Malta - British Expat Forum

Hi

It is likely that due to my husbands work we will be moving to Malta after christmas for a year to 18 months. I need to find schools for our 3 children aged 6, 7 and 9. As we will only be over for a short period of time i think they need to be in an english speaking school. Can any one please help by giving me a list of schools that will be able to help me, i don't think we will be over to visit and make arrangements until December, how likely will it be that we will be able to get places for our children in an English speaking school for January?

thanks

You will have to contact the schools you are interested in to find out if they can fit your children in mid-year. There is a list of schools on the ministry of education website: http://www.education.gov.mt/edu/schools/independent_private.htm#ps For English speaking you will probably have to look at either Verdala which is an international school or one of the independent schools. We had a look at a number of schools and ended up choosing for Chiswick House (primary) and St Martin College (secondary) but it depends on what you expect from the school what will work for you.

I am drawn to Chiswick house for some reason, DH agrees as he thinks the Verdala might be a bit too American and we like the idea of a uniform too which I believe the VIS doesn't have. Would you or anyone else be able to give an idea of what the Chiswick is like - as you say it depends what you are after - so what were you after that you get at CH/StMC? I have been invited to look round in December so I hope I can take them up on the offer - it would just be nice to have an idea of what to look for. My son is only just in Primary 1 (Scotland) so I am quite new to all this anyway. I have only looked at these two schools as TBH I am not sure which other ones are in that rough area. Any other suggestions would be appreciated too.

Shotcrete - if it is any help when I contacted Chiswick in August asking for a prospectus they said there was no waiting list for this year - don't know if that will have changed by now. HTH

We find Chiswick house a very good school. Our daughter is in junior 1 (which is the same as Primary 1 in Scotland I believe) and although she only started a couple of months ago she has already been to a number of birthday parties and a play-overs and made friends very quickly. The Maltese education system is quite demanding and we were impressed at the amount of "home work" 5 year olds get. I would definitely recommend visiting the school so you can have a look around.

Im off too look at Newark school and St Catherines in Jan 2010, will let ya know what both are like. i kicked chiswick into touch because of one thing and that was the uniform. What chance is there of getting a 12 year old boy into a uniform looking like theres after hes been in school in the UK for so many years.

He took one look and said he wasnt going to that school whatever !!!

Will keep posted !!

Correct me if I am wrong but wouldn't a 12 year old be at least in Junior 6 or even Form 1? From junior 6 kids move from Chiswich to St Martins College and those uniforms don't look too bad: http://www.chsmck.com/smc/content.aspx?id=40218

When we were looking at schools in Malta I was under the impression that St Catherines was a girls only school, but I just noticed that they have a new website and that they are a co-ed school now. When I contacted St Catherines they were not open to our kids starting mid-year at all.

We initially liked Newark College (I assume Newark School is their primary school) too but we were not able to actually find the school (!?!) and after visiting St Martins we didn't see the need anymore.

If uniforms is a major concern, I would visit the uniform store used by most independent schools in Malta. It is on the second floor of a computer store called Klikk which is easy to find using Google.

Update: the uniform store I mentioned is called ID Schoolgear: http://idmalta.com/schoolgear/ or search for ID School Gear on the maltese yellow pages website http://www.yellowpages.com.mt/Malta-Business/Id-School-Gear-In-Malta-Gozo.aspx

St Martins College my boy didnt like the Whole Blazer Thing and at the end of the Day i have to keep him happy. Newark becomes Newark College and i have high hopes after speaking to the School prinicpal.

St Catherines also looks really nice and i know someone from here has a child there and they were extremely happy (it did indeed used to be a girls only school but not anymore).

Got appointments with both on Jan 12th so will let ya know what i think then.

We are moving to Malta in early December and have appointments at San Anton, St. Martin/Chiswick and St. Michael. We too are interested in Newark, but have been steered away from some who have close ties to San Anton. Does anyone have kids that go there? Anyone tour and not choose it? Please let me know your views/thoughts/opinions as I have a good feeling about Newark from my e-mail exchanges with the principal - but would like an outside opinion.

re san anton you may want to have a look at
http://www.britishexpat.com/expatforum/malta/viewtopic.php?t=8392

before deciding upon it

good to be getting some feedback to the schools thing and I will very much appreciate any more once you have visited them Eggs. Thanks BeAus for letting me know who you find CH/StM.

Considering the awful grey uniform my DS currently endures I think the winter uniform at CH will be a blessing, I see what you mean about the summer one - mainly the shoes to be honest but when everyone is wearing them it isn't so bad, and I think they are rather sweet. And by the time they move to StM it is back to the formal blazer thing which he is used to anyway. So I am not that concerned about the uniform issue so long as there is one and it isn't GREY head to foot which is what we are now. Not becoming on anyone least of all a child.

But I am off to have a look at those other schools. I have a feeling I am casting my net a little too narrowly but if they have rubbish websites I have tended to ignore to date - I know not exactly a good strategy.