Marbella schools

by Tatyana
(Moscow)

We are a family of four with children aged 3 and 8. We are considering moving to Marbella next fall and are looking for the best English school for our children. I see on your site that the main schools are Aloha, Swans, Laude and IEC schools. Which do you recommend? Thank you.

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Marbella schools

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Feb 01, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Laude - Best All Round!
by: Anonymous

Hi

I've lived on the coast for 10 years and it took me four school moves to find the right school for my children. They are now in their third year at Laude and it is a fabulous school. The management is definitely on the ball with new teaching trends in the UK. The school is very inclusive and unlike other schools such as EIC, it does not select the pick of the crop, which in my opinion does not reflect on how well they teach but rather how bright your child is. After all a bright child will do well anywhere whereas a mediocre teacher can get good grades out of any bright student. I would advise any parent looking at a school to check the academic results carefully. Some schools only sit the children that they think will pass the grade rather than sitting all the children for the exam. This does not reflect the quality of the teaching.

Laude also embraces the culture and language of the country in which we live and my children are consequently both fluent in Spanish now. This is yet another feature which makes this school stand out from your "run of the mill" expat school on the coast. Standards are high and every child is expected to do their best. The facilities are as you would expect from a fee-paying school. And from a parent's point of view, it is the only school I have been to where your voice is heard. The staff are always friendly and polite and look like professionals rather than in some schools where they look like they're ready for a day on the beach!

The atmosphere amongst the children is positive and bullying is unconditionally stamped out at the first sign.

There is no perfect school and as others have said, it's also down to us to put in some of the work by supporting our children at home, but that's the case anywhere in the world. But all I can say is that this is that Laude is an all-rounder that is going from strength to strength - a school without a superiority complex but with superior standards and expectations.
Dec 11, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		aloha
by: Anonymous

Hi Tatyana,
I lived in Spain for 7 years and I highly suggest your children attend Aloha College. It is a great school, I actually moved to the US in '08 and learned things in my senior year that I had already learned in Aloha in the 9th grade. Also, the uniforms are nice, as well as the teachers. DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILDREN TO SWANS OR EIC.
Sep 23, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Colegio Alboran Marbella
by: Anonymous

Marbella has severe drug problems at spanish private schools,specialy the schools that have a lot of space to hide things like Colegio Alboran are used as a drug market. My kids have been offered Marihuana several times and lately also Cocain and maybe next week they smoke crack, this year I will send them to English college that has a much better education too.
May 17, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Can anybody recommend a good state school?
by: Paul

Hi, all the comments are regarding private schools, however we want to send our 5 and 8 year old to state schools as we have been told by various people that it is better if you plan to stay in Spain long term. However it's very hard to get any information on which state schools are good and which aren't. This would influence where we eventually live. Can anybody help or is this forum only for parents with/ looking to enrol their kids in private schools?
Mar 18, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Mayfair Academy
by: Anonymous

Don´t forget Mayfair Academy, its a great British school!!! My daughter and many of my friends kids are very happy there.
Mar 18, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Laude school
by: Anonymous

I have a daughter of 7 in year 3 and a son of 3 in nursery. I arrived on the costa 3 years ago and looked at various schools such as Swans, Mayfair, Aloha etc and we decided to try Laude as we felt it had all the up to date facilities that we felt needed to be in place with a school that size. Overall I could not say a bad thing regarding the school, although a big school, everyone seems to know each other, I only have to call reception and they instantly know who I am etc, which I think really adds a personal touch.

I too have heard rumours about our school closing down etc, then about swans primary not achieving the best academic results, and of Aloha with the drug problems and also teaching problems, I have 2 friends who between them have 9 children and they took their children out of Aloha 2+ years ago as they felt for the money they were paying, they weren't getting any good results out of their children.

EIC has an excellent reputation but it is very English and they don't encourage Spanish, which I personally believe that each child should be taught dome Spanish, after all we are living in Spain!!. I wish you good luck in your selection.
Mar 18, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Aloha College
by: Anonymous

All my four children went to Aloha College and I am a very satisfied customer :-) An excellent academic education with great teachers, lots of brilliant extra activities and a great 'vibe'. It is the first school in Spain to teach the IB (international Baccalaureate) and the College now has over 18 years experience in teaching it. Established in 1982 - the college is nearly 30 years old - its here to stay and its getting better all the time - constant improvements, totally refurbished in 2004 plus new buildings and exciting plans to continue development.
Mar 17, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Staying on top of your kids education
by: Susan

I think Anonymous Schools on the Coast (March 16) really has a point when he/she says:

"do not believe that simply paying the school fees to a British school in Spain will automatically give you good results. Stay on top of it ! I believe that any school can give, at most, 50% of a child's education. The other 50 % is up to you..."

This is a very important point. I work hard at home with my kids, checking their homework, making sure it looks good, is correct and turned in on time. I have often made them go back and re-do it completely if it´s not up to standard. We set the bar high at home and it reflects in their grades and I know the teachers appreciate the effort we make at home.

It´s not easy and it isn´t fun, but I think it´s an obligation of mine as a parent. Long after they leave school, they will hopefully understand that whatever they do in life has to be accurate and done well with 100% of their effort.
Mar 17, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Laude school
by: Anonymous

I have a daughter of 7 in year 3 and a son of 3 in nursery. I arrived on the costa 3 years ago and looked at various schools such as Swans, Mayfair, Aloha etc and we decided to try Laude as we felt it had all the up to date facilities that we felt needed to be in place with a school that size. Overall I could not say a bad thing regarding the school, although a big school, everyone seems to know each other, I only have to call reception and they instantly know who I am etc, which I think really adds a personal touch.
I too have heard rumours about our school closing down etc, then about swans primary not achieving the best academic results, and of Aloha with the drug problems and also teaching problems, I have 2 friends who between them have 9 children and they took their children out of Aloha 2+ years ago as they felt for the money they were paying, they weren't getting any good results out of their children.
EIC has an excellent reputation but it is very English and they don't encourage Spanish, which I personally believe that each child should be taught dome Spanish, after all we are living in Spain!!. I wish you good luck in your selection.
Mar 16, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Schools on the coast
by: Anonymous

I have some experience with a few schools on the coast and they are all over-priced. Of course our modern view is 'If it is expensive, it must be good.' This is not the case with schools in the south of Spain. One teacher once told me in confidence: "The schools on the Costa del Sol are at public boarding school prices in Britain, but are teaching on a British state school level." If your child is academically inclined they will do OK in any school, paid or not. But if they aren't up to academic scratch, do not believe that simply paying for an expensive school here in Spain will be enough. Again the private schools here are nowhere near British public(private) school levels. In England there is the official 'OFSTED' controlling and examining the schools on a regular, if slightly flawed, basis. Here in Spain there is something called the NABSS- which is not controlled by OFSTED or the British authorities.

In all of the schools here on the coast there are some wonderful, inspired teachers in primary and the secondary schools. But there is much mediocrity at sub state school level. The very nature of the south of Spain is transient, so there are constantly changes of personnel in all schools. Many British schools in Spain are, after all, private businesses interested in profit. They will dazzle you with pools,gardens and labs. But the teacher 'pool' is lacking in depth.

In General, the primary schools (years 1-6) here on the coast are passable, but all are still lacking in sports and extra activities on a high level. Your child will pass exams, but you will need to look for most of your truly enriching educational experiences outside of school.

In the secondary schools, the emphasis is on passing exams and there simply aren't enough secondary (sixth form) students to offer a wide variety of subjects, sports and extra activities.

Watch and control your childrens' schooling on a very steady and frequent basis no matter where you are, but especially if you educate them here in Spain. Again do not believe that simply paying the school fees to a British school in Spain will automatically give you good results. Stay on top of it !

I believe that any school can give, at most, 50% of a child's education. The other 50 % is up to you...

Good Luck with your choice ! ....And watch an inspired talk on education by Sir Ken Robinson on the 'TED' Talks (Google it)
Nov 30, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		SWANS
by: Anonymous

My kids are at swans in yr 6 and yr 8 for the first year.All I have to say about the school is positive, my kids are very encourage to study and very challenging.They have adapt very rapidly and goes very happy to school.what else can i ask for?
spanish mother.
May 27, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Laude International School discount
by: Marbella Family

I just realized that Laude offers families with multiple children some valuable discounts. The third child I believe gets a 30% discount on school fees and the fourth child and more get their education for free. School lunches and certain supplies must be paid for. Now if that isn´t good value, I don´t know what is. It´s almost hard to believe, but I was talking to a parent from Laude the other day who have four children and she confirmed it. It´s worth looking into.
Feb 27, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		More on Marbella schools
by: Marbella Family

Swans primary has appalling primary facilities relative to the price they charge, however many I know who´ve attended seemed content anyway. Swans secondary has brand new facilities that opened in 2006 with a new pool and theater that has recently been completed. However, they also seem to have instability in their administration.

English International College (EIC) seems to me to have the best track record in terms of academics and I´ve yet to hear a parent or child complain other than saying it´s "very English", which, take it or leave it, may be an asset or a drawback.

Another school that has a fabulous track record is St. George´s in San Pedro´s Cortijo Blanco. It´s a small school in a quiet neighborhood. St. George´s looks like it´s a home that´s been converted into a school, so has a cozy "homey" feeling about it. I know several people who´ve passed through this school and absolutely love it. The only downside is that it ends with year 4.

Good luck with your search!
Feb 27, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		International & British Schools in Marbella
by: Marbella Family

Choosing the right school for your children is always a difficult decision for every parent, especially when you are no longer home and not in your own familiar territory. For us the decision was relatively easy as a new school ( Laude) had just opened up next to our home and we placed a high priority on proximity to home after living in a huge metropolis with tons of traffic. We also were interested in an international or British school.

Laude was formerly called King´s College and at the time was brand new so the facilities were great. It follows the British curriculum and held British standards. After five years in primary and our first year in secondary we are very pleased with the school. The rooms are bright, clean and have the latest technology. The teachers are kind and respectful to the children and, so far, our children have been pulling fabulous grades. The only complaint I have with our school is the instability that goes with a new facility. There are changes in management, teachers and frequent rumors of firings, postings and possibilities of the school shutting down. Many parents have gotten fed up with this and have left, however there always seem to be more coming through.

I believe most parents agree that primary has proven to be a well adjusted group and an overall success. As we have only started secondary this year, we have yet to test the rumors of the disappointments in secondary. However, for us, so far so good.

We´ve been living on the coast just over five years and honestly I have heard good things and bad things about all the major international schools in Marbella. After a while they all sound the same and I am not ready to put my children on a roller coaster ride from one school to the next just because of rumors. Not until my children are truly unhappy or if I find the level of academics to be inadequate will we consider changing schools.

We cannot judge the other schools as we have not experienced them other than maybe a walk through. It´s best to try and contact families who have their kids currently in the school and see how happy they are there. You may check out our page on Marbella schools for more information on each school. The rumors that circulate regarding other Marbella schools are these:

Aloha has nice facilities and a headmaster who has been around for quite a while and with whom many are happy. The downside is there are rumors of drug problems and some complain of the "type of people" that attend the school.

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