-
What is your name, age, where do you live and how long have you lived in Sitges?
Lorna Bode 42 Sitges for 2 years
Do work,and if so what do you do?
I am a teacher trainer for secondary school modern language teachers. At present I work freelance teaching - English, French and professional development for teachers.
What nationality are you and your partner?
I am English, he is Dutch
How many children do you have and what are their names and ages?
Alma Bode 1 year and Nathan Bode 4 1/2 years
How did you find the process of relocating to Sitges with your children (if relevant)?
The practicalities of relocating were fairly time consuming- never really having the correct pieces of paper to join the doctors /social security etc, although my husband had similar problems in UK. Researching private Catalan nurseries from scratch for my 2 year old was really hard as our language was limited and I did not know other parents at that time. A lack of general knowledge about how life is set up for children was really hard. Going to the international playgroup was great but often all foreign parents were in the same boat so I discovered that you really have to throw yourself into it and find out for yourself. Choosing any type of care for your children is such a personal choice that you do need to visit nurseries and schools yourself as well as trying to find people who already have children in school here. I had help at the beginning from the following : a family we already knew who had relocated 3 years before us, my husbands company for some services and Sitges playgroup for practical information about how to apply to schools. I also had a Spanish teacher who was used to helping people in my position, but I was so busy adapting to the new situation than actually concentrating on learning language and doing my homework was hard! Emotionally it was also pretty challenging because we decided to go local on education so as to give ourselves as much chance as possible to integrate, I really felt like I was sending my first child off into an unknown Catalan world which obviously made an already fairly emotional situation eg first days at school all the more difficult to feel happy about. Now one and a half years later my son has learnt Catalan and also speaks English and Dutch and is very happy to go to school. The first year was tiring for him but not really hard - much more so for me. We were lucky to have an understanding school and teacher who let us only send him in the mornings and he only started full days after he was four. So to sum up relocating took much longer than I thought , was made easier because in Sitges there are so many foreigners like us already and it was also harder in some situations like signing up for the doctors because there are so many foreigners here and maybe to local people it feels like too many I am not sure.
How well integrated would you say you and your children?
We feel integrated in to the Catalan school community but not into the local community per se. Really we are integrated in to the international community here in Sitges and know people who have lived here a long time which is great because it makes you feel less transitory. For the children it is not an issue. My son plays with any children he meets in our communidad and of course he has his friends at school some are local some are not but they all speak Catalan.
What language do you sgpeak to your children?
I speak English my husband Dutch and together we speak English.
What has the impression been of childcare and education in Sitges so far?
Childcare - guaderias generally understaffed ridiculous child carer ratios - my son had 1 to 12 which was good for here. In UK usually one to four, but he went when he was 2 and a half. Babysitters are a very reasonable price but without childcare qualifications so you have to find someone you are happy with. However I am in a very lucky situation where I can work very flexibly and I do not have to use a guarderia for my one year old.
Have you any advice for anyone moving here in regards to education?
If you can get to visit the schools and get to talk to some international parents before you make your choice. All schools in Sitges have parents from other countries.
How did you choose the school the children are at now?
I went to all the open evenings and I liked the attitude of the headteacher and her staff at the school we chose. - they seemed really child centered and enthusiastic about multilingual children.
Are you happy with it and what was the process of applying?
Yes very happy once I understood that it is very different form the UK and that it is fine - the kids and staff are happy. Aplying was a nightmare in terms of paper work and understanding the system.
In your experience how much Spanish is taught at the schools and how does the timetable work at a young age - is there much time for outdoor play and extra curricular activities?
Castellano Spanish not taught for the first 3 years- my son understands a lot in Castellano as his friends speak it and the teacher often explains stuff in catellano as a lot of the South American children have it as a common language. Im not worried at the moment as later he will have lessons. Extra curricular is limited at our school due to small numbers of children wanting to stay after school -that is not typical of other schools. Outdoor play -loads more than 2 hours a day.
How do you rate the amenities available for parents and children in Sitges?
Poor as no indoor play and parks are limited. However with the beach and the weather as it is I cant complain. When the children are older I think that there are more clubs and sports facilities.
Where you live, how good are facilities for children (shops,restaurants, activities etc)?
Not very good but the location makes up for it.
What do you think are the main advantages and disadvantages of being a parent from the International Community living in Sitges?
Advantages:
Plenty of people to meet and a supportive community
If earning a foreign salary- standard of living very good
A feeling of being in a beautiful and interesting place that values its culture a great deal.
Being away from all the the social class/ one upmanship that exists in the UK at least.
No league tables is good and not understanding the class snobbery that probably does exist here is great.
Our children learning languages and about other cultures at an early age..
Disadvantages:
Feeling that education is better in Northern Europe particularly Holland
Wondering if living in an international bubble is ok
Always feeling like an outsider
Career opportunities for me not as easy as at home.
House prices so ridiculous for the standard of buildings in Sitges
Job security long term
Is there anything you think would improve children´s lives in Sitges?
Restaurants serving earlier in the evening and being more child friendly
Schools allowing more parental involvement
More indoor play
More childrens cinema
What do you wish you had been told before you came to Sitges?
The dominance of Catalan