# Moving with kids - schools



## BA-AM (Jan 4, 2017)

Hello,

I read school threads back to 2016 and did not find anyone in situation like ours.

We want to move to Malaga with two kids: 6 and almost 3.5. Be both know some Spanish - I am at A2 level, my husband B2. So far our plan looks like this:
1. We are coming to Malaga in the end of February, planning to be there for about 3 months - we want to look around where we would like to live etc.
2. In March it's the time to register kids for school. And right now this worries me the most: 
- can we sign them up for school without permanent address? For now we rented an airbnb apartment for a month
- how do we choose the school? our kids are bilingual - Polish/English so I was looking at the public bilingual schools in Malaga
- can we just go to school to talk to the teachers, to sea the facilities?
- are there maps of school districts? I read that child is assigned to a school near home - is there an actual zone for each school? I could not find it anywhere. 
- What happens when we move? In March on school forms I can give the airbnb apartment's address but that is not where I will live permanently.
- are there big differences between schools? Maybe I worry too much about it 
3. During those 3 months we want to decide where to rent permanently. 
4. Come back home in the end of May or so - pack, etc.
5. Move to Malaga before school starts.

I was thinking we should book our permanent apartment when we are here in spring. Is it possible to find a place now but move in in 5-6 months? Or is it too risky? 


Thanks in advance for all the answers

Cheers!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

BA-AM said:


> Hello,
> 
> I read school threads back to 2016 and did not find anyone in situation like ours.
> 
> ...


I can't answer all your questions, but I can tell you a few things
Bilingual state schools can have varying levels of no bilingualism, but they are not really bilingual. It means that some subjects, often but not only less academic subjects are given in English ( P.E and art for example. Sometimes subjects are taught by 2 teachers, one speaking Spanish and the other translating! It depends on the school and who's teaching what that year.
School visits are not really the norm for state schools, but if you approach them they will probably let you visit.
You have a lot of good questions,and I think you're right to be asking them. I'm sure others will be able to help you more


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

BA-AM said:


> Hello,
> 
> I read school threads back to 2016 and did not find anyone in situation like ours.
> 
> ...


You at the very least need to be on the padrón in order to register for state school.

Many town halls won't accept airbnb for this, & many will want you to be registered residents before they take you onto the padrón.


Although March is 'registration time' for schools, you can in fact register at any time. You might not get your choice of school - but then even by registering in March there's no guarantee.

Get your long term accomodation sorted out first - & if you prefer a particular school try to find accomodation nearby.

Some places might have school district maps, but I've never seen one. Ask at the ayuntamiento.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I can't answer all your questions, but I can tell you a few things
> Bilingual state schools can have varying levels of no bilingualism, but they are not really bilingual. It means that some subjects, often but not only less academic subjects are given in English ( P.E and art for example. Sometimes subjects are taught by 2 teachers, one speaking Spanish and the other translating! It depends on the school and who's teaching what that year.
> School visits are not really the norm for state schools, but if you approach them they will probably let you visit.
> You have a lot of good questions,and I think you're right to be asking them. I'm sure others will be able to help you more


 Sorry, written in a hurry. Corrected version



Bilingual state schools can have varying levels of bilingualism, but they are not really bilingual. It means that some subjects, and those are often but not only, less academic subjects are given in English ( P.E and art for example). Sometimes subjects are taught by 2 teachers, one speaking Spanish and the other translating! It depends on the school and who's teaching what that year.
School visits are not really the norm for state schools, but if you approach them they will probably let you visit.
You have a lot of good questions,and I think you're right to be asking them. I'm sure others will be able to help you more


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

I agree with what the others have said:

Families that relocate can register their children in a new school as soon as they move, no matter what time of the year it is. 

Your family needs to be empadronado in order to register your kids in school during March registration. To be empadronado you have to have a rental contract/lease, ie a permanent address. 

"Bilingual" schools aren't really bilingual. They're designed to help Spanish children learn English, and only a few of the classes are actually taught in English. So there's really no point in limiting yourself to this type of school. 

Each town hall should have a school district map, if you're interested. But just living in a school district doesn't guarantee your kids a space in the district school. It simply means that during March registration they have priority over children from outside the district for any available space in the school. At any other time of the year the school district is irrelevant. Your kids can only register at a school that has space available at the time of registration.

The difference between one state school and another is usually minimal. The teachers are all assigned to schools by the regional government, and in fact from one year to the next many teachers are re-assigned and move school. What can vary from one school to the next are the facilities and services. These might or might not include air conditioned classrooms, sports facilities, a hot lunch program, or before and after school care. And of the course the children themselves can vary, depending on the neighborhood where the school is. 

HTH!


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

I agree with all that is posted above, except for the supposed similarity of state schools.

My kids have been to two different primary schools within a few Kms of each other and they could not be further apart in terms of quality.

Sadly, the results of exit exams are no longer published in a league table in Madrid as they used to be, but maybe for Malaga they are still available?


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## fortrose52 (Nov 29, 2018)

Have you got your NIEs?


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## BA-AM (Jan 4, 2017)

Thanks for all the answers.

We don't have NIE.

I think finding the permanent apartment is the main priority now. We arrive in Malaga in the end of February. Do you think it's possible to rent an apartment, get NIE and padron before the end of March?
I am looking at the possible apartments now and will arrange the viewing so we can see them straight away.

At the moment we are interested in El Consul area with these three schools:
CEIP Rectora Adelaida de la Calle
C.E.I.P. "Profesor E. Tierno Galván"
CEIP Pintor Félix Revello de Toro

Do you maybe have/had kids in any of them? 

Thanks in advance for any input, it's all very much appreciated


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

BA-AM said:


> Thanks for all the answers.
> 
> We don't have NIE.
> 
> ...


You don't register on the padrón until you actually live here. 

Ayuntamientos are supposed to see your resident card/cert before you do so, although not all do.


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## Drygsta (Feb 5, 2019)

Hi,
I am sorry, unfortunately I have no advice, but would love to follow the thread as we are also thinking ab relocation to Spain with kids 6years old and 2year old. We have use 3 languages at home, English, Polish and Italian. Husband can decenty communicate in Spanish, however kids use mainly English. I am considering private school with British system, my daughter is already in year 1 in UK. I was wondering if anyone can share an experience on quality of Spanish public school vs private ones? And settling experience, perhaps following Spenish system would give them better options for a future?


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

BA-AM said:


> Thanks for all the answers.
> 
> We don't have NIE.
> 
> ...


It's not clear if you're saying that you'd like to rent an apartment so that you have it available to move into immediately, or not. If it's the latter and you're hoping to find an apartment now to occupy in September, it's very unlikely that you'll find a place. Almost universally apartments here are rented out for immediate occupation. 

Without a rental contract you won't be able to sign onto the padron. And without the padron you won't be able to register your children for school in March for the coming school year. 

Another thing to consider: if you do sign onto the padron and register your children for school, and your 6 year old was born in 2012, they will want to know why that child isn't in school here now. In Spain all children born in 2012 or earlier must be enrolled in school. 

It's good to investigate and to plan for your future move, but some things can't be done ahead of time.


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## BA-AM (Jan 4, 2017)

kalohi said:


> It's not clear if you're saying that you'd like to rent an apartment so that you have it available to move into immediately, or not. If it's the latter and you're hoping to find an apartment now to occupy in September, it's very unlikely that you'll find a place. Almost universally apartments here are rented out for immediate occupation.
> 
> Without a rental contract you won't be able to sign onto the padron. And without the padron you won't be able to register your children for school in March for the coming school year.
> 
> ...


We booked an airbnb apartment until the end of March. We want to find a permanent apartment while we are there - we will rent it immediately, however we may not be there the whole time till September - not sure yet when my husband needs to be there to start his new position. We need to be flexible here. I know we will "waste" money by paying rent and not using the flat, but we want to get all the documents ready for school - padron, doctor etc. 

After doing more research I don't think it's possible to rent an apartment and get padron within one month. I answered few ads and nobody is replying. 


My son was born in 2013, he is turning 6 in two weeks.


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

BA-AM said:


> After doing more research I don't think it's possible to rent an apartment and get padron within one month. I answered few ads and nobody is replying.


Realtors rarely answer emails, and more so if you aren't here in person and ready to sign a lease. Rentals move fast so they want you here. You will have to see what's available and arrange viewings once you've arrived. 

You usually only have to wait a couple of days to get your padron certificate. So I don't see why you can't get everything done within a month.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

kalohi said:


> Realtors rarely answer emails, and more so if you aren't here in person and ready to sign a lease. Rentals move fast so they want you here. You will have to see what's available and arrange viewings once you've arrived.
> 
> You usually only have to wait a couple of days to get your padron certificate. So I don't see why you can't get everything done within a month.


Yes you don't usually need an appointment for the padrón, & as long as you have the required paperwork, the cert is issued on the spot. 

Do bear in mind though that many ayuntamientos will want resident certificates before accepting you on the padrón, so that might be a sticking point, since most if not all are backed up for months & not issuing appointments atm


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

Drygsta said:


> Hi,
> I am sorry, unfortunately I have no advice, but would love to follow the thread as we are also thinking ab relocation to Spain with kids 6years old and 2year old. We have use 3 languages at home, English, Polish and Italian. Husband can decenty communicate in Spanish, however kids use mainly English. I am considering private school with British system, my daughter is already in year 1 in UK. I was wondering if anyone can share an experience on quality of Spanish public school vs private ones? And settling experience, perhaps following Spenish system would give them better options for a future?


If you want your kids to keep developing native English skills, then either one parent will have to speak to them only in near-native English and on a daily basis, or you'll need to send them to a British school until about the age of 8. By that age the native language skills are pretty much "baked in" and the kids should be able to maintain them if they are moved to a Spanish "bilingual" school. This is based on the experiences of various people I know who have been in similar situations.

Regarding Spanish private schools v Spanish public schools, it's hard to generalise, you'll need to look at them on a case by case basis. The Spanish newspaper "El Mundo" does a ranking of the top 100 private Spanish schools (https://www.elmundo.es/mejores-colegios.html) which provides some useful information, although I wouldn't pay too much attention to the ranking itself.


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## kimmichanga (Jun 13, 2019)

Hello Everyone! I'm surprised that this thread is the most recent on the Malaga school topic! My family and I are currently living in Florida, USA. We are moving to Malaga area in July. I've been stressed silly since April when we fully committed to such a complex, international move. My husband is a Spanish citizen who is fluent is Spanish but he hasn't lived in Spain since he was a child. I'm American. My Spanish is ok but definitely NOT fluent. Our two kids (8yrs and 6yrs) only speak English. I've done a ton of research and perhaps the best resource I've found is the website from the Minstry of Education (Junta de Andalucia) that has a complete list of ALL the schools in the district, including fully private schools. I also found an address look up section which will tell you the closest schools (public and concertados) that you are zoned for. 

(This is where I tried to post the ministry link but since I'm a new member, I'm not allowed to yet)

Due to overcrowding and the uncertainty of the educational experience at any of the public schools, I'm leaning toward the fully private schools. Anyone have any current insight into The British School of Malaga (St. Geroge) or Novaschool Anoreta? Like many of the previous posts mentioned, I want my kids to assimilate and learn the language and culture. I'm worried that the all English schools will severely delay or even completely prevent true assimilation.


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

kimmichanga said:


> ...Due to overcrowding and the uncertainty of the educational experience at any of the public schools, I'm leaning toward the fully private schools....


I'm just a bit puzzled by this comment. Overcrowding? In Andalucia, the government limits primary school classroom size to 25 students. Sometimes there are students who repeat a grade which means there may be some groups with an extra kid or two. But there are just as many groups with less than 25 students. In my area it's the private and subsidized (concertado) schools that tend to have larger classes, sometimes 30+ kids per class.

As for the educational experience in public school, that can vary depending on the facilities at any particular school and the neighborhood that the school is in. But the teachers at all schools are Andalucia government employees, and they are sent to work indiscriminately at one school or another. So the teachers should be equally good at any public school. 

There are many reasons that parents might prefer private education for their children, and I'm definitely not against it. But I'm not sure what these particular concerns about public school are based on.

What definitely might be more of a problem for you if you go the public (or subsidized/concertado) school route is getting your kids into a school in your neighborhood. Precisely because the government limits classroom size, once school enrollment is finished in March any new students coming into the area can only enroll where there is an open spot - ie, less than 25 kids in the class. Schools with open spots may or may not be in your neighborhood and may or may not be your school of choice. 

I'm sorry I can't help you with information about the private schools you mention. I'm not familiar with them.


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## kimmichanga (Jun 13, 2019)

Agreed. . . teachers SHOULD be equally good at all public schools but I can't believe that is the reality in Spain or anywhere else in the world. Just because a group of people have the same employer and have to meet the same criteria to be hired does not equate to all of them having the same work output. 

My apologies. . .Overcrowding probably wasn't the correct word.. . .Just FULL. All the Bilingual Concertados and Bilingual Public Schools are full in the Malaga/Costa Del Sol Area. Half of the the private schools I called are full. I'm still in the USA so I can only speak to what I'm experiencing via phone calls and news articles but definitely appears to be a large demand and not enough space in the Malaga/Costa Del Sol Area. As much as I want to put my kids in the state schools, I don't think it would be a good idea to put them in a school that doesn't teach any English at all. Catch 22 it seems.


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

It's clear you're very nervous about how your kids would adapt. Only you know your kids...but the majority of kids at your children's age (6 and 3?) do just fine going into a regular public school. Within months they'd be chattering in Spanish. 

I have to say I think you're overestimating how bilingual a bilingual school really is. The goal of these schools is to teach English to Spanish children, and at that age most Spanish children are beginners in English. That means that only a few of the classes would be taught partly in English, and that's it. 

ALL public schools in Andalucia teach English as a second language, even at the pre-school level. So there's some presence of English in all schools. 

And about schools being full, well yes, most work at capacity. You're more likely to find smaller classroom sizes in villages. 

I think you have to decide if you're going to go for it and place your kids in an immersion situation in a public school, which would be challenging at first no doubt, or settle for the more comfortable situation of an international school. It sounds like you've already decided on the international school route so I'm not sure why you're still asking about public schools. As I said before, I'm not familiar with the private schools you've asked about, but maybe someone else will be able to help you.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

kimmichanga said:


> Agreed. . . teachers SHOULD be equally good at all public schools but I can't believe that is the reality in Spain or anywhere else in the world. Just because a group of people have the same employer and have to meet the same criteria to be hired does not equate to all of them having the same work output.
> 
> My apologies. . .Overcrowding probably wasn't the correct word.. . .Just FULL. All the Bilingual Concertados and Bilingual Public Schools are full in the Malaga/Costa Del Sol Area. Half of the the private schools I called are full. I'm still in the USA so I can only speak to what I'm experiencing via phone calls and news articles but definitely appears to be a large demand and not enough space in the Malaga/Costa Del Sol Area. As much as I want to put my kids in the state schools, I don't think it would be a good idea to put them in a school that doesn't teach any English at all. Catch 22 it seems.


State schools in Spain do not hire teachers. Teachers have to do a public exam and then they are TOLD where to go by local administration. The appointments are usually for 2 years, then they do the exam again, and get told where to go again. Repeat until it's decided to give out a certain number of permanent positions and the teachers see if they are the lucky ones who are given this prize. Again, they don't choose the position, but some succeed in swapping positions to get nearer their chosen place. So you see that school teams are not solid. A school that had a good teaching team for a couple of years might be a disaster 4 years down the road, depending on how many permanent members of staff they have and how they work together.
Private schools however, tend to not have such good facilities and the teachers are not particularly well paid. The mix of education and being a business that makes a profit is an oil and water situation. Of course this is a generalisation and there is good and bad in both systems.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> State schools in Spain do not hire teachers. Teachers have to do a public exam and then they are TOLD where to go by local administration. The appointments are usually for 2 years, then they do the exam again, and get told where to go again. Repeat until it's decided to give out a certain number of permanent positions and the teachers see if they are the lucky ones who are given this prize. Again, they don't choose the position, but some succeed in swapping positions to get nearer their chosen place. So you see that school teams are not solid. A school that had a good teaching team for a couple of years might be a disaster 4 years down the road, depending on how many permanent members of staff they have and how they work together.
> Private schools however, tend to not have such good facilities and the teachers are not particularly well paid. The mix of education and being a business that makes a profit is an oil and water situation. Of course this is a generalisation and there is good and bad in both systems.


Also, in many private International schools, the teachers speak no Spanish, apart from the teachers of Spanish. 

Even the head teacher might speak no Spanish. 

Spanish & other foreign children are sent to them by their parents for immersion in English. English children are likely to only learn Spanish as a curriculum subject.

A bilingual private school will probably effectively have two sets of staff - one Spanish speaking, one English speaking.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

kimmichanga said:


> Our two kids (8yrs and 6yrs) only speak English. Like many of the previous posts mentioned, I want my kids to assimilate and learn the language and culture. I'm worried that the all English schools will severely delay or even completely prevent true assimilation.


At 8 and 6 they could feasibly go to a Spanish speaking school (bilingual or not) and come out swimming at the other end without too much trauma. It does depend on the child of course, and I don't mean to imply that it's easy for children nor parents. Most say that their children take to it like ducks to water. I certainly would have reservations, but it can be a very positive experience


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> At 8 and 6 they could feasibly go to a Spanish speaking school (bilingual or not) and come out swimming at the other end without too much trauma. It does depend on the child of course, and I don't mean to imply that it's easy for children nor parents. Most say that their children take to it like ducks to water. I certainly would have reservations, but it can be a very positive experience


I had reservations too - though more because they were having to study in TWO new languages. 

They were nearly 8 & 4 when they started. 

My reservations evaporated by the end of the first term.


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

kimmichanga said:


> Hello Everyone! I'm surprised that this thread is the most recent on the Malaga school topic! My family and I are currently living in Florida, USA. We are moving to Malaga area in July. I've been stressed silly since April when we fully committed to such a complex, international move. My husband is a Spanish citizen who is fluent is Spanish but he hasn't lived in Spain since he was a child. I'm American. My Spanish is ok but definitely NOT fluent. Our two kids (8yrs and 6yrs) only speak English. I've done a ton of research and perhaps the best resource I've found is the website from the Minstry of Education (Junta de Andalucia) that has a complete list of ALL the schools in the district, including fully private schools. I also found an address look up section which will tell you the closest schools (public and concertados) that you are zoned for.
> 
> (This is where I tried to post the ministry link but since I'm a new member, I'm not allowed to yet)
> 
> Due to overcrowding and the uncertainty of the educational experience at any of the public schools, I'm leaning toward the fully private schools. Anyone have any current insight into The British School of Malaga (St. Geroge) or Novaschool Anoreta? Like many of the previous posts mentioned, I want my kids to assimilate and learn the language and culture. I'm worried that the all English schools will severely delay or even completely prevent true assimilation.


I'm not familiar with the Malaga area and schools but, generally speaking, you should easily be able to get your kids into an international school when they are older. So why not try for the public schools first and, if it doesn't work out, use the international schools as a backup?

In my opinion, getting your kids bilingual by spending a year or two at a state school first has so many benefits, both cognitive and social, that they outweigh any potential downsides regarding the standard of teaching.

That said, I don't think you'll find any hard evidence showing the teaching is better in international schools anyway. They need to find teachers willing to move to Spain and accept a lower salary compared to other countries. And I suspect a lot of teachers only stay for a few years anyway before trying somewhere else. So there might be quite a high turnover of teachers in international schools as well.


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