# school issue!



## linzib (Sep 2, 2014)

hello, 

has anyone been through an appeal process for primary school in spain?

we applied for 4 schools which were all bilingual schools, we have been given a place at a totally different school which is not a bilingual center.

i have visited around 13 other schools today to ask if they have any spaces in the class my daughter would attend but they are all full.

one of the last schools i went to i was told that no school would offer us a place as we already have a school, and we effectively belong to that school.

the school she has been given has such a bad reputation and is so big.

has anyone got and advice?


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

No advice from me I'm afraid, I'm sure others will be able to help you with that. I just thought I'd mention that when my daughter went to a so called bilingual school, as she was British, they felt she didnt need to learn English, so she wasnt allowed in any of the bilingual lessons - that was for Spanish children to learn english. I dont know if thats the same in the areas you're looking??

Jo xxx


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

jojo said:


> No advice from me I'm afraid, I'm sure others will be able to help you with that. I just thought I'd mention that when my daughter went to a so called bilingual school, as she was British, they felt she didnt need to learn English, so she wasnt allowed in any of the bilingual lessons - that was for Spanish children to learn english. I dont know if thats the same in the areas you're looking??
> 
> Jo xxx


similar here - they do some subjects in English at my daughters' school - my daughters have to do them in Valenciano (their 3rd language)

linzib - I haven't been through the appeal process, although I do know someone who appealed - they couldn't change the school - the one they wanted was simply full, & that was that


how old is your daughter? If over 6 then you have no choice & have to send her to school - but appeal at the same time

if the appeal fails just make sure that you get her name down for the school of your choice as soon as matriculation opens next year - usually around Easter time - you might be lucky


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

jojo said:


> No advice from me I'm afraid, I'm sure others will be able to help you with that. I just thought I'd mention that when my daughter went to a so called bilingual school, as she was British, they felt she didnt need to learn English, so she wasnt allowed in any of the bilingual lessons - that was for Spanish children to learn english. I dont know if thats the same in the areas you're looking??
> 
> Jo xxx



I would've fought that tooth and nail, Jo. It *shouldn't* be the same in other schools.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

elenetxu said:


> I would've fought that tooth and nail, Jo. It *shouldn't* be the same in other schools.


we thought about arguing the point - but tbh for my two it really doesn't make a whole lot of difference ...

for someone just arriving I can see the appeal - but tbh I would think it might hinder the speed at which they become fluent in Spanish, if they do half their studies in English


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

elenetxu said:


> I would've fought that tooth and nail, Jo. It *shouldn't* be the same in other schools.



To be honest, I did make a bit of a fuss, so they let me see some of the classes, and from what I saw, the lessons in English werent lessons for English children, they were very much geared to teaching English language to the Spanish pupils at the expense of the subject - very slow, with a translation at every turn. So in many ways, it I could see it wasnt going to be much use - other than my daughter helping to translate

That all said, I dont know if its the same in all schools, altho rumour had it that it was

Jo xxx


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## linzib (Sep 2, 2014)

thanks jo- im not overly concerned with her having lessons in english, i wanted a bilingual school as it would mean quite a few of the teachers would speak english, not just for her but for me as well. 

xabiachica- all of the schools are full as far as we know. daughter will be 5 next week but i really think she needs to be at school and dont want to keep her off until she is 6.

she goes to a spanish childminder and has 4 private lessons a week- when i told both of these teachers which school she had got in to they both said it was the worst school in the area. ( i wont repeat what they called it lol)
it just feels like because we are english they have given us this school.

i went to the allocated school today and they have given me all the forms etc, the reception staff couldnt speak engligh but we got by with google translate. they said that the professor will be available tomorrow and they do speak english. im not sure if they mean the head teacher, or the primary teacher. they wouldnt let me look around the classroom either and wouldnt tell me how many were in the class.

we moved and applied at a terrible time really (June), we will have to re-apply next year.

we are in la linea as my partner works in gib, the only other thing is to pay for education in gib but partner really doesnt want that.

tell me it gets less stressful lol


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

linzib said:


> thanks jo- im not overly concerned with her having lessons in english, i wanted a bilingual school as it would mean quite a few of the teachers would speak english, not just for her but for me as well.
> 
> xabiachica- all of the schools are full as far as we know. daughter will be 5 next week but i really think she needs to be at school and dont want to keep her off until she is 6.
> 
> ...


the _profesor or profesora_ will be the class teacher (though often in infantil they call them _maestro/a_ ) - the head teacher would be the _director or directora_

it IS scary when you can't speak to the teachers - when we first came the teachers weren't _allowed _to speak to us in English, even if they could - that was a ruling from the education department!! It certainly made ME determined to learn!!

you might find that she settles in just fine - & you need to get cracking on learning Spanish yourself , if you aren't already!!


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## linzib (Sep 2, 2014)

xabiachica said:


> the _profesor or profesora_ will be the class teacher (though often in infantil they call them _maestro/a_ ) - the head teacher would be the _director or directora_
> 
> it IS scary when you can't speak to the teachers - when we first came the teachers weren't _allowed _to speak to us in English, even if they could - that was a ruling from the education department!! It certainly made ME determined to learn!!
> 
> you might find that she settles in just fine - & you need to get cracking on learning Spanish yourself , if you aren't already!!


yes i have been taking private lessons. the language school reopens this week so i will enroll there for a proper course.
i think i would worry this much in the UK as well, haha


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

linzib said:


> yes i have been taking private lessons. the language school reopens this week so i will enroll there for a proper course.
> i think i would worry this much in the UK as well, haha



regardless of whether they, you or anyone else speaks spanish/english - you wait til she brings home maths homework..... AAARRRGGGHHH lol!! They use different symbols and everything. I also thought that helping with french home work would be easy as I could speak french......... but then translating it into Spanish......???????? and they have a lot of homework!!

Jo xxx


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

jojo said:


> regardless of whether they, you or anyone else speaks spanish/english - you wait til she brings home maths homework..... AAARRRGGGHHH lol!! They use different symbols and everything. I also thought that helping with french home work would be easy as I could speak french......... but then translating it into Spanish......???????? and they have a lot of homework!!
> 
> Jo xxx


don't scare her jojo - her little girl is only 5!!!


although yes, she'll get homework...


don't worry about maths - the + & - are the same & she'll grow up doing it the 'Spanish ' way (which isn't all that different really, once you 'get' it ) - I know - I tutor it!!


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

xabiachica said:


> don't scare her jojo - her little girl is only 5!!!
> 
> 
> although yes, she'll get homework...
> ...


LOL, I know, mine was older, she was 10 and not an easy child lol!!!!! :brick:

Jo xxx:


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## linzib (Sep 2, 2014)

xabiachica said:


> don't scare her jojo - her little girl is only 5!!!
> 
> 
> although yes, she'll get homework...
> ...


hahaha thats right- dont scare me, im scared enough already.


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

linzib said:


> hello,
> 
> has anyone been through an appeal process for primary school in spain?
> 
> ...


It's a frustrating system. It does vary between regions but I think in many areas where there is high demand, if you don't get your first choice it can be very difficult to get your other choices because priority goes to people who put them as their number one choice. So it can be "all or nothing". Here in Madrid it can be especially bad as children who don't get into a local school can be assigned one the other side of the city.

What you should be able to do with concertados (and maybe públicos as well) is place your child on a waiting list. Places do appear because people move to different places because of work, etc. In the meantime give the school you've been assigned a chance. In my experience, Spanish schools can get a good reputation for silly things like for simply being concertados, strictly teaching Catholic values, not having too many immigrants, etc. It might be the case that your child gets a good teacher and besides, if your child is only 3 the main thing is that they enjoy school, make friends and learn to socialise. 

And don't worry too much about bilingual schools either - your child will probably have a higher level of English than the teachers by the age of 6 and will gain very little from it. In your case it might be better to have Spanish teachers teaching subjects well in Spanish rather than struggling in English.


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

linzib said:


> thanks jo- im not overly concerned with her having lessons in english, i wanted a bilingual school as it would mean quite a few of the teachers would speak english, not just for her but for me as well.
> 
> xabiachica- all of the schools are full as far as we know. daughter will be 5 next week but i really think she needs to be at school and dont want to keep her off until she is 6.
> 
> ...


I missed this post before my previous reply. Many schools fill up with the 3 year old intake, and then some might open a few more classes for the 6 year old intake. So getting a place for a 5 year old is difficult. Applying in June makes things even worse.


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