International Schools - Your Recommendations Please!

[dixia]

DH and I are beginning to think more about our two sons schooling. We are currently living in a small village in the south of Spain. The primary school is fine, but we would consider moving when they are secondary school age.

We are not that keen to return to the UK so are looking for options in other places in Europe.

I haven't found a site that ranks international schools or where I can really see which are good and which are rubbish - so I thought I'd ask you lot .

Any recommendations or info about international schools would be most welcome.

We would be looking more at atmosphere and community than academic achievement. Sports facilities would be more important than the computer room. Ideally, we would like them to go to a lovely school in a lovely place in lovely grounds with lovely people. Is this too much to ask?

I have worked in an international school (ACS International), and I would say that it would meet all your criteria (except that it is in England).

I think pupils in international schools are incredibly tolerant and caring. They recongnise cultural diversity and adapt to it. A lot of pupils in international schools move around a lot, and they may only be in the school for part of a year - they don't waste any time on settling in or by falling out with people.

thanks scienceteacher, it does look lovely!

Shame it is in the UK, but we might decide go back... Who knows? Thanks for the tips though.

It entirely depends whether you're looking to stay in a specific region/you have lingustic restraints, whether you want them to follow a specific curriculum....

Generally I would say look at IBO schools. You would probably want suburban/rural international schools rather than ones in capital cities, but having said that ISB (Brussels) has lovely grounds.

The atmosphere in every international school I've worked with has been lovely - as scienceteacher said they don't tend to waste time falling out with people. Also the staff in my experience have been very tolerant and clued into the pastoral side of things as well as the academic.