EDUCATION ON THE COSTA BLANCA
If you are looking at a permanent move to this area and have children you will have to plan for their education before you arrive. There are two options open to parents and they are either to have their children attend an English speaking school, or to enrol them in the Spanish state system.
The lessons in the state schools are always conducted in Spanish which is a good way for your children to pick up the language and to integrate into the local community. Children of primary school age seem to have the least difficulty in readjusting to their new school and language, but they all seem to get there in the end.
In this area as well as learning Spanish the children have to learn Valenciano as it is the local dialect, it is also taught in the private English speaking schools with the exception of The European School Of Alicante. The standards of education are on a par with English state schools but at the age of 14 children are streamed and either follow an academic education, which is the usual route to university; or they follow a more vocational syllabus at two levels to prepare them for a career at 16.
There are numerous English speaking schools in the area that follow the English schools curriculum leading to GCSE exams, with some having a sixth form for A/AS levels. Although fee paying these schools offer a private education at a cost below that of the UK.
Listed below are some of the schools in the area with contact details and click on links to their website where they have one. For the state schools you need to contact the school direct when you know which area you will be living in.
BRITISH SCHOOL OF ALICANTE
Fee paying school run as a parents co-operative and offering Nursery, Primary, and Secondary education for children aged 3-16 years. There are also plans for an IV form in the near future. The school also operate four buses from the surrounding area, full details of this is on their website.
Tel: (0034) 965106351 / (0034) 652534397/8
Email: info@bsalicante.com
Web: http://www.bsalicante.com
THE EUROPEAN SCHOOL OF ALICANTE
A new school which opened in 2002 providing Nursery and Primary education with the new Secondary department due to open in September 2003. Pupils can be enrolled into one of for language sections for their education, English, Spanish, French or German.
For more information contact the school or visit their website.
Tel: (0034) 965269595 Fax: (0034) 965269777
Email: vlpr@eursc.org
Web: http://www.eursc.org
NEWTON COLLEGE, ELCHE
An established and popular school offering an English based education for children aged from 3-14 years. Basic details are available at the nabss site so contact them direct for more info.
Tel: (0034) 966610238 Fax: (0034) 965451428
Email: newtonc@cif.es
Web: http://www.nabss.org/newton.htm
THE LADY ELIZABETH SCHOOL, JAVEA
With two departments, the Nursery and Primary based in Javea and the senior and IV Form at nearby Lliber; the school accepts pupils from the ages of 3-18 years. It follows the English curriculum leading to GCSE and A level examinations. The school provides a bus service from the surrounding area details of which can be found on the schools website.
Tel: (0034) 965790252 juniors, (0034) 965731960 seniors
Email: leslliber@ctv.es
Web: http://www.theladyelizabethschool.com
SIERRA BERNIA SCHOOL, ALFAZ DEL PI
Located to the north Benidorm and just inland from Altea, this is a co-ed school offering an English education for pupils aged from 3-18 years of age with GCSE and A levels taken. It is smaller than most schools with around 200 pupils enrolled in 2002. The school arranges transport to the surrounding areas, for more info contact the school.
Tel: (0034) 966875149 Fax: (0034) 966873633
Email: duncan@ctv.es
Web: http://www.nabss.org/sierra.htm
xabia international college, javea
Again a full English curriculum is on offer with pupils age ranges from 3-18 years of age. Spanish is taught as a second language and there is also the opportunity to learn French and German. There is a bus service from Denia and Altea, and the school also operates a summer school.
Tel: (0034) 966472121 primary (0034) 966471785
Email: xic@ctv.es
Web: http://www.nabss.org/xabia.htm
el limonar, los balcones
An English school in the Torrevieja area for children aged from 3-9 years of age. Pupils enrolled here can transfer to the Secondary school located on the outskirts of Murcia and cares for pupils to the age of 16 years. There are to buses that run from Torrevieja to the school in Murcia, one from the north and the other from the south of the town.
Tel: (0034) 966722821
Email: secretary@ellinonarinternational.com
Web: http://www.ellimonarinternational.com