# Bilingual State Schools in Spain



## MajkenH (Mar 27, 2013)

Hello

After having been dreaming about moving to Spain for years it has finally become possible. We are a family of four. Previosuly it hasn't been possible for us because we couldn't find jobs, but from 1st May I'll be working remotely for a UK based company. I can work anywhere in the world as long as I have a good Internet connection and my husband works as a freelance copy writer.

We have two sons aged 8 and nearly 10. Despite having reasonably good salaries there's no way we can afford to send the kids to an International school. I have been reading threads about bilingual state schools in the area around Madrid but we would like to live further North.

We would like to live somewhere between Barcelona and Valencia. It can be by the sea or a bit further inland. 

Do you know if there are bilingual state schools in the Valencia or the Catalonia region? It could also be a Spanish private school that might be cheaper than an international school. We could afford to pay about 200 EUR a month per child.

As both my husband and I will be working from home the school is the most important thing when it comes to where we would choose to live.

Best wishes
Majken


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I dont know about Madrid, but where we were in the South, the bilingual schools were for the Spanish to learn English, so they had various lessons in english - but the British children werent actually allowed to be in those classes cos they didnt need to learn english - I really tried hard to get them to accept my daughter - buts thats what I was told. 

Jo xxx


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

MajkenH said:


> Hello
> 
> After having been dreaming about moving to Spain for years it has finally become possible. We are a family of four. Previosuly it hasn't been possible for us because we couldn't find jobs, but from 1st May I'll be working remotely for a UK based company. I can work anywhere in the world as long as I have a good Internet connection and my husband works as a freelance copy writer.
> 
> ...


:welcome:
there is a private International school near me which is pretty much bilingual English/Spanish, about halfway between Valencia & Alicante - Welcome to Laude The Lady Elizabeth School - it would cost more than 200€ a month per child though

the state secondary school my daughters attend is also bilingual - but Spanish & Valenciano - although some students are now taught some subjects in English, as the school heads towards 'trilingual' - but it isn't there yet

none of the state schools near us, nor the _concertados, _which are schools which are part private/part state funded, so less expensive, are afaik, truly bilingual Spanish/English


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Hi,
First thing.
If you're going to be looking in the area of Catalonia or Valencia you need to be careful with what is understood by bilingual because it may be understood as Catalan/ Valenciano - Spanish bilingual as xabiachica pointed out with her daughters' education.

Here is a list of schools in Spain that the British Council has collaborated with in the state bilingual programme. Can't see any in the area you're after, but I think it's from 2011.
http://www.mecd.gob.es/dctm/ministe...ros-2011-2012.pdf?documentId=0901e72b810a3d33


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## MajkenH (Mar 27, 2013)

Thank you very much for your replies I'll have a look at the list of English /Spanish bilingual state schools.

Had we moved to Spain five years ago I would have been happy to send our children to a Spanish state school but I think they're too old now.

Happy Easter!

Best wishes
Majken


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

MajkenH said:


> Thank you very much for your replies I'll have a look at the list of English /Spanish bilingual state schools.
> 
> Had we moved to Spain five years ago I would have been happy to send our children to a Spanish state school but I think they're too old now.
> 
> ...


I would say that if you move quickly, then you may just be OK.

My eldest was 10 when he entered state school - he spent one year at primary before going on to Secondary.

Yes, he struggled, but he coped and is now fluent in all three languages - English, Spanish and Valenciano.


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## itravelexpat (Mar 29, 2013)

I'll be looking for a school for my children next year. Thanks a lot for all the info.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

I was just thinking, there must be another list of bilingual state schools somewhere because there are hundreds in Madrid alone. That doesn't mean however that there'll be any in the area the OP wanted, just that there has to be a more complete list. As far as I know the BC were the original organisers of the programme along with the Ministery of Ed., but that is not so now.
Also, I'd like to reiterate what xabiachica I think it was said, that just because the name says bilingual school, it doesn't necessarily mean that the children really are given a whole education in two languages...


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I was just thinking, there must be another list of bilingual state schools somewhere because there are hundreds in Madrid alone. That doesn't mean however that there'll be any in the area the OP wanted, just that there has to be a more complete list. As far as I know the BC were the original organisers of the programme along with the Ministery of Ed., but that is not so now.
> Also, I'd like to reiterate what xabiachica I think it was said, that just because the name says bilingual school,* it doesn't necessarily mean that the children really are given a whole education in two languages*...


or that they are the two languages you want


my girl are totally educated in Valenciano & Castellano - one more in Valenciano & the other more in Castellano - but pretty much everyone leaving the school will be totally bilingual (some foreign kids who were put in the system too old will never learn either language well enough to graduate, no matter how much extra help they are given  ) 

as I said before, _some_ subjects are now taught to _some _pupils in English medium - although oddly, none of those students have English as a first language :confused2:


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

xabiachica said:


> as I said before, _some_ subjects are now taught to _some _pupils in English medium - although oddly, none of those students have English as a first language :confused2:


 Which is something Jojo has often said


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## GelsominaChioino (Mar 28, 2015)

*Dilema around elementary schools in Valencia*

Hi Xabia!
It's Gelsomina again. We didn't get hired in Santander, but the school in Valencia said that they would hire us....so now my problem is also similar to the other woman on this thread. My son ,10, speaks Castellano and I really didn't want to put him into a situation that stresses him linguistically. I will keep searching in the next few days for a solution...something bilingual that is Spanish-English maybe????
Any thoughts?
Gelsomina


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