# Malaga info/schools/ St. georges



## sunnyordie

Hi,

I love Malaga. Seriously. I went on one little holiday 4 years ago and just love the city, the people and the sunshine and keep going back. Last spring I took my then 4 yr old daughter and we lived in el palo for 3 months so I could go learn spanish (and so could she). I thought that little adventure would be enough before she started school and I would have to settle down to regular life in the UK...

Now that I realise I am little more than a glorified taxi driver- school run, gymnastics, music lessons etc, and I will be for the next 13 years. I am wondering why I have to do this in a cold, rainy country, full of miserable people, where everything closes early and is really expensive. 

Anyway my main question is why is St. George's school so cagey about their fees? I sent an email to enquire about fees and waiting lists/admissions and had zero reply. I had my husband ring (all day) and he finally spoke to a secretary who refused to tell him. Visiting is difficult as my child is in school (duh) so its difficult to go during term time, and I would at least want more info before planning a trip for school visits. Not that cost is the only factor but it kind of sways me on where to live. I like the area and know it best around pedregalejo/el palo and would live up the hill in cerrado de calderon. I am also thinking of rincon de la victoria, which would be ok for st georges but maybe not for sunland (which looks really good to me plus they didnt hide their fees lol).

I just wanted ball park figures to make some plans and budget my expenses. Can anyone tell me what they pay for school fees plus uniform or other extra expenses like sports related to the school? or private msg me if it is a secret?

Would anyone be willing to share their opinions of these two schools? Is Sunland too far if I live in the city. Should I get a car and drive her? the bus routes claim to be 30 mins from el palo to sunland on the highway. Is St. Georges a really excellent school? Where will she learn more spanish? I don't want to be too insulated from the locals. Are there other schools people can recommend? Or areas to live?

Many thanks!!!


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## xabiaxica

sunnyordie said:


> Hi,
> 
> I love Malaga. Seriously. I went on one little holiday 4 years ago and just love the city, the people and the sunshine and keep going back. Last spring I took my then 4 yr old daughter and we lived in el palo for 3 months so I could go learn spanish (and so could she). I thought that little adventure would be enough before she started school and I would have to settle down to regular life in the UK...
> 
> Now that I realise I am little more than a glorified taxi driver- school run, gymnastics, music lessons etc, and I will be for the next 13 years. I am wondering why I have to do this in a cold, rainy country, full of miserable people, where everything closes early and is really expensive.
> 
> Anyway my main question is why is St. George's school so cagey about their fees? I sent an email to enquire about fees and waiting lists/admissions and had zero reply. I had my husband ring (all day) and he finally spoke to a secretary who refused to tell him. Visiting is difficult as my child is in school (duh) so its difficult to go during term time, and I would at least want more info before planning a trip for school visits. Not that cost is the only factor but it kind of sways me on where to live. I like the area and know it best around pedregalejo/el palo and would live up the hill in cerrado de calderon. I am also thinking of rincon de la victoria, which would be ok for st georges but maybe not for sunland (which looks really good to me plus they didnt hide their fees lol).
> 
> I just wanted ball park figures to make some plans and budget my expenses. Can anyone tell me what they pay for school fees plus uniform or other extra expenses like sports related to the school? or private msg me if it is a secret?
> 
> Would anyone be willing to share their opinions of these two schools? Is Sunland too far if I live in the city. Should I get a car and drive her? the bus routes claim to be 30 mins from el palo to sunland on the highway. Is St. Georges a really excellent school? Where will she learn more spanish? I don't want to be too insulated from the locals. Are there other schools people can recommend? Or areas to live?
> 
> Many thanks!!!



:welcome:

I don't know about that school - but if you look on Welcome to Nabss | Nabss a lot of others _do _publish their fees, and last time I looked there wasn't much difference between schools


truly though, if you are serious about your daughter not being insulated from the locals, & _really _learning Spanish - at her age, if I were you, I'd put her in state school - or at least give it a try

in fact - that's what I did when my now oh-so-Spanish teenagers were 5 & 8


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## jojo

Mine used to go to Sunlands, before it was taken over by Novaschools and it wasnt good then!!! The fees........ I cant remember, but I think for primary they were around 600€ a month (that was five years ago tho). But you have to pay a deposit and the uniforms arent cheap. St Georges used to have quite a good reputation tho!

I'd go initially down the state school route to start with and see how that goes????? 

Jo xxxx


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## sunnyordie

Hi, 

Thanks for speedy replies!! I would love to shove her in the deep end at a spanish school. Which I did with the nursery. They did say she spoke some spanish eventually and I did find she understood a lot of it. But she is very shy and tends to freak out in loud crowds of children, she managed ok at nursery as she was older than the other children as they all go off to preschool at 3 at the school they will go to when they are 5. The other problem I had with her was she absolutely refused to speak any spanish to me and got angry if I spoke to her- this resulted in her getting my american accent after 3 months lol. She has said she will only move to spain if she can go to school where they speak english most of the time.

I would hope to eventually put her into a regular state school. Do you think that is possible after a year or two in an international school. Are there bilingual schools? I would worry with her personality she will just fall behind as she is very timid if she were to go straight into a state school.

Not that she is the boss but I need her on side to move. And I dont want to make her miserable or mess her up mentally.

Thanks for tips will check out the website x


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## jojo

kids!!!!!

We moved over to Spain when mine were older, my daughter was 10 and my son 13. No problems with my son - we put them both into an international school - sunlands. Daughter hated it and wanted to go to a Spanish state school, so after some deliberation, we sent her to a state school - she hated it, so we sent her to another state school - she hated that too AAARRRGGH. We did persevere at all the schools before giving in to her whims! But, in the end, we moved my son from sunlands (due to its failings which I believe have since been addressed by the Novaschool takeover) to The British College, Benalmadena - we also put my daughter there too - she kinda liked it, but by then she was 14 and hated Spain and, and, and..... My son then wanted to go to a colloege in the UK to follow a particular course - so we're now in the UK lol!!!!

So, what have I learnt from our experiences with the children????????? Nothing! But you have to be a family and make the decisions as and when and hope it works out. In the end tho, kids have to go to school and when they're young, they generally dont question and just accept the way things are???

Jo xxx


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## sunnyordie

Thanks jo! Um is your daughter happy being back in the uk?

The Novaschool has a bilingual one in Rincon...that looks like a good possibility- my daughter likes the website and the idea of lockers. (she is obsessed with american high schools). Lots to think about and research to do.

Thanks everyone! x


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## jojo

sunnyordie said:


> Thanks jo! Um is your daughter happy being back in the uk?
> 
> The Novaschool has a bilingual one in Rincon...that looks like a good possibility- my daughter likes the website and the idea of lockers. (she is obsessed with american high schools). Lots to think about and research to do.
> 
> Thanks everyone! x


er...... is my daughter happy to be back in the UK???? yes, altho she did say to me the other day that she can now see why Spain was much "nicer" - calmer...????

In the end, you have to do lots of research - and even then...... 

I found the best way of "sussing out" a school was to simply sit and watch the pupils leaving at the end of the day. You can tell a lot by the way they walk, talk, interact - are they happy? are they well behaved? What are their parents like????????

Jo xxx


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## Pesky Wesky

sunnyordie said:


> Hi,
> 
> Thanks for speedy replies!! I would love to shove her in the deep end at a spanish school. Which I did with the nursery. They did say she spoke some spanish eventually and I did find she understood a lot of it. But she is very shy and tends to freak out in loud crowds of children, she managed ok at nursery as she was older than the other children as they all go off to preschool at 3 at the school they will go to when they are 5. The other problem I had with her was she absolutely refused to speak any spanish to me and got angry if I spoke to her- this resulted in her getting my american accent after 3 months lol. She has said she will only move to spain if she can go to school where they speak english most of the time.
> 
> I would hope to eventually put her into a regular state school. Do you think that is possible after a year or two in an international school. Are there bilingual schools? I would worry with her personality she will just fall behind as she is very timid if she were to go straight into a state school.
> 
> Not that she is the boss but I need her on side to move. And I dont want to make her miserable or mess her up mentally.
> 
> Thanks for tips will check out the website x


To me the idea of changing her from the UK to Spain (change one lot of friends) and then change her again from one school to another (change second lot of friends at an older age) is potentially more disturbing than just one big change with lots of teacher/ parent support at the tender age of 5/6.
It's great that a young child gives her opinion, but about what colour socks to wear. I think education is something for the parents to decide, but it's only a personal opinion.
Most children who come here under 8 don't seem to have big language issues, if they don't have other learning difficulties, or family problems. Of course, the education is different and you have to be prepared for differences in opinions about how and when things should be taught, but there are good state schools out there which will help your and your daughter's transition to Spain.


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## Chopera

No idea about Malaga but in Madrid there are several private Spanish schools that have small class sizes, teach at least half the curriculum in English, and charge less than the English schools. If you can find one then it might be a good compromise, at least for the first few years while your daughter adjusts to Spanish life.


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## jojo

This is probably a bit off topic - although maybe not. I was talking to my two yesterday about the whole Spain, schools, UK thing. What was interesting is their view of the differences between Spain and the UK, since they both spent alot of their formative years in Spain, returning to the UK in their mid teens.

They both much preferred the "strictness" of their schools (both international and state). They felt it was easier to learn, when there wasnt a disruptive element allowed to hold back learning (in the UK, apparently, its not PC to send naughty kids out of the class anymore???). And most interestingly, they both said that living in Spain didnt teach them how to deal with the hostile and aggressive attitude from other teenagers in the UK - which is what they found when we returned. They both have lots of friends, but they have trouble dealing with fights, rudeness, disrespectful attitude that is all around them here??? - Their words!

So - I have no conclusion or answers. I feel bad that we came back to the UK (or maybe I feel bad that we took them to Spain when we did??), but we really didnt have a choice. But my daughter is glad and my son isnt - he feels like me, that he wanted to make Spain his home

Jo xxx


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## xabiaxica

jojo said:


> This is probably a bit off topic - although maybe not. I was talking to my two yesterday about the whole Spain, schools, UK thing. What was interesting is their view of the differences between Spain and the UK, since they both spent alot of their formative years in Spain, returning to the UK in their mid teens.
> 
> They both much preferred the "strictness" of their schools (both international and state). They felt it was easier to learn, when there wasnt a disruptive element allowed to hold back learning (*in the UK, apparently, its not PC to send naughty kids out of the class anymore???*). And most interestingly, they both said that living in Spain didnt teach them how to deal with the hostile and aggressive attitude from other teenagers in the UK - which is what they found when we returned. They both have lots of friends, but they have trouble dealing with fights, rudeness, disrespectful attitude that is all around them here??? - Their words!
> 
> So - I have no conclusion or answers. I feel bad that we came back to the UK (or maybe I feel bad that we took them to Spain when we did??), but we really didnt have a choice. But my daughter is glad and my son isnt - he feels like me, that he wanted to make Spain his home
> 
> Jo xxx



interesting....

I knew that disruptive kids at my daughters' school were sent out of class, but what I didn't realise until I was told the other week, is that on each floor there is a desk with a teacher 'on duty' at all times, so that any kids sent out of class are properly supervised!


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## jojo

xabiachica said:


> interesting....
> 
> I knew that disruptive kids at my daughters' school were sent out of class, but what I didn't realise until I was told the other week, is that on each floor there is a desk with a teacher 'on duty' at all times, so that any kids sent out of class are properly supervised!


According to my daughter (not necessarily a view to be trusted????), teachers also gave pupils a clip round the ear in Spain without being accused of child abuse as they would in the UK . It was expected if they were naughty!?

Jo xxx


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## xabiaxica

jojo said:


> According to my daughter (not necessarily a view to be trusted????), teachers also gave pupils a clip round the ear in Spain without being accused of child abuse as they would in the UK . It was expected if they were naughty!?
> 
> Jo xxx


yes............ I've certainly heard of that happening too

although it isn't actually allowed!


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## Madliz

My children went to a private bilingual school but at most there was one other native English speaker in the class. The language of the playground and after school was Spanish. The language at home was English. They grew up totally bilingual. 

I know British children who went to local state schools and became 'Spanish', expecting to speak in Spanish at home too. I know of parents who have accommodated these demands and therefore have children who cannot speak English, or speak it with a Spanish accent!

Don't children aged five go to the school their parents choose for them? If your child wins and gets her demands met now, I cannot believe she will consider changing schools in the future should you wish it - nor anything else you want!


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## xabiaxica

Madliz said:


> My children went to a private bilingual school but at most there was one other native English speaker in the class. The language of the playground and after school was Spanish. The language at home was English. They grew up totally bilingual.
> 
> I know British children who went to local state schools and became 'Spanish', expecting to speak in Spanish at home too. I know of parents who have accommodated these demands and therefore have children who cannot speak English, or speak it with a Spanish accent!
> 
> Don't children aged five go to the school their parents choose for them? If your child wins and gets her demands met now, I cannot believe she will consider changing schools in the future should you wish it - nor anything else you want!


my daughters are both in the state system, since about a year after we moved here 10 years ago - they speak Spanish (& Valenciano) at school, except during English lessons!!


English is the language of the home, although recently, more & more, we speak 'Spanglish'.....

I speak Spanish, so when speaking to each other we'll often 'slip' into Spanish & back into English almost without noticing  - especially if the girls have friends in the house 

sometimes just the odd word, sometimes for several minutes here & there

I can't decide if this is a good thing or not..........


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## kalohi

xabiachica said:


> I speak Spanish, so when speaking to each other we'll often 'slip' into Spanish & back into English almost without noticing  - especially if the girls have friends in the house
> 
> sometimes just the odd word, sometimes for several minutes here & there
> 
> I can't decide if this is a good thing or not..........


This is what happens at my house too. Although I'd say it's 50/50 Spanish/English in our case.


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## Chopera

jojo said:


> According to my daughter (not necessarily a view to be trusted????), teachers also gave pupils a clip round the ear in Spain without being accused of child abuse as they would in the UK . It was expected if they were naughty!?
> 
> Jo xxx


If it comes down to a choice between the majority of the class having their education damaged by a few trouble makers because the teachers can't take any disciplinary action, and the children (including mine) having the occasional clip round the ear, then I'd choose the latter. However I think most experienced schools have good systems in place to enforce disciplione without resorting to that.


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## Costadream

Hi Sunnyordie, I wondered if you made the move? I too am hoping to move to the Pedregalejo / El Palo region (or up in the hills if I can afford it!). I am looking at schools at the moment and wondered how you got on. My son is 9 so a bit older and without spanish it would be too traumatic for him to move to a state school. I have only just got him on side to move to Spain! I would appreciate hearing your experiences. Many thanks.


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