# moving to gran canaria



## nickywoza (Jan 17, 2011)

hi all moving to gran canaria next march, will be on my own with 2 kids one 14 so will be at school but my son will be 2 1/2, can anyone tell me on schooling for that age or nursery, hubby will be joining me in august, so do you think i would be ok bringing enough money for 6 months to get me started, anyones help would be much apreciated, not delaying anymore so will defo be coming for a better life.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

nickywoza said:


> hi all moving to gran canaria next march, will be on my own with 2 kids one 14 so will be at school but my son will be 2 1/2, can anyone tell me on schooling for that age or nursery, hubby will be joining me in august, so do you think i would be ok bringing enough money for 6 months to get me started, anyones help would be much apreciated, not delaying anymore so will defo be coming for a better life.


:welcome:

wow - moving alone with the kids - you'll sort of be in the position I was nearly 9 years ago, except my husband was at least here part time!!

I can't help with specific school info for Gran Canaria, but generally in Spain children start infantil anytime from 2 1/2 years onwards - obligatory schooling starts at 6 years of age

I imagine you'll be sending your 14 year old to International school? Don't forget to factor that into your sums


as far as having 6 months money to get you started - I don't know - the Spanish govt now requires proof of healthcare provision & income before they will issue resident certificates - it's not clear exactly what/how much they consider to be enough :confused2:


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## nickywoza (Jan 17, 2011)

xabiachica said:


> :welcome:
> 
> wow - moving alone with the kids - you'll sort of be in the position I was nearly 9 years ago, except my husband was at least here part time!!
> 
> ...


hi yes i would hope to send my daughter to spanish school as i have looked into this and it seems the best thing for her to also learn spanish. 
i will have to look into the new rules regarding healthcare and income as wasnt like that last year. hubby has to stay behing as our eldest daughter is in her final year of school and has to do exams and not fair to let her miss them, if you have any more helpful info it would be much welcomed, many thanks, nicola.x.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

nickywoza said:


> hi yes i would hope to send my daughter to spanish school as i have looked into this and it seems the best thing for her to also learn spanish.
> i will have to look into the new rules regarding healthcare and income as wasnt like that last year. hubby has to stay behing as our eldest daughter is in her final year of school and has to do exams and not fair to let her miss them, if you have any more helpful info it would be much welcomed, many thanks, nicola.x.


yes, the rules only changed in April - it's all a bit confused at the moment as to what proof they will accept - but they WILL want proof of regular income of an amount to satisfy them that you can support yourselves

I hope you don't mind me saying - but most experts would agree that putting a 14 year old into school where she doesn't know the language fluently 2 years before graduation exams wouldn't be a great idea - she'd have little to no chance of becoming fluent enough to leave school with any qualifications at all

what year was she born? that will decide how many years she'd have before she leaves school


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## brocher (Mar 21, 2011)

nickywoza said:


> hi yes i would hope to send my daughter to spanish school as i have looked into this and it seems the best thing for her to also learn spanish.
> i will have to look into the new rules regarding healthcare and income as wasnt like that last year. hubby has to stay behing as our eldest daughter is in her final year of school and has to do exams and not fair to let her miss them, if you have any more helpful info it would be much welcomed, many thanks, nicola.x.


Sorry, but I have to agree it would be very difficult for a 14yr old to cope in Spanish school. How will she even begin to understand - let alone learn - the lessons taught in a language she doesn't know? 

It's different with really little ones who have years to catch up - but at 14 they are already in exam syllabus - and she just won't have time to catch up. The syllabus will be different too, not to mention the added pressures of making new friends and adjusting to a whole new life.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Sending a 14 yo to a spanish state school wouldnt be good for her education at all. I assume she'd just starting GCSEs in the UK?? The Spanish state system doesnt have them, its a different structure and curriculum and they dont teach in english, so she'd need to be bilingual to learn enough to even catch up with her class mates. If she doesnt speak Spanish at all, then she's going to be seriously disadvantaged

Look into an international school, they mainly teach the English curriculum and in English. Of course they cost and are privately run, but its really the only sensible thing to do

Jo xxx


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## javierch (Aug 2, 2012)

I also believe she will struggle in a Spanish school at that age not just because the spanish as she can always repeat and finish a little later but I'm not sure the schools are going to have the resources for Spanish as a Second Language groups,teachers,etc and the groups will get bigger and bigger with all the cuts,different curriculum and not to mention they are talking about exams and more exams from one phase to the next like in the Franco era so she could end with not qualifications at all ,not even the basic ones which is very worrying .


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

If its any consolation to you Nicola, I'm now typing this from our home in the UK. I think when you first posted a year or so ago, we were still in Spain and I had my two teenagers in an international school. We have since returned to the UK, my daughter was 14 and my son 16 when we left Spain. The international school made it easy for them to slip back into the UK education system, my son is now doing A levels at college and my daughter is in her second year of GCSEs. When we first arrive in Spain four years ago, we did put my daughter (then 10yo) into a Spanish state school which she didnt like, yes she learnt the language, but its one thing chatting in Spanish, its another thing learning algebra, French, chemistry etc - even the maths was different and she really struggled. 

Anyway, the economic crisis meant that we needed to return to the UK, husband was fed up with commuting, our dreams of him starting a business with a friend who was already living and successfully working in Spain fell by the wayside. My children wanted to go back to the UK because they didnt like the limited subjects at their international school (my daughter never took to Spain anyway) and we lost the tenants in pour UK house, which was funding our Spanish house. 

We've been back here a year now and I have to say, that life is much easier in the UK, not just the language, but the rules, regulations, the nanny state (not the handouts, but there are rules in place that we all follow and it makes life easier). I understand about wanting something better and nicer for you and your family - I felt that myself when we first went to Spain, but quite honestly, altho I loved living in Spain it was not easy, or stress free, it wasnt cheap and relaxing and once the novelty of the weather, pool in the garden, beach down the road wore off, my children were much the same as they would have been in the UK. Wanting money, being bored and arguing all the time lol! My life was the same, shopping, cooking, cleaning, school run..... I did manage to find work after three years, but it was only part time, selling time-share YUK!!!

I guess I'm writing this cos I dont want you to feel that we're being negative and spoiling your dreams. I doubt we could do that. I wouldnt have listened when we were planning our move. I would however, suggest you give it just a couple more years in the UK to at least let your 14yo get her GCSEs ??? Spain and its islands is no longer a carefree place to relax, its harsh and struggling right now

Jo xxx


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## nickywoza (Jan 17, 2011)

thankyou all so much for your help and filling me in on the schools etc, i know it will be a struggle but to be honest it is here and i hate the fact of being so restricted here because of the weather and just hate the way things are here, i know our state makes it easy but i would rather work and have little than the life we have now. 
i will look into an english state school and see what they say, maybe if my life was a little better here i would put it off for a while and save alot more, then consider a move in a couple of years, i just feel like im wasting my life away and my dream has always been to be in gran canaria, you never know what is around the corner so want to try and if it fails at least i can say i tried. 
im seriously going to re think things yet again as i want was is 100% best for my family. its nice to know there are people who can give the advice who are in the position to, and i will come over for a holiday asap and then make my decision then. but if anyone thinks of anything else wether it be good or bad please do not hesitate to post again, many thanks, to you all your help is much appreciated.


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## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)

Nicky, your girl has to go to an International (private) School, no if, buts and ands about it. It will cost you perhaps €400 a month all in but you really have no alternative if you want whats best for your child.

Take your time and read other threads about employment, if you think the UK is bad your in for a shock when you compare it to the UK and there are NO benefits over there you can claim, nothing at all. Think very very hard about your plans. Money for six months is not enough by any means unless you or your husband have a contracted job waiting for you the day you land.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

nickywoza said:


> thankyou all so much for your help and filling me in on the schools etc, i know it will be a struggle but to be honest it is here and i hate the fact of being so restricted here because of the weather and just hate the way things are here, i know our state makes it easy but i would rather work and have little than the life we have now.
> i will look into an english state school and see what they say, maybe if my life was a little better here i would put it off for a while and save alot more, then consider a move in a couple of years, i just feel like im wasting my life away and my dream has always been to be in gran canaria, you never know what is around the corner so want to try and if it fails at least i can say i tried.
> im seriously going to re think things yet again as i want was is 100% best for my family. its nice to know there are people who can give the advice who are in the position to, and i will come over for a holiday asap and then make my decision then. but if anyone thinks of anything else wether it be good or bad please do not hesitate to post again, many thanks, to you all your help is much appreciated.


 I do understand what you're saying 100%. I felt exactly the same as you before we moved to Spain. I still feel like that and I hate living in England. But a few things I didnt realise beforehand. First and foremost is that wherever you live in the world, you need money, especially when you have children. The "I want" doesnt stop in Spain and the climate doesnt change that, in many ways, its worse because there is more to do that costs money, they dont have their family and friends, so they need more "entertaining". I can honestly say that I spent more money on my two in Spain than I do in the UK - here they just make do and get on with living, they understand the life here and know that I'm not shelling out for a water parks, theme parks etc, or a bus to somewhere

Secondly, and I didnt think about this, but saw it slowly build up after we arrived in Spain. The people in countries where there is little or no financial welfare/handouts are desperate, they really *need* work and without it starve, so begging, crime and unrest are more prevalent and their attitude in some cases against "foreigners" taking their jobs can be quite hostile. No, they dont sit on their butts as they do in the UK - they are hungry, angry and militant, so things arent quite as relaxed.

As for the school thing. In Spain, you have two choices. 

An international school that teaches the english curriculum in English to GCSEs - which you pay for 

A Spanish state school, which teaches the spanish curriculum in Spanish to general level - which is free to spanish residents, altho you do have to buy the school books


Jo xxx


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## nickywoza (Jan 17, 2011)

bob_bob said:


> Nicky, your girl has to go to an International (private) School, no if, buts and ands about it. It will cost you perhaps €400 a month all in but you really have no alternative if you want whats best for your child.
> 
> Take your time and read other threads about employment, if you think the UK is bad your in for a shock when you compare it to the UK and there are NO benefits over there you can claim, nothing at all. Think very very hard about your plans. Money for six months is not enough by any means unless you or your husband have a contracted job waiting for you the day you land.


thanks again bob for replying am going to contact the english school on monday and see what they say, we have a couple of contacts in gran canaria who my hubby is going to get onto to try and sort work before we would even think about coming over.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

nickywoza said:


> thanks again bob for replying am going to contact the english school on monday and see what they say, we have a couple of contacts in gran canaria who my hubby is going to get onto to try and sort work before we would even think about coming over.


Schools in Spain | Nabss lists a choice of 3 British/International schools

this one Welcome to Canterbury School Las Palmas lists fees at about 4,500 GBP per year, which can be paid in 10 monthly installments - there is also a matriculation fee


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## Clemmie00 (Jun 10, 2012)

I agree with the other posters, definitely DO NOT put your 14-year-old into a Spanish school. 14 is far too old to settle in and learn a new language well enough to do exams in it. My parents moved country when I was 11 and I find it incredibly difficult to settle in - and it was an English speaking school! 

I get that you want to move to Spain, but please think about your kids. Moving them to a different country if you're not positive you can afford an international school and that you'll be staying until they finish their secondary education would be very selfish, IMO. 14 is an awkward age at the best of times and moving back and forth and trying to learn a new language would make it even worse. I think a lot of Brits think, 'oh, it'll be fine, they'll learn the language and fit in and be just like the locals' but that's not really true for teenagers.

Also, remember that the economic situation in Spain will affect your child as well. Spanish teenagers and young adults are a lot more reliant on their parents than British ones, which in my opinion is partly cultural and partly to do with the current crisis. You can't expect your daughter to get a part-time job at 16 and become fairly independent at 18, like you might in the UK. She would be depending on you for money for quite a long time, unless she went to university in the UK and took out a loan. There's no work on Gran Canaria, so starting work instead of going to uni isn't an option. 

I think you should try to give it a go, but there's so much more to consider with children involved. I'm going over next month to try to find work. If I don't find work, I'll just move on somewhere else, but you can't really do that with teenagers. Best of luck!


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## nickywoza (Jan 17, 2011)

hi i have decided to come over in a couple of months to check it all out and see how the kids like it, then if they are ok think i will wait possibly till my second eldest had done her exams as my kids come first and it seems that it may be the sensible thing to do and to also get more money to come with, as my son is so young i think he would adapt easier as he would be 4 in a couple of years, but ive got my head screwed on and thats why i come on here to get everyone's opinions good or bad, i will get to gran canaria one day- when i dont know but i will not come without getting all my facts first. #thankyou all for your help the more the better.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

nickywoza said:


> hi i have decided to come over in a couple of months to check it all out and see how the kids like it, then if they are ok think i will wait possibly till my second eldest had done her exams as my kids come first and it seems that it may be the sensible thing to do and to also get more money to come with, as my son is so young i think he would adapt easier as he would be 4 in a couple of years, but ive got my head screwed on and thats why i come on here to get everyone's opinions good or bad, i will get to gran canaria one day- when i dont know but i will not come without getting all my facts first. #thankyou all for your help the more the better.


Thats the sensible decision hun. Flippin' kids!!! We would have moved sooner if we hadnt had older ones. So we waited cos of their ages and circumstances, then we had elderly parents to look after and then eventually we saw a window of opportunity when our youngest two were 10 and 12, by then, in retrospect it was a bit late and also by then the recession was just about to start! I regret not having moved to Spain earlier, but we didnt/couldnt. Now we're back in the UK and I'm still waiting for the right time. But when/if we do return to Spain. it'll probably be without children, which is sad cos I wanted mine to grow up in Spain, I wanted to live there as a family - not just retire there - but hey, as you say, the kids have to come first

Jo xxx


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## Clemmie00 (Jun 10, 2012)

nickywoza said:


> hi i have decided to come over in a couple of months to check it all out and see how the kids like it, then if they are ok think i will wait possibly till my second eldest had done her exams as my kids come first and it seems that it may be the sensible thing to do and to also get more money to come with, as my son is so young i think he would adapt easier as he would be 4 in a couple of years, but ive got my head screwed on and thats why i come on here to get everyone's opinions good or bad, i will get to gran canaria one day- when i dont know but i will not come without getting all my facts first. #thankyou all for your help the more the better.


Good idea. Even if you wait until your eldest has done her A Levels, your son would still only be 6, which is still young enough to adapt and learn Spanish quickly.


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## brocher (Mar 21, 2011)

nickywoza said:


> hi i have decided to come over in a couple of months to check it all out and see how the kids like it, then if they are ok think i will wait possibly till my second eldest had done her exams as my kids come first and it seems that it may be the sensible thing to do and to also get more money to come with, as my son is so young i think he would adapt easier as he would be 4 in a couple of years, but ive got my head screwed on and thats why i come on here to get everyone's opinions good or bad, i will get to gran canaria one day- when i dont know but i will not come without getting all my facts first. #thankyou all for your help the more the better.



I think that's a very wise decision. 

Put you dream on hold for a couple of years until you 14yr old finishes her education. You risked ruining her whole future if you had put her in Spanish school, and even International School would be difficult if you were struggling to afford it.

In a couple of years the economy might even have improved a little. As things are at the moment, it is very doubtful if you and your hubby would get jobs with unemployment around 30%, no matter how willing you are to work.

Now you have time to get organised and have a really good chance of making your dream work - you can save money, enrol in Spanish classes and take some holidays to build uo contacts and check out where you'd like to live!


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