Schools~~help needed

[redswanlady]

Hi

Having spent the first month we were here going back and forth to the school to try and get our kids in we were eventually told in June to come back on 4th Sept. We were able to get them into summer school (thankfully) but with that coming to a close and sept fast approaching I want to make sure that I have every single bit of paperwork I need.

Has anyone been through the school nightmare? can anyone give me guidance and advice on what I exactly need for when I go back in Sept?

Any help & advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[big jim]

lou
ive sent you a copy of a pm i got if it helps
jim

[redswanlady]

Thanks for that Jim

[mary]

Documentation

In general, to apply for a place at a Spanish school which is publically funded, you need passports to prove nationality (or D.N.I. if Spanish citizen), the child's FULL birth certificate and if applicable, other documentation which shows who the parent/s or guardian/s are, marriage papers if relevant, (or The Family Book if Spanish citizen), documentary evidence of domicile in Spain - i.e home address in Spain, or if applicable, work place. In some regions, child's vaccination certificates. If applicable, evidence of any disability.

This was from Ideal Spain website - but its for spain in general not specific to here.

[mary]

How do I apply for a school place?

There are no British schools on the island. The nearest one is in Lanzarote, which involves a ferry journey from Corralejo and then a bus journey, so is only really feasible for older children living in the North of the island.
Most foreign residents’ children enter the Spanish education system.
In some areas schooling is provided from the age of 3, but is compulsory from the age of 6. The school year runs from mid-September through to mid –June with a three-month summer break and approx 2-week Christmas and Easter breaks. There are no half-term holidays.
For primary age children the school day begins at 8.30 and finishes at 1.30. For secondary age it begins at 8.00 and finishes at 2.00. Some schools provide school lunches, in which case the school day is extended to about 2.30.
All schooling is conducted in Spanish. Most children pick up the language within 6 months to 1 year, but Spanish lessons are not provided by the school. Children may be put back a year if they are struggling with the language.
To apply for a school place you need to be registered as living in the “municipio”
which you do at the Ayuntamiento (town hall).
You will also need to provide a
statement of your income (by means of a tax return, if you have one, or a signed
declaration from the Ayuntamiento if you do not), a copy of the child’s vaccination
certificate and birth certificate as well as photocopies of the parents’ passports or
Residents' cards.
You will also need to complete an application form from the school
itself. You can apply for a place in a school in a different area from where you live,
but as in UK, priority is given to those living within the catchment area of the
school.
The schooling itself is provided free of charge by the state, but all
course books and materials have to be purchased by the parents at the start of the school year.

From Fuerteventura living website

[redswanlady]

Thanks for that Mary, we were told we needed social security numbers but no one else seems to have been asked for these??

[shirley]

Thanks for that Mary, we were told we needed social security numbers but no one else seems to have been asked for these??
from (what ive been told.) These are to prove that any children you have are entitled to free state medical attention in case the child is ill at school, So they can take them to the nearest state doctor, This i think is another reason why you have to prove that you are working here and paying into the state medical system. (If you are) then any children you have get state medical attention, Provided by your payments into that system here.

[shirley]

If you are self employed, your assesoria should obtain these for you.
if you are employed your employer will sort this out for you.

[redswanlady]

So, does that mean only we need them or do I have to take the kids to the social security office and get theirs??

[julia]

for British shools on GC see here

http://www.britishschoolofgrancanaria.com/

[russ]

i was going to say there is british schools in the south, cause my daughter goes to one. its not too dear and they have 12 to a class. apart from that dont know a great deal about it. if u need to know where or need a number for it pm me

cheers russ
p.s if i help can i have a free sausage roll lol

[shirley]

Yes redswanlady only the parents need them, (BUT ONLY ONE OF YOU WILL DO) As soon as one of you starts paying into the state system you will be issued with the social seguridad card, through the post that you have to show when you visit a state doctors. You take a photo copy of it and give it to the school. You then register youselves and your children at your nearest state doctors, they asign you to a doctor and put a sticker on the back of your card, with the name of the doctor on it.your area would be arguiniguin next to the police station.

[shirley]

As a footnote i dont think that you can get a card or number unless you are paying into the system (through a job or being self employed.) And have filled in the forms to apply to pay. This is what my assesoria/accountant) tells me. Normally i just leave all that to him to do.

[mary]

Red swan - you've already asked for your social security cards. I presume you've got them now. Take them with all your NIE's and go to Arguineguin health centre - centro de salud. They will then assign you an english speaking doctor. As Shirley said, a sticker with the Dr's name will be put on your social security cards. Its really the doctor part they want, to check that you are allowed state benefits - ie healthcare, schooling, which in theory you are only entitled to, if you are paying into the system. Your accountant should be able to advise you on that.

[shirley]

Thanks mary, Looks like redswan is getting somewhere now, if she already has them. Good luck redswan it is a worry, getting children into school, Plus you will be busy enough without them under your feet, It will all be sorted soon. All the stress getting set up.Then you can start baking all those lovely pastys for us all.

[shirley]

Just one other thing, I remember VECINO said, that you should apply to go on the padronamiento, at your local town hall because then the school gets more money from the council. To pay the teachers with. (They get the money per pupil taught at the school.) This also entitles you to vote he said. i think your area again is arguiniguin town hall which is i think is round abouts the police station and the centro salud.I think he also said that you need to pay for a certificate at the town hall to prove you are on it, And the school will ask for this also. GOOD LUCK AGAIN:

[redswanlady]

Thanks Guy's, Sorry Russ don't need advice on private schools as we have decided to go down the state route, but thanks for the comments p.s if I gave free sausage rolls to everyone who has helped us since being here I'll be broke before I start LOL
Yes, we have our thingy from the town hall and we managed to get social security numbers but we are still waiting for the cards to take to the centre de salud. I will go to the centre de salud on monday and see what they say?

[viv]

Thanks for that Mary, we were told we needed social security numbers but no one else seems to have been asked for these??


Hi again!

I previously told you that you may need social security numbers too as we had to provide them to enrol our kids into spanish school. We also had to provide proof of earnings along with the numerous things i mailed you about. We had a nightmare getting our Son into Puerto Rico school and ended up sitting outside the head-mistress' office religiously every single Monday morning until I think they were so fed up of seeing us there that they eventually offered him a place!

Keep pestering them constantly and don't give up... it is a long battle at times but you will get there!

[big jim]

im lookin forward to the battle clare sittin outside the heads door sure brings back (ouch) dont want to think about it.

[mary]

http://www.canaryforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6915&highlight=arguineguin+school#post6915

same problems as you, redswan!!

[redswanlady]

Got the kids doctors sorted today, you have to take your social security numbers to an office in Arguineguin who give you a form to take to the centre de salud who then give you a card with the doctor on it. This took all morning lots of waiting and oh yeah waiting but it is done now. You dont need to be paying into the social security system as thought by some. School here I come..

[shirley]

Redswanlady good luck getting your children in.I really thought you had to be paying into the system,? Oh well just as long as you get sorted.

[big jim]

louise
how did it go did you get them in
jim

[redswanlady]

Jim don't even go there...... went to the school on the 4th as told and was asked why I was there, explained I had all the paperwork and could the kids go to school for the secretary to tell me I had the WRONG form, said she had given me that form but she smiled & said they had changed it. Came home filled in the 6 page form & returned to be told that I needed another piece of paperwork, drove home & returned to be told that the kids needed different jabs to the one's on their vaccination records. Went to the doctors got the kids jabbed for HIB & HEP B (1st dose, 2 more to follow oh how the kids love me) returned to the school on wed to be told they won't accept them until they have had all their doses of injections which would be nov/dec time IF they had places.

Had enough by this time so went to Motor Grande in p rico who accepted the oldest there and then she starts on Mon, little one has got to wait for a place but fingers crossed with nagging that won't be to long.....

[big jim]

what a carry on hope its sorted soon you can be my mentor when we move over next year
goodluck
jim

[mary]

It depends on the schools on how picky they are about the paperwork. Others who have gone to schools in San Fernando havent had the runaround that redswan has had and Motor grande seemed more helpful.

All good info though for others. You'll have to let us know exactly what papers you needed in the end Redswan

[redswanlady]

Very true Mary, Arguineguin were a nightmare and their list of paperwork went on & on...

Motor Grande paperwork is:

Registration form (from School)
4 Passport photos of child
Copy of birth certificate
Copy of parents passports
Copy of Empadronamiento for child
Copy of childs vaccination certificate
Copy of Social security card of parents
Copy of the tax declaration for previous year
Written statement of child's religion

The child also needs their HIB & HEP B vaccinations and you need to take the originals of everything with you.

Hope this helps..

[stuart1973]

can anybody give me the correct web address for the ARGUINEGUIN school as we are trying to look at it on the web site, and these vacination certificates can you obtain these from your british GP, what can you do if you havn't got any.

[mary]

In the childs red book should be a place where all their vaccines are recorded. Or ask your Practice nurse/GP to give you a vaccine summary from their computer system or ask them to write it out for you on headed paper

http://www.canaryforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82
list of addresses of state schools on GC.

As far as I'm aware the matriculation - or date to get into schools - is sometime in May for the following september.
All government offices are on very reduced hours during the summer and in August its almost impossible to get anything done in official areas - NIE's, social security numbers etc
If you are hoping to get your children into school for the september, then it would seem sensible to try and sort it out in May or earlier.
I dont know if that would have helped redswan and everyone else but i know that the last minute rush in the first week of september has not been easy for anyone

[redswanlady]

We brought their UK vaccination cards with us but no school would accept them you have to get them put on a Spanish card and stamped by the centre de salud. But you need to bring the UK one's so they can see what Jab's the kids have had and know what one's they need.

[viv]

Very true Mary, Arguineguin were a nightmare and their list of paperwork went on & on...

Motor Grande paperwork is:

Registration form (from School)
4 Passport photos of child
Copy of birth certificate
Copy of parents passports
Copy of Empadronamiento for child
Copy of childs vaccination certificate
Copy of Social security card of parents
Copy of the tax declaration for previous year
Written statement of child's religion

The child also needs their HIB & HEP B vaccinations and you need to take the originals of everything with you.

Hope this helps..

Lousie, were your kids not uptodate with their vaccinations from the UK??
My youngest went to Motor Grande and the eldest to Instituto, Arguineguin and they didn't need any more jabs at all.

We didn't need to supply a statement of their religion either.

It seems that things are different even at the same schools if you deal with different people.

Glad you are finally getting sorted out anyway.

[viv]

can anybody give me the correct web address for the ARGUINEGUIN school as we are trying to look at it on the web site, and these vacination certificates can you obtain these from your british GP, what can you do if you havn't got any.



www.iesarguineguin.com (http://www.iesarguineguin.com)

Unfortunately the website is in spanish!!

As for the vaccination certificates, we paid for copies of our childrens medical records from their british GP before we moved over to Puerto Rico... the cost was approx £30 if i remember correctly.

[redswanlady]

Yes they were up todate but UK kids don't have HEP B and they needed these, the list I wrote was the list the school gave me, so maybe things have changed?

[mary]

http://www.educa.rcanaria.es/usr/artemisemidan/ingles/bienv_ingles.htm# ENROLMENT%20%20CALENDAR

If you scroll down this page it gives the list of papers needed for this primary school (in english)- enrolment needs to be done before the beginning of May.

The website given in Viv's post is for the secondary school but it includes the links for the primary schools

[big jim]

any luck yet louise

[redswanlady]

The oldest started a few weeks ago and is loving it, the little one is on a "list" they have now excepted all his paperwork so we are one step further and the school have said because there is so many of his age waiting they are going to make a new class, but when no body knows??

[redswanlady]

Finally little one started at school last week, a tip to other parents new to the spanish state schools make sure you get the list of stuff they need straight away because they sell out of the books really quickly and then it is a NIGHTMARE to find them.

[shirley]

REDSWANLADY; CONGRATULATIONS!!:boozy:

[karen]

Jes all that hassle is enough to put you off moving to GC with kids school age. Think I will have to wait and retire there lol

[shirley]

No dont leave it to late to give your kids a better lifestyle,Just when they are stuck in the house this winter getting on your nerves, The kids here will be outside playing on the beach getting vitamin d from all the sunshine, Without even taking a pill, And so would you.There is no (sad syndrome here.) making anybody feel depressed, thro lack of sunshine.

[redswanlady]

Very true Shirley, the hassle was worth it for the kids to be able to play outside, go in the pool after school rather than play on the playstation. Our kids are healthier for the move already!

[big jim]

thats one of the reasons were makeing the big move next april/may just hope it all works out for us as well:) cant see why not though as we are grafters and worked every day since leaveing school.
glad you got it sorted louise i no were to come now when we get over:thumb:

[karen]

Dont think my nerves could handle the stress. My 15 year old is at the important stage in her education and I couldnt move her. The wee man would adjust im sure but he hates the sun. Would only sit indoors with the playstation or DS when bored with the play station. Retirement sounds good.:D

[MARCUS]

Well one of the joys of living over here is that it is an ¨outside life¨ You never see the locals ¨glued¨ to Eastenders(although i don´t mind catching up with ¨minty and co¨now and again.)I have a massive tv at home but only watch a movie now and again,the rest of time i am outside working or relaxing enjoying the lovely sunshine.For the kids it is ideal.They can learn spanish fast and not be stuck indoors with a ¨Sony Playstation¨ turning your front room into an ¨amusement arcade¨(delightful) i think these things are a terrible invention(of which i have no interest in whatsoever) I can´t believe that there are ¨Grown Men¨(adults) playing on these toys!!!!!!!
But back to the subject in question (don´t distract me viewers!) A great life here for the kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Marcus x

[redswanlady]

I agree 15 is a vital age for there schooling, we thought about moving when our oldest were 16 & 17 but it just wasn't right for there schooling so we waited until they were older and left home. Our children who live here with us are 10 & 5 and have settled in well.

[mary]

The kids do get a better life here. my son is out now, playing on his bike with local spanish kids. We'll be off to the beach in a mo' for a spot of fishing.
Much better life for them.

[lafiestabar]

Finally little one started at school last week, a tip to other parents new to the spanish state schools make sure you get the list of stuff they need straight away because they sell out of the books really quickly and then it is a NIGHTMARE to find them.

This post is a little old but i've only just seen it and i know of two great places to get books for school.

In arguineguin there is a cafe/book store where you can order the books, they already have the lists of books needed for the two spanish schools around the corner but try really hard to get books that people need from other schools, my kids are in english school and they managed to track down the books i needed even thou they don't normally deal with english books.

The guy that runs it is called Javi and if i remeber rightly the cafe is of the same name. If you drive past Herdisa supermarket turn 1st right, then right again at the end of the road, you will see Javi's place on the right.

The other place for books is in San Fernando again they deal with most spanish schools but order what you need if not in stock. Don't actually know the name of the shop (will look next time i'm there) Now how can explain where to find it??!! If your drive past Hiperdino towards the turn off to the motorway the book shop is on your right. The best thing to do is park in Hiperdino and walk along the shops outside until you find it!

El corte ingles also do kids school books but the trip to las palmas isn't worth it when you have these to great places to got to.

Hopefully this will help a few of you out in the future!

Lorraine

[redswanlady]

We used that shop in Arguineguin lafiestabar, he is a very helpful man and still had the books there unlike other places we had been sent to.