-Aug. My daughter did her Maths IGCSE at 15 years old and the AS level at 16. She has 11 IGCSE's and is dong 5 A levels after passing 8 AS levels. Her riends are doing 7 or 8 A levels as it is bnecessary to get into Spanish University (Long story don't ask) If your children's education is the priority and it should be then you cannot beat the education in the international schools around Valencia
> .


I dont know what IGCSE your school uses but ours is with the Cambridge board and isnt at all compatable with GCSEs. That said, the IGCSE is apparently a better qualification and is highly thought of, so obviously thats the one to go for.

We were going to go back to the UK last summer and also have looked at going back this summer. We were told by several schools (private and state) in the UK and his international school here that to sit the IGCSE exams in the UK we would have to pay extra and for my son to sit the GCSE would mean that he would possibly not do so well due to the lack of course work!!

Actually we did find one school (an international school in Portsmouth) that did follow the IGCSE curriculum, but it was quite costly. 

So we will stay here now until my son has taken his exams! YAY!!

Jo xxx


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## Stravinsky

Yolly said:


> Hi Jo,
> 
> Don't think I have narrowed it down actually!! Basically I have to choose a destination which has flights from Bournemouth airport in the uk. That means the choice is Malaga, Alicante, Barcelona, Valencia or Mallorca??? I thnk they all have international schools, but not sure which offers the best quality of life and which is the best place to bring up a young family? Any thoughts?
> 
> Yolly


I live in the Valencia province. Ive travelled a bit in Spain and out of the areas you mentioned I think I'd prefer Valencia or Barcelona. Having said that Malaga would probably be a warmer all year climate. Only my personal opinion though. I dont like Alicante itself. We've been there quite a few times for one reason or another and its done nothing for me so far.

I love going to Valencia, I think it's a great city and I also liked Barcelona ... although its such a large place. Both have good transport systems though

If you dont mind moving out a little there are a string of towns all the way South of Valencia right down to Gandia which are connected by train and good road system. Valencia of course is now extended and if you look on the internet, the demise of Ryanair there wasnt the end of them


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## Tallulah

grahunt said:


> Well the best international school in Valencia is Cambridge House where my wife works and all three of my kids go. If you want more information send me a message and I will give my wife's email address. She knows the ins and outs of the school and teaches in Primary so will know more about availability etc...
> The Bournemouth Valencia route is new this year and looks decent value as Ryanair want to get it off the ground. However Gatwick isn't too bad and flights to Valencia from Bristol also happen when Ryanair isn't having an argument with the airport authority.
> The IGCSE is totally compatible with GCSE. Most expat kids here in Valencoa are actually ahead of kids in the UK because the school year intake goes Jan-Dec rather than Sept-Aug. My daughter did her Maths IGCSE at 15 years old and the AS level at 16. She has 11 IGCSE's and is dong 5 A levels after passing 8 AS levels. Her riends are doing 7 or 8 A levels as it is bnecessary to get into Spanish University (Long story don't ask) If your children's education is the priority and it should be then you cannot beat the education in the international schools around Valencia
> BUT!!! I cannot say that in other areas. results here are superb but driven by the fact that over 90% of the kids are Spanish. In the more Expat friendly areas schools tend to have the same problems as schools in the UK. I could give examples but won't on a forum. However in areas with high expat populations where over 50% of the school children are from the UK as you can imagine you have the same issues as in the UK.
> As for the schools you mentioned. Los Olivos is great too.


Steve Hall has often commented on the poor results in Spanish state schools with a high intake of expat children, so you won't have to!!!!

When you say that 90% of the kids are Spanish - are you referring to the International School where your wife works, or generally in that area the school results are great???

Tallulah.x


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## Yolly

jojo said:


> Well my thoughts are going to be based on what I've done. My husband works in Southampton - logic would tell you that he would want to be near an airport this end that flies into Southampton airport. After extensive research however, the best, most frequent and cheapest routes that we could find were Gatwick to Málaga! Hense we live near to Málaga airport. The trip in the UK to Gatwick is about 45 mins
> and this end we're about 20 minutes. There are a wide variety of flights that go several times a day and at the moment flights are about 30€ return.
> 
> So then we looked at schools - well how do you choose?? Because we'd established that Málaga was our chosen area we loooked at the schools in the area. They all looked ok I guess, but what I look for isnt the school that tells me how good they are, or how great their academic results maybe. What I look at are the children. How they seem when they go in and come out of school - are they happy, are they polite, what are their parents like??? I found a school that I thought was perfect - and IMO it is!
> 
> One thing you must remember is that most international schools teach towards the IGCSE (international) qualification, which, yes is english and excellent, but isnt necessarily compatible with the GCSE, so you may need to work out when you leave to go back to the UK, to avoid starting the course work (this would be at 14yo). That said, I'm sure that it wouldnt be a major problem??!!!
> 
> So that was the "jigsaw" nearly complete. It was then a matter of finding a town/village/property near to the school and the airport - which after three attempts we finally have! The first two properties were ok, but not perfect!
> 
> Anyway, here we are and so far, so good. We're just coming up to our 2nd year aniversary of being here and the time has flown and no regrets
> 
> Jo xxx


Hi Jo,

Fascinating to see you have done what I would love to do! Basically I am just so fed up with the climate in the uk and the fact that it makes us so indoor based all the time. I just want some warmth and want to experience a much more outdoor life style! However my husband has to cintinue his family business in the uk, so our only option is to move abroad for a few years but he travels backwards and forwards and continues to work on a flexible basis.

What is your life style like? Does the warmer weather make a big difference? What's it like in winter? Is the area bombarded with brits on holiday in the summer months or not?

Where are the good areas to buy a property?

Yes, looking at Bth airport it seems that Malaga has scheduled flights going frequently, whereas Valencia does not, so it may be a safer option. It would be terribel to move then find flights out of Bth were a problem.

Forgive my ignorance, but what is IMO? Have not come across that school on the internet? .

How did your children settle into school. There seem to be alot of international schools in Malaga area. Whcih ones have a good reputation? I totally agree that seeing happy, polite children is a key factor! Bit concerned about this non-comaptability of GCSE / IGSCEs though.

How do you find it works with your husband working in southampton. Does he get to come and spend time with you regularly? I just feel that although we would be apart as a couple some of the time, the time we would spend together would be much more quality time if we were in a nicer warmer place.

Thank you so much for your input. It helps so much to hear others' experiences.

Yolly


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## lynn

Yolly said:


> Hi Jo,
> 
> Fascinating to see you have done what I would love to do! Basically I am just so fed up with the climate in the uk and the fact that it makes us so indoor based all the time. I just want some warmth and want to experience a much more outdoor life style! However my husband has to cintinue his family business in the uk, so our only option is to move abroad for a few years but he travels backwards and forwards and continues to work on a flexible basis.
> 
> What is your life style like? Does the warmer weather make a big difference? What's it like in winter? Is the area bombarded with brits on holiday in the summer months or not?
> 
> Where are the good areas to buy a property?
> 
> Yes, looking at Bth airport it seems that Malaga has scheduled flights going frequently, whereas Valencia does not, so it may be a safer option. It would be terribel to move then find flights out of Bth were a problem.
> 
> Forgive my ignorance, but what is IMO? Have not come across that school on the internet? .
> 
> How did your children settle into school. There seem to be alot of international schools in Malaga area. Whcih ones have a good reputation? I totally agree that seeing happy, polite children is a key factor! Bit concerned about this non-comaptability of GCSE / IGSCEs though.
> 
> How do you find it works with your husband working in southampton. Does he get to come and spend time with you regularly? I just feel that although we would be apart as a couple some of the time, the time we would spend together would be much more quality time if we were in a nicer warmer place.
> 
> Thank you so much for your input. It helps so much to hear others' experiences.
> 
> Yolly


Hi Yolly,

We made the move to Mijas, 20 minutes along the coast from Malaga airport, last September with our three children. Like Jo, we have sent them to an international school in the area, and I have to say, it has gone incredibly well. My OH commutes back to Gatwick, and I would say you might want to consider that route as well as the Bournemouth route. The airlines regularly change their schedules and timetables and as Gatwick is a large airport it has a much larger choice of flights than a local airport. 

This is our first winter here and the improvement in our quality of life is immense. The kids are settled in school, have made friends of all nationalities, and spend the vast majority of their time outdoors. When my husband is here, we enjoy relaxed quality time as a family doing all the simple things like going for walks in the campo or on the beach and having family meals out. I have cut out all the millions of children's 'activities' we used to do in the UK, and the children are better off without them (trust me on that one!).

There are several international schools in the area to choose from. We visited them all and formed an opinion on which we felt was right for our three children. We have not regretted the decision we made one bit, but the school we chose is a different one from Jo, although not a million miles away. I don't doubt that the one she chose felt right for her children, and so even if you have lots of opinions from other parents, it boils down to making your own decision once you have visited them. 

Good luck with your plans. I know that it will be an exciting and rewarding experience living here in Spain if you can realise it.


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## Taurian

> Forgive my ignorance, but what is IMO? Have not come across that school on the internet? .
> 
> 
> 
> Yolly




IMO = In My Opinion. You will see this quite alot in emails. ie. LOL = Laugh Out Loud etc. IMHO = In My Honest/Humble Opinoin


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## Yolly

lynn said:


> Hi Yolly,
> 
> We made the move to Mijas, 20 minutes along the coast from Malaga airport, last September with our three children. Like Jo, we have sent them to an international school in the area, and I have to say, it has gone incredibly well. My OH commutes back to Gatwick, and I would say you might want to consider that route as well as the Bournemouth route. The airlines regularly change their schedules and timetables and as Gatwick is a large airport it has a much larger choice of flights than a local airport.
> 
> This is our first winter here and the improvement in our quality of life is immense. The kids are settled in school, have made friends of all nationalities, and spend the vast majority of their time outdoors. When my husband is here, we enjoy relaxed quality time as a family doing all the simple things like going for walks in the campo or on the beach and having family meals out. I have cut out all the millions of children's 'activities' we used to do in the UK, and the children are better off without them (trust me on that one!).
> 
> There are several international schools in the area to choose from. We visited them all and formed an opinion on which we felt was right for our three children. We have not regretted the decision we made one bit, but the school we chose is a different one from Jo, although not a million miles away. I don't doubt that the one she chose felt right for her children, and so even if you have lots of opinions from other parents, it boils down to making your own decision once you have visited them.
> 
> Good luck with your plans. I know that it will be an exciting and rewarding experience living here in Spain if you can realise it.



Lovely to hear your experiences. How often does your husband commute back and forth? Is it tough when you are on your own out there? Do you speak spanish fluently? Do you mind me asking which school you chose? Are there a number of international ones following the uk curriculum in Malaga? There does seem to be some debate regarding whether IGCSE s are compatile witj GCSE s doesn't there?
Yolly


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## Yolly

How totally embarassing! I am sorry everyone. Forgive my ignorance!!!! Not knowing what OMI meant!
Yolly


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## SteveHall

Yolly said:


> How totally embarassing! I am sorry everyone. Forgive my ignorance!!!! Not knowing what OMI meant!
> Yolly


OMI? Oblates of Mary Immaculate BOL!!!


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## lynn

Yolly said:


> Lovely to hear your experiences. How often does your husband commute back and forth? Is it tough when you are on your own out there? Do you speak spanish fluently? Do you mind me asking which school you chose? Are there a number of international ones following the uk curriculum in Malaga? There does seem to be some debate regarding whether IGCSE s are compatile witj GCSE s doesn't there?
> Yolly


My hubby makes the journey on a weekly basis, sometimes fortnightly, but tries to have a three day weekend to recharge the batteries! It has been surprisingly easy so far. Back in the UK, he would come home from work of an evening and slump infront of the TV stressing about work and not switching off. Now he immediately relaxes when he gets off the plane. I attend Spanish classes run by the townhall twice a week and am making tentative inroads into learning the language, although here in the Costa del Sol, it is possible to communicate in English a lot of the time. I am finding my feet, and finding friends gradually, and loving the experience.

My three children are much older - 16, 13 and 11 and my eldest had just done his GCSE's at a top grammar school in London last summer. It was a good point at which to move so that he would start his A levels here in Spain. We don't intend to move back to the UK, but anyway, I wouldn't want to move during the two years before GCSE's. The curriculum is taught over those two years, and as long as you stick with the same school for those years you should be ok.  We chose a school called Sunny View in Torremolinos. The name I must admit sounds like a kindergarten (and it does in fact have one!) and my 16 year old lad was a bit put out by the 'uncool' name for a bit, but they have all settled well and are progressing well academically.


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## jojo

Yes, Lynn and I have parrell lives, my OH does similar to Lynns, he usually gets here Saturday nigh/sunday morning and goes on Wednesday morning - it works great - again, just as Lynn says, more quality time, more time to relax. I have two children, 15yo boy who attends "sunlands" in Cartama (not to be confused with Sunnyview) and a 12yo daughtrer who is at a state school (we couldnt afford the fees for them both - exchange rate !?). The International school is great tho, my son has made some great friends and his spanish is brilliant - not quite fluent, but I've heard him yelling some interesting Spanish in the school playground.

And Lynn, your schools name maybe be "uncool" but have you seen our schools uniform? LOL

http://www.sunland.es/en/parents/uniform/secondary/ Its horrendous! and needs some serious ironing!


Jo xxxx


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## lynn

jojo said:


> And Lynn, your schools name maybe be "uncool" but have you seen our schools uniform? LOL
> 
> Sunland International School: Secondary Uniform Its horrendous! and needs some serious ironing!
> 
> 
> Jo xxxx


Oh my, oh my, that must really rankle when you have to hand over shed loads of hard earned cash for that one!!! I must admit, the Sunny View uniform is unoffensive, and they don't have to wear it in the sixth form which also helped 'sell' the school to my son! As the polo shirts alone cost over 20 euros, I find I shreak like a mad possessed woman if they come out of school with a bit of kit missing!

As for the exchange rate, I've been cheering it on all day. Got a big school fees bill to settle before the end of the month and I'm delaying moving the money over as its going nicely in the right direction at the moment. It won't half make a difference to lots of expats' budgets! GO STERLING!!!


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## jojo

lynn said:


> Oh my, oh my, that must really rankle when you have to hand over shed loads of hard earned cash for that one!!! I must admit, the Sunny View uniform is unoffensive, and they don't have to wear it in the sixth form which also helped 'sell' the school to my son! As the polo shirts alone cost over 20 euros, I find I shreak like a mad possessed woman if they come out of school with a bit of kit missing!
> 
> As for the exchange rate, I've been cheering it on all day. Got a big school fees bill to settle before the end of the month and I'm delaying moving the money over as its going nicely in the right direction at the moment. It won't half make a difference to lots of expats' budgets! GO STERLING!!!



yes I'm watching it too - its exciting isnt it!!!!!:clap2::clap2::clap2: 

Jo xxx


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## Yolly

jojo said:


> Yes, Lynn and I have parrell lives, my OH does similar to Lynns, he usually gets here Saturday nigh/sunday morning and goes on Wednesday morning - it works great - again, just as Lynn says, more quality time, more time to relax. I have two children, 15yo boy who attends "sunlands" in Cartama (not to be confused with Sunnyview) and a 12yo daughtrer who is at a state school (we couldnt afford the fees for them both - exchange rate !?). The International school is great tho, my son has made some great friends and his spanish is brilliant - not quite fluent, but I've heard him yelling some interesting Spanish in the school playground.
> 
> And Lynn, your schools name maybe be "uncool" but have you seen our schools uniform? LOL
> 
> Sunland International School: Secondary Uniform Its horrendous! and needs some serious ironing!
> 
> 
> Jo xxxx


Lynn and Jo,

What did you both do about property? Did you buy or rent? How did you go about sorting all that out? Sounds like a logistical nightmare? Did you turn up and rent at first close to the school you had chosen, then suss out areas and buy or did you do it differently?

Yolly


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## lynn

Yolly said:


> Lynn and Jo,
> 
> What did you both do about property? Did you buy or rent? How did you go about sorting all that out? Sounds like a logistical nightmare? Did you turn up and rent at first close to the school you had chosen, then suss out areas and buy or did you do it differently?
> 
> Yolly


We are renting a house here at the moment. I would definitely recommend renting for a while, even if you want to buy, as it takes time to get to know an area. I have been visiting this area for the past 13 years as my parents retired here, and even then, we are still finding out things we didn't know about the area! Long term rental properties are plentiful and cheap here at the moment. You should have no problem finding something appropriate. I wouldn't wait until you arrive. We came over in the April and found a house we rented direct from the owner. It was advertised in the english paper and we secured it for the following September. Having said that, there are lots of agents who can help you. 

Plus, people travel a bit further to go to international schools round here, so you can expand your search to quite a variety of areas. My commute is 20 mins along the motorway, but there is a train line that the kids use once or twice a week.

It can take a few visits to visit schools and drive round areas to live, then once you have narrowed things down a bit it all starts to slot into place! I really enjoyed the planning stage, although sometimes it seems overwhelming and can cause a few sleepless nights! Just keep doing your research and I'm sure everyone will try to pass on info if you ask.


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## jojo

We used "google earth" a lot when we were planning. We pin pointed the school and the airport - we wanted to be near the sea, but not too near, we wanted to be near a town, but again not too near. Once we narrowed it down, we came over and looked at the nearest towns and properties. We're about a 20 minute drive from the school (which is cionse¡idered quite close in comparison to some!!) and actually that is one bad thing about international schools, their friends inevitably live miles away, which means lots of driving for visits and sleepovers (sleepovers are a pet hate of mine lol)

Renting is best to start with, as Lynn says its the safest bet - what you think you want while browsing in the UK isnt necessarily what you want once you're in situ. Also we rent our UK house out to my grown up daughters, so that covers the expenses there and give my hubby a UK base! It is working out really well!

Jo xxx


----------



## Yolly

jojo said:


> We used "google earth" a lot when we were planning. We pin pointed the school and the airport - we wanted to be near the sea, but not too near, we wanted to be near a town, but again not too near. Once we narrowed it down, we came over and looked at the nearest towns and properties. We're about a 20 minute drive from the school (which is cionse¡idered quite close in comparison to some!!) and actually that is one bad thing about international schools, their friends inevitably live miles away, which means lots of driving for visits and sleepovers (sleepovers are a pet hate of mine lol)
> 
> Renting is best to start with, as Lynn says its the safest bet - what you think you want while browsing in the UK isnt necessarily what you want once you're in situ. Also we rent our UK house out to my grown up daughters, so that covers the expenses there and give my hubby a UK base! It is working out really well!
> 
> Jo xxx


Lynne and Jo,

With your husbands who commute to uk, how do you find the logistics and cost of this commute, ie: the cost of getting to and from the airport each week? Do they get a taxi UK end or leave a car at the uk airport? A flight each week must be very expensive too?

There seem to be a few other schools in the Malaga area: St.Anthony's, St.George's and the British college at Benalmadena. Have you heard anything about any of these? Are class sizes good in the international schools? My kids are used to say 15 in a class.

Yolly


----------



## lynn

Yolly said:


> Lynne and Jo,
> 
> With your husbands who commute to uk, how do you find the logistics and cost of this commute, ie: the cost of getting to and from the airport each week? Do they get a taxi UK end or leave a car at the uk airport? A flight each week must be very expensive too?
> 
> There seem to be a few other schools in the Malaga area: St.Anthony's, St.George's and the British college at Benalmadena. Have you heard anything about any of these? Are class sizes good in the international schools? My kids are used to say 15 in a class.
> 
> Yolly


Well, obviously we did our financial planning quite carefully to make sure that the costs didn't outweigh the benefits. I drive my hubby to the airport and back, although he could go on the bus/train if push came to shove. I would think that with young children who can't be left on their own, you might need to consider how you logistically do the commute to the airport. At Gatwick there is a fast train service to London where he works. 

We looked at St Anthony's and the British College at Benalmadena, as well as British International College, Benalmadena, Calahonda College (now closed), Swans, Aloha. Not for us, for various reasons..... 

Class sizes should be similar to those you are used to in UK Prep schools. Remember, the schools here will have children in them right through from kindergarten to 18year olds which makes for a different attitude. The older ones at Sunny View go and help with the little ones with reading and such. They are adored by the little ones and it all makes for a really happy family feel.


----------



## jojo

Yolly said:


> Lynne and Jo,
> 
> With your husbands who commute to uk, how do you find the logistics and cost of this commute, ie: the cost of getting to and from the airport each week? Do they get a taxi UK end or leave a car at the uk airport? A flight each week must be very expensive too?
> 
> There seem to be a few other schools in the Malaga area: St.Anthony's, St.George's and the British college at Benalmadena. Have you heard anything about any of these? Are class sizes good in the international schools? My kids are used to say 15 in a class.
> 
> Yolly



I drive mine to the airport - its 20 mins and no trouble, he leaves his UK car at our grown up daughters house (she lives in Redhill, which is nearby) and either she picks him up/drops him off or he gets a taxi to her place. The flights vary, but he usually gets flights for around 30€ return (he's become an expert at finding the cheap flights!) which is about what he saves in petrol by not driving to work and back when he's in Spain. So financially we roughly break even.

Schools in the area - well we looked at St Anthonys and one of the Benalmadena colleges (there are two and I cant remember which one). Anyway, niether appealed to us. We were due to see the school that Lynns kids go to, but when we saw Sunlands, that was it!! I knew that was the right school for us! There are 13 kids in my sons class - only four boys and five spanish girls!!!!

Interestingly, there has been an influx of St Anthony students coming to Sunlands recently - read into that what you will?? Has that happened at your school Lynn????

Jo xxx


----------



## lynn

jojo said:


> Interestingly, there has been an influx of St Anthony students coming to Sunlands recently - read into that what you will?? Has that happened at your school Lynn????
> 
> Jo xxx


I believe there were a couple of St Anthony students taking the entrance test with mine last September if I remember correctly. They weren't in the same school years so I don't know if they are now students at Sunny View or not. There is a new student starting next month in my youngest's class who might have moved from there.?... I do know that I wasn't at all impressed with the school myself when I went to see it.


----------



## SteveHall

Do they teach maths too? 

There are 13 kids in my sons class - only four boys and five spanish girls!!!!


MMMMMMMMMMMM


----------



## jojo

SteveHall said:


> Do they teach maths too?
> 
> There are 13 kids in my sons class - only four boys and five spanish girls!!!!
> 
> 
> MMMMMMMMMMMM


ok, ok 4 boys, 5 SPANISH girls and 4 ENGLISH GIRLS!!!!!!!

duh!!!!!!!

Jo xxxxx


----------



## Yolly

lynn said:


> Well, obviously we did our financial planning quite carefully to make sure that the costs didn't outweigh the benefits. I drive my hubby to the airport and back, although he could go on the bus/train if push came to shove. I would think that with young children who can't be left on their own, you might need to consider how you logistically do the commute to the airport. At Gatwick there is a fast train service to London where he works.
> 
> We looked at St Anthony's and the British College at Benalmadena, as well as British International College, Benalmadena, Calahonda College (now closed), Swans, Aloha. Not for us, for various reasons.....
> 
> Class sizes should be similar to those you are used to in UK Prep schools. Remember, the schools here will have children in them right through from kindergarten to 18year olds which makes for a different attitude. The older ones at Sunny View go and help with the little ones with reading and such. They are adored by the little ones and it all makes for a really happy family feel.


Just want to thank everyone was has answered my posts today. You have all been so incredibly helpful. I appreciate how time consuming it is responding to others' posts. All your thoughts and experiences are invaluable, so thank you. 

Yolly


----------



## chrisnation

*... worth 1000 words*



Yolly said:


> Just want to thank everyone was has answered my posts today. You have all been so incredibly helpful. I appreciate how time consuming it is responding to others' posts. All your thoughts and experiences are invaluable, so thank you.
> 
> Yolly


Well, Hello Yolly ... [Suddenly I'm coming over all Louis Armstrong]

You've had them talk the talk. All that stuff about schools - very necessary but not actually _fun_. Now I will show you a little of what you see if you walk the walk in Valencia. If you click 'em, they BLOW UP! 

















































































And that, folks, is what we come for.


----------



## chrisnation

*and some to make up for all that stuff about airports.*

Sorry all the wine bottles are empty. That's the way it goes ...! Buen provecho! as Jorge and his mates are wishing one and all.


----------



## Taurian

chrisnation said:


> Well, Hello Yolly ... [Suddenly I'm coming over all Louis Armstrong]
> 
> You've had them talk the talk. All that stuff about schools - very necessary but not actually _fun_. Now I will show you a little of what you see if you walk the walk in Valencia. If you click 'em, they BLOW UP!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Nice pics!!! thanks for sharing.


----------



## Pesky Wesky

Yolly said:


> Just want to thank everyone was has answered my posts today. You have all been so incredibly helpful. I appreciate how time consuming it is responding to others' posts. All your thoughts and experiences are invaluable, so thank you.
> 
> Yolly


Well who doesn't like a good old gossip!

As for Valencia, what's the science musuem like there? Anybody know the Caixa museum near Madrid??


----------



## Pesky Wesky

chrisnation said:


> Well, Hello Yolly ... [Suddenly I'm coming over all Louis Armstrong]
> 
> You've had them talk the talk. All that stuff about schools - very necessary but not actually _fun_. Now I will show you a little of what you see if you walk the walk in Valencia. If you click 'em, they BLOW UP!
> .


I like the pics. Did you take them yourself??


----------



## Yolly

chrisnation said:


> Sorry all the wine bottles are empty. That's the way it goes ...! Buen provecho! as Jorge and his mates are wishing one and all.


Love the photos. Very inspiring. Thank you.

Yolly


----------



## chrisnation

I've spent some time working in Malaga. Stayed in a flat very central - 5 mins walk to the covered market. Enjoyed it a lot.

So for the sake of a bit of balance, here are some smudges of the place.

In my opinion the only advantages Malaga has over Vlc are 1] marginally better weather 2] An airport that maxes out on UK flights - but it does so because 10 million _ennits_ pass thru' p.a. 3] Home of the wine that I first got to grips with seriously - aged 12. 

Folks - I started early, thanks to my school moving to Estepona Jan-March 1963. Me and my mate George 'Speccy' Ferguson were down the bodega every Sat after football on Estepona's town pitch - all sand and stones, bit of a diff from our pitch up in the Lake District, where we had to clear the sheep before a game - yes, down the bodega for a bottle of Malaga each and a mille feuille from the pasteleria. 

What did Major Dunlop, the head think of this? Well, it was he who taught me the very useful phrase, "cuatro vinos tintos, por favor" as he used it several times a night after consistently losing [with his partner Commander MacPherson RN - Maths] to two of my mates at shove-ha'penny doubles. Losers bought winners a round. Very sporting chap, our head. Bringing the shove ha'penny board, that is.

Not so Mr. Williams [French]. His 'classroom' was a hut on the service track to the back of the kitchens from the main road from Estepona south. Every Friday, the kitchen would have a pig brought in off the hills, dragged squealing past our hut with a rope round one front leg. Hung up outside the kitchens and, with ear-splitting shrieking - very exciting! - it was killed by a stoke across the throat. Mr. W would never let us out for the coup-de-grace, although the lesson was always within 5 mins of ending. We used to rush out as the last of the blood was topping up the bucket. Pork for lunch, Saturdays! Topping! Wizzard!

If you think all this sounds a bit Jennings and Darbyshire, check The Daily Express & Daily Mail archives for the period. We're all in there, dancing flamenco with the local lovlies, mule trekking in the hills, maths lessons [staged] on the beach.

So how do schools compare now? Not so much fun, by a country mile. And I bet your sprogs never have to carry the art mistress [in our case Mrs Jamwrack - approx 15 stone] 2kms from the roadside outside Estepona, where me and Speccy found her slumped on a milestone "tired and emotional", back to base. 

Being gentlemen in short trs, Speccy & I never breathed a word to anyone. These days, the school would have been on the rack for us not being in hi-viz. And as for Mrs Jamwrack, they'd lock her up and throw away the key.

As cities, I'd say they compare socially, economically and culturally - Malaga to Valencia - as say Leeds to Glasgow.


----------



## Pesky Wesky

chrisnation said:


> I've spent some time working in Malaga. Stayed in a flat very central - 5 mins walk to the covered market. Enjoyed it a lot.
> 
> So for the sake of a bit of balance, here are some smudges of the place.
> 
> In my opinion the only advantages Malaga has over Vlc are 1] marginally better weather 2] An airport that maxes out on UK flights - but it does so because 10 million _ennits_ pass thru' p.a. 3] Home of the wine that I first got to grips with seriously - aged 12.
> 
> Folks - I started early, thanks to my school moving to Estepona Jan-March 1963. Me and my mate George 'Speccy' Ferguson were down the bodega every Sat after football on Estepona's town pitch - all sand and stones, bit of a diff from our pitch up in the Lake District, where we had to clear the sheep before a game - yes, down the bodega for a bottle of Malaga each and a mille feuille from the pasteleria.
> 
> What did Major Dunlop, the head think of this? Well, it was he who taught me the very useful phrase, "cuatro vinos tintos, por favor" as he used it several times a night after consistently losing [with his partner Commander MacPherson RN - Maths] to two of my mates at shove-ha'penny doubles. Losers bought winners a round. Very sporting chap, our head. Bringing the shove ha'penny board, that is.
> 
> Not so Mr. Williams [French]. His 'classroom' was a hut on the service track to the back of the kitchens from the main road from Estepona south. Every Friday, the kitchen would have a pig brought in off the hills, dragged squealing past our hut with a rope round one front leg. Hung up outside the kitchens and, with ear-splitting shrieking - very exciting! - it was killed by a stoke across the throat. Mr. W would never let us out for the coup-de-grace, although the lesson was always within 5 mins of ending. We used to rush out as the last of the blood was topping up the bucket. Pork for lunch, Saturdays! Topping! Wizzard!
> 
> If you think all this sounds a bit Jennings and Darbyshire, check The Daily Express & Daily Mail archives for the period. We're all in there, dancing flamenco with the local lovlies, mule trekking in the hills, maths lessons [staged] on the beach.
> 
> So how do schools compare now? Not so much fun, by a country mile. And I bet your sprogs never have to carry the art mistress [in our case Mrs Jamwrack - approx 15 stone] 2kms from the roadside outside Estepona, where me and Speccy found her slumped on a milestone "tired and emotional", back to base.
> 
> Being gentlemen in short trs, Speccy & I never breathed a word to anyone. These days, the school would have been on the rack for us not being in hi-viz. And as for Mrs Jamwrack, they'd lock her up and throw away the key.
> 
> As cities, I'd say they compare socially, economically and culturally - Malaga to Valencia - as say Leeds to Glasgow.


Ha ha ha!!
You have got to be making this up!! 
George 'Speccy' Ferguson, squealing pigs, cuatro vinos tintos por favor, and Mrs Jamwrack!!!
Or is it a case of the truth is stranger than fiction?????????
When are you going to publish the book??


----------



## grahunt

*For Once I disagree Chris*

Comparing Valencia to Malaga culturally is more like comparing Widnes (My hometown) to London with Valencia getting the good part of the comparison. Talking about the cities themselves of course. Your photos are stunning by the way.



chrisnation said:


> I've spent some time working in Malaga. Stayed in a flat very central - 5 mins walk to the covered market. Enjoyed it a lot.
> 
> So for the sake of a bit of balance, here are some smudges of the place.
> 
> In my opinion the only advantages Malaga has over Vlc are 1] marginally better weather 2] An airport that maxes out on UK flights - but it does so because 10 million _ennits_ pass thru' p.a. 3] Home of the wine that I first got to grips with seriously - aged 12.
> 
> Folks - I started early, thanks to my school moving to Estepona Jan-March 1963. Me and my mate George 'Speccy' Ferguson were down the bodega every Sat after football on Estepona's town pitch - all sand and stones, bit of a diff from our pitch up in the Lake District, where we had to clear the sheep before a game - yes, down the bodega for a bottle of Malaga each and a mille feuille from the pasteleria.
> 
> What did Major Dunlop, the head think of this? Well, it was he who taught me the very useful phrase, "cuatro vinos tintos, por favor" as he used it several times a night after consistently losing [with his partner Commander MacPherson RN - Maths] to two of my mates at shove-ha'penny doubles. Losers bought winners a round. Very sporting chap, our head. Bringing the shove ha'penny board, that is.
> 
> Not so Mr. Williams [French]. His 'classroom' was a hut on the service track to the back of the kitchens from the main road from Estepona south. Every Friday, the kitchen would have a pig brought in off the hills, dragged squealing past our hut with a rope round one front leg. Hung up outside the kitchens and, with ear-splitting shrieking - very exciting! - it was killed by a stoke across the throat. Mr. W would never let us out for the coup-de-grace, although the lesson was always within 5 mins of ending. We used to rush out as the last of the blood was topping up the bucket. Pork for lunch, Saturdays! Topping! Wizzard!
> 
> If you think all this sounds a bit Jennings and Darbyshire, check The Daily Express & Daily Mail archives for the period. We're all in there, dancing flamenco with the local lovlies, mule trekking in the hills, maths lessons [staged] on the beach.
> 
> So how do schools compare now? Not so much fun, by a country mile. And I bet your sprogs never have to carry the art mistress [in our case Mrs Jamwrack - approx 15 stone] 2kms from the roadside outside Estepona, where me and Speccy found her slumped on a milestone "tired and emotional", back to base.
> 
> Being gentlemen in short trs, Speccy & I never breathed a word to anyone. These days, the school would have been on the rack for us not being in hi-viz. And as for Mrs Jamwrack, they'd lock her up and throw away the key.
> 
> As cities, I'd say they compare socially, economically and culturally - Malaga to Valencia - as say Leeds to Glasgow.


----------



## lynn

grahunt said:


> Comparing Valencia to Malaga culturally is more like comparing Widnes (My hometown) to London with Valencia getting the good part of the comparison. Talking about the cities themselves of course. Your photos are stunning by the way.


It depends on your definition of culture. If you mean high brow culture, then I'm sure that you are right to put Valencia above Malaga (although to make the comparison of London and Widnes is going a bit extreme!), but if you look at popular culture, Malaga is oozing with it.


----------



## SteveHall

Black is the new White. Málaga is the new Widnes. I hate to think what Ditton or Simms Cross will be! 

Anybody got a video of the Semana Santa parade at hand? I´ll check whether it was from the Aldea or Thatto Heath! 

Have a great week, guys! 

From Steve, a great fan of BOTH cities!


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## jojo

The odd occasions that I've been into Málaga city I've loved it, its beautiful, very "Spanish" and historical in parts and very cosmopolitan and modern in others (I'm sure theres some scummy areas too, but I didnt see em)!! Culture is one of those words that means something different to everyone. But doesnt really have much baring on day to day living

Jo xxx


----------



## chrisnation

jojo said:


> The odd occasions that I've been into Málaga city I've loved it, its beautiful, very "Spanish" and historical in parts and very cosmopolitan and modern in others (I'm sure theres some scummy areas too, but I didnt see em)!! Culture is one of those words that means something different to everyone. But doesnt really have much baring on day to day living
> 
> Jo xxx


_Doesn't have much 'baring_' [sic] - let's make that bearing - _on day to day living_?! A culture is the matrix in which daily living gets done! 

Culture is a word that has been subverted into a narrower meaning associated with 'The Arts'. This is wrong. Culture has a broader sweep than that.

I'm happy with the Oxford Concise Dictionary's definition - it is what I had in mind when I used the word in my post :_ "The customs, ideas and social behaviour of a particular people or group."_

So absolutely everywhere has a culture - even Widnes. There may or may not be opera houses, City of Art & Sciences complexes or just an Odeon, a Tesco & Aldi and a rugby league ground - it's all the culture of that community.

The fact that you loved the "Spanishness" of Malaga hits the nail on the head. That's its culture showing through and you connecting with it.

But it is true that places vary with the breadth and depth of their cultural sweep. I would say that Malaga shows every sign of having a greater breadth of culture than Milton Keynes but less so than Valencia. Where Widnes fits in, dunno. If Eddie Waring were still alive, we could ask him but he's been off for the great early bath in the sky for quite some time now.

That's all. Nothing to do with art, though art-stuff _does make a contribution_. Everything to do with the richness of the texture of those places.


----------



## jojo

chrisnation said:


> _Doesn't have much 'baring_' [sic] - let's make that bearing - _on day to day living_?! A culture is the matrix in which daily living gets done!
> 
> Culture is a word that has been subverted into a narrower meaning associated with 'The Arts'. This is wrong. Culture has a broader sweep than that.
> 
> I'm happy with the Oxford Concise Dictionary's definition - it is what I had in mind when I used the word in my post :_ "The customs, ideas and social behaviour of a particular people or group."_
> 
> So absolutely everywhere has a culture - even Widnes. There may or may not be opera houses, City of Art & Sciences complexes or just an Odeon, a Tesco & Aldi and a rugby league ground - it's all the culture of that community.
> 
> The fact that you loved the "Spanishness" of Malaga hits the nail on the head. That's its culture showing through and you connecting with it.
> 
> But it is true that places vary with the breadth and depth of their cultural sweep. I would say that Malaga shows every sign of having a greater breadth of culture than Milton Keynes but less so than Valencia. Where Widnes fits in, dunno. If Eddie Waring were still alive, we could ask him but he's been off for the great early bath in the sky for quite some time now.
> 
> That's all. Nothing to do with art, though art-stuff _does make a contribution_. Everything to do with the richness of the texture of those places.


Yep, all of that stuff!!! In the meantime life goes on and I Málagas a really lovely place - altho driving and parking if you dont know where you're going is a pain!


jo xxx


----------



## elusius

*living in valencia*



Yolly said:


> Any thoughts on moving to Valencia. Is it a nice place to live? My children would need to go to an international school. I have heard of Caxton College and Los Olivos. Any thoughts? Do either of those have a good reputation? Where would be a good location to live? Near to be no more than 30 minutes form airport but close enough to a good international school?Any thoughts or ideas very much welcome!
> 
> Thanks
> Yolly


Hi, congratulations, you have evolved already from being a normal ex pat and choosing to live in an English urbanised ghetto, to being a part of one of the most vibrant cities in the world. I have lived here for several years, having moved from Gandia, when the decision to move was made when the restaurant next door started fish and chips on a friday and quiz night the following evening. Valencia has an abundance of excellent schools. The best international schools are Cambridge House and Caxton College. Caxton is a more formal school and has a heavy emphasis on religious studies. Cambridge is more open and easy going but still maintains its position as one the top Spanish schools with excellant exam grades. Los Olivas is not a good option. It does not matter if you live on the outskirts of Valencia as there is a superb infrastructure with metro, buses, trains and new motorways that take virtually into the city. I live in Pobla, which is about 10 miles out, but with the new CV35, it is a matter of minutes, and unlike an English city, there are loads of places to park. Valencia is brilliant, there is always something happening, normally involving alot of serious fireworks, they are always building something new that is either highly contraversial or far too expensive, but they dont care. The city is very people friendly, with loads of lovely parks, tons of cycle tracks(new ones every week), cheap bars and restaurants and one of the best beaches in Spain. The old city is an absolute gem and the council are very proud of it, and it shows where they have lavished money on it.


----------



## hola77

SteveHall said:


> Valencia is no way third as an airport!! It´s the third city in terms of population but only 10th in terms of flights and generally not great for UK flights. Probably not even top 10 for UK flights.
> 
> Better bets in your circumstances? Málaga, Alicante.
> 
> I like all three areas and with you not knowing any of the areas well I´d say to get yourself over here, "interview" the schools and see what "fits".
> 
> Os deseo mucha suerte ...and YES ...learn Spanish.




Hola Steve & Holly...


Steve u seem to have a great knowledge pof this triangular area of malaga alicante & the city Im plannin to move to now! Valencia....

Im a bit diiferent in that tengo 27 anos and have no ties... am a primary school teacher in Dublin Ireland and hope to make the move in aug- sept 2011 for year, two or maybe longer.....

I'd still love Valencia but your reasoning that its 10th in terms of airport linkage ( and if Uk has poor valencian services that Ireland & Dub will have worse surely!


regards...

hola77


----------



## hola77

thank s Steve... i think im goin to take some of your previous advice to another poster and just get ou there for a few days and get a feel for the place..maybe even pop to these schools in question altho the visit willl be over the xmas period so I guess I wont be able 2drop too many cv's off... It'll be the last couple of days of Dec.. 27th- 30th or 31st.. Will this be a good time to scope out valencia?


Gracias


----------



## Pesky Wesky

hola77 said:


> thank s Steve... i think im goin to take some of your previous advice to another poster and just get ou there for a few days and get a feel for the place..maybe even pop to these schools in question altho the visit willl be over the xmas period so I guess I wont be able 2drop too many cv's off... It'll be the last couple of days of Dec.. 27th- 30th or 31st.. Will this be a good time to scope out valencia?
> 
> 
> Gracias


Well, no, it's not an ideal time...
Companies will be running on half the staff they usually have and children's schools will be closed. Academies will most likely be closed too. The Christmas period goes from the 24th of December until the 6th of January. This year the kids don't go back to school until the 10th of January and therefore the routine's a bit broken until then. You'd be much better to come over in half term, which doesn't exist here, so everything will be running as normal.


----------



## xabiaxica

Pesky Wesky said:


> Well, no, it's not an ideal time...
> Companies will be running on half the staff they usually have and children's schools will be closed. Academies will most likely be closed too. The Christmas period goes from the 24th of December until the 6th of January. This year the kids don't go back to school until the 10th of January and therefore the routine's a bit broken until then. You'd be much better to come over in half term, which doesn't exist here, so everything will be running as normal.


exactly - the schools will be closed - surely you must have realised that hola77?


it will be a nice time to come - but not to job hunt




I had my hopes up for a longer Xmas break there for a min

my Generalitat Valenciana school calendar gives them off from 23rd Dec til 7th Jan - although that is a Friday so I reckon a lot of people will not bother sending their kids in that day


----------



## anles

xabiachica said:


> exactly - the schools will be closed - surely you must have realised that hola77?
> 
> 
> it will be a nice time to come - but not to job hunt
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I had my hopes up for a longer Xmas break there for a min
> 
> my Generalitat Valenciana school calendar gives them off from 23rd Dec til 7th Jan - although that is a Friday so I reckon a lot of people will not bother sending their kids in that day


The school calendar normally gives the breaks "ambos inclusive" which means they break up on the 22nd and go back on the 10th of January.


----------



## xabiaxica

anles said:


> The school calendar normally gives the breaks "ambos inclusive" which means they break up on the 22nd and go back on the 10th of January.


yeah I know that - but they also give out a calendar with different days coloured in different colours - the Friday 7th is definitely a school day here in Valencia

they do break up on the 22nd - the 23rd is coloured as a holiday day


----------



## hola77

thanks amigos..

oh i did realise that... im a teacher here in dublin but on the off chance that some one belonging to the school would be around during those few days in between christmas and new year.. not hugely importnt yet i spoze for job hunting but as Xabia said a nice time to come (hopefully) for few days to scope out the city.. almost had the flights booked there this evening only the airline site crashed temporarily.... ah well tomorrow for sure....

teachers all the same across international borders eh? wishin their lives away by living for their next holidays. & we well deserve em ;p

thanks 2all who are contributing on these tips and info on valencia
greatly appreciated

talk soon
H77


----------



## bernice34

Yolly said:


> Any thoughts on moving to Valencia. Is it a nice place to live? My children would need to go to an international school. I have heard of Caxton College and Los Olivos. Any thoughts? Do either of those have a good reputation? Where would be a good location to live? Near to be no more than 30 minutes form airport but close enough to a good international school?Any thoughts or ideas very much welcome!
> 
> Thanks
> Yolly


Hi Yolly,
I was very interested to read your post as it is exactly what we are hoping to do in April. We have the same dilemma. Private or State schools. Our Son is 8 and quite shy but very bright. 
Have you moved out yet and if so how are you finding it ? If you haven't I would be interested in hearing your opinion on any info you may of found out about schools. 

Thank you
Bernicelane:


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## jojo

bernice34 said:


> Hi Yolly,
> I was very interested to read your post as it is exactly what we are hoping to do in April. We have the same dilemma. Private or State schools. Our Son is 8 and quite shy but very bright.
> Have you moved out yet and if so how are you finding it ? If you haven't I would be interested in hearing your opinion on any info you may of found out about schools.
> 
> Thank you
> Bernicelane:


Hi Bernice, I cant answer for Yolly altho I know she has moved over here (not to Valencia tho). The "Private v State" schools is very much dependant on age, finances and how permanent your move is going to be???

Jo xxx


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## bernice34

jojo said:


> Hi Bernice, I cant answer for Yolly altho I know she has moved over here (not to Valencia tho). The "Private v State" schools is very much dependant on age, finances and how permanent your move is going to be???
> 
> Jo xxx


Hi Jo,

Thanks for your reply, We are coming out for a year with a view to extend if it is going well. Are finances are ok but would rather not have to fork out for school fees if the state system is adequate. Our son is 8 and very bright but quite shy. He would pick up the language without any problem ( and has already started) , what worries me is his finicky to eating. Would a state school force him to eat school meals ?( I have read this and it fills me with dread) or could he take pack lunches ? The advantage to state schools is not just financial but also the area that we like the look of, Oliva is 45 minute drive from the closest private school, so not having to drive the school run every morning/ afternoon would be a bonus. aaahhhh So much to think about but can't wait to get out there. How long have you been there ?

Thank you

Bernice xxlane:


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## xabiaxica

bernice34 said:


> Hi Jo,
> 
> Thanks for your reply, We are coming out for a year with a view to extend if it is going well. Are finances are ok but would rather not have to fork out for school fees if the state system is adequate. Our son is 8 and very bright but quite shy. He would pick up the language without any problem ( and has already started) , what worries me is his finicky to eating. Would a state school force him to eat school meals ?( I have read this and it fills me with dread) or could he take pack lunches ? The advantage to state schools is not just financial but also the area that we like the look of, Oliva is 45 minute drive from the closest private school, so not having to drive the school run every morning/ afternoon would be a bonus. aaahhhh So much to think about but can't wait to get out there. How long have you been there ?
> 
> Thank you
> 
> Bernice xxlane:


bernice, I've answered you on the other thread


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## jojo

bernice34 said:


> Hi Jo,
> 
> Thanks for your reply, We are coming out for a year with a view to extend if it is going well. Are finances are ok but would rather not have to fork out for school fees if the state system is adequate. Our son is 8 and very bright but quite shy. He would pick up the language without any problem ( and has already started) , what worries me is his finicky to eating. Would a state school force him to eat school meals ?( I have read this and it fills me with dread) or could he take pack lunches ? The advantage to state schools is not just financial but also the area that we like the look of, Oliva is 45 minute drive from the closest private school, so not having to drive the school run every morning/ afternoon would be a bonus. aaahhhh So much to think about but can't wait to get out there. How long have you been there ?
> 
> Thank you
> 
> Bernice xxlane:


I've been here just about 3 years and love it!! My children were 11 and 13 when we arrived, initially I put them both into international school, altho my 11 yr daughter wasnt keen, so we tried her in State school which she didnt like either. she was there fro a year before we finally relented and have now put her back into international school - she's finally happy!!!!

I have to say that even the primary school in international schools do tend to insist that food is eaten, some do allow packed lunches, but you still have to pay fore the lunch provided in most cases! My son was a fussy eater, well he tried to be - its eat or starve in Spain I'm afraid. Altho I think my son would choose the latter when fish is served!!!!

Jo xxx


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## jojo

......... actually, in retrospect, when my daughter was at primary spanish school, they didnt do lunches at all!! They finished at 2.45pm and had lunch at home. It wasnt until she went to secondary that lunches were provided??!

jo xxx


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## xabiaxica

jojo said:


> ......... actually, in retrospect, when my daughter was at primary spanish school, they didnt do lunches at all!! They finished at 2.45pm and had lunch at home. It wasnt until she went to secondary that lunches were provided??!
> 
> jo xxx


it's the other way round here

they have lunches at primary - they do 9-12.30 with a half hour break at 11 when they can eat a snack they have taken in

lunch is 12.30 to 3pm then classes again til 4.30


in secondary my dd does 8-2 some days with a 20 min break at some point when they can buy something in the canteen or eat a boccy from home

2 days a week she does 8-3 & gets an extra short break at some point


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## jojo

xabiachica said:


> it's the other way round here
> 
> they have lunches at primary - they do 9-12.30 with a half hour break at 11 when they can eat a snack they have taken in
> 
> lunch is 12.30 to 3pm then classes again til 4.30
> 
> 
> in secondary my dd does 8-2 some days with a 20 min break at some point when they can buy something in the canteen or eat a boccy from home
> 
> 2 days a week she does 8-3 & gets an extra short break at some point


They had a canteen at her secondary school, but the primary, I think they could take a snack in, but there wasnt time to have a proper lunch?? A 20 minute break I think???

Jo xxx


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## xabiaxica

jojo said:


> They had a canteen at her secondary school, but the primary, I think they could take a snack in, but there wasnt time to have a proper lunch?? A 20 minute break I think???
> 
> Jo xxx


actually there have been some noises made about changing the primary school hours around here to what it sounds like you have in your area

the noises have been going on for some years with no changes yet

my younger dd will be in secondary school next year with big sis & the thought of having to get them both out of the bathroom in time for an 8am start is already giving me nightmares


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## bernice34

Thank you so much for all the info.....Education is something I don't want to get wrong, I know that if he is happy then we will all be more settled. We are coming over in January for a visit so I am hoping after visiting the schools we will be able to go with our instinct and see what school is best (private or public) . Now just accommodation....that I think is going to be another can of worm as we are planing to come out in April I expect everyone will want to rent their house's out for the summer !! Any thought any one !!

Really appreciate the advice and comments...it's nice to know that lots of you guys have been through this.

Bernice lane:


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## jojo

bernice34 said:


> Thank you so much for all the info.....Education is something I don't want to get wrong, I know that if he is happy then we will all be more settled. We are coming over in January for a visit so I am hoping after visiting the schools we will be able to go with our instinct and see what school is best (private or public) . Now just accommodation....that I think is going to be another can of worm as we are planing to come out in April I expect everyone will want to rent their house's out for the summer !! Any thought any one !!
> 
> Really appreciate the advice and comments...it's nice to know that lots of you guys have been through this.
> 
> Bernice lane:


Its not easy!! Spanish schools speak Spanish, there maybe one or two British kids, but the overall language will be spanish - scary for a kid, but many many kids cope and go on to love it. My daughter didnt but hormones got involved!!!! See what you think when you look? Maybe try the Spanish school for a while and if he doesnt settle, then look again at the International. As for property? Well its not the best time of year and a lot of properties will be expensive ready for the summer rents, but they'll be some around where the owners would sooner have long term peace of mind.

The only advise I can really give you is that it is not as easy to move and live in spain as you think it will be, so be prepared for the unexpected LOL!!!!!

Jo xxx


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## bernice34

jojo said:


> Its not easy!! Spanish schools speak Spanish, there maybe one or two British kids, but the overall language will be spanish - scary for a kid, but many many kids cope and go on to love it. My daughter didnt but hormones got involved!!!! See what you think when you look? Maybe try the Spanish school for a while and if he doesnt settle, then look again at the International. As for property? Well its not the best time of year and a lot of properties will be expensive ready for the summer rents, but they'll be some around where the owners would sooner have long term peace of mind.
> 
> The only advise I can really give you is that it is not as easy to move and live in spain as you think it will be, so be prepared for the unexpected LOL!!!!!
> 
> Jo xxx


Thank Jo

Good advice...I think we will be fine.....we always have our sense of humour, I figure that can get you through a lot . We have both lived abroad before, not with children but I think that adds to the fun....We want an adventure and think we might have one !!

cheers
Bernicelane:


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