Colegio Brains - Topic Powered by eve community

Hi there,

As a Mom with a bilingual 6 year old, I am pretty good info. source on the Madrid school scene. Brains has a good reputation. Its a very big private school. It is a Spanish school but with a big emphasis on the English language.

I believe that the nursery school is mostly in English, up through age 5. Later, they follow the Spanish National Program.

Can I ask you what your grad. program is in and where? Are you at grad. school in Spain or in the states? If in the states, how were you able to hook up with Brains? I know they are always looking for teachers at the nursery school as I've seen the ads here.

I look forward to hearing about your experience at Brains (I heard that the owners are Australian).

Good luck with it!

Val

Posts: 144 | Location: Chicago, USA (living in Madrid, yeah!) | Registered: 05 September 2002

Ignored post by Val posted

Posted

Hi Val! Thanx for the info! I am a grad student in the Lynch School of Education at Boston College, here in Boston. They allow some parts of the program, like student teaching, etc, to be completed overseas. Usually they have a partner school there, which used to be the American School of Madrid, but those ties have been severed, for whatever reason. So over thanksgiving, determined to find a place, I had a bunch of interviews at british schools set up and I went to visit a bunch. Then, a friend of mine knows and has worked with the headmistress of Colegio Brains, so set me up with an interview there too, and I ended up loving it and that's that! So I will let you know, but so far they have been wonderful to me and it seems like a great institution. Thanx for the info, Joy

Posts: 541 | Location: Madrid (but from Boston) | Registered: 16 December 2002

Ignored post by Queensita posted

Val

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Hi Joy,

That sounds really great! Funny about the American school? I, personally, have not had a good experience with them. They laughed at me when I asked if they have scholarships for the children of US citizens, although they are supposedly a "non-profit" institution. They charge over 10,000$ per year and cater only to the ex-pat high level executive who do not need to pay the fees as their companies pay for them.

Can't wait to hear about your experience!

Good luck,

Val

Posts: 144 | Location: Chicago, USA (living in Madrid, yeah!) | Registered: 05 September 2002

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Posted

Well hello all, it's me, Queensita, to give an update, here on the original thread!!!! Well, update is that after spending my first four months observing and getting to know the lovely Colegio Brains, that it is a great school. The teachers are great, and the students are great. The program is wonderful and the students are Spanish for the most part, but since they usually begin at the guarderia there too, they are completely bilingual. They speak to the american and british staff only in english and to the spanish staff in spanish. The weird thing is that the staffs dont really communicate that much with eachother...but anyway, The school is very demanding, and the students really learn a lot. They have activities at the school as well, judo, clubs, and have a summer camp that they offer as well. I personally would send my kids there. But I don't have any! But it's great, really. However, for an american student just starting out here, I would say that a british school or the american school of madrid would be better.

Posts: 541 | Location: Madrid (but from Boston) | Registered: 16 December 2002

Ignored post by Queensita posted

Posted

Hey guys, just wanted to update. wrapping up my student teaching at Colegio Brains, and I have to say, it's awesome. The kids there are great, there is a high level of family involvement, community feel . THe little one Primary only at Maria Lombillo is where I've been but I've seen the large school at the Moraleja and it's great as well as it's staff too. They are also building a new one in Canarias!!! Level of English that the kids come out of primary with is not fluent, but not bad for 11 year olds! They understand a huge amount, and can say and write a fair amount. All in all, a great place. Besos, Joy

Posts: 541 | Location: Madrid (but from Boston) | Registered: 16 December 2002

Ignored post by Queensita posted

Val

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Hi there!

I'm glad you had such a great experience at "Brain's"! I never looked into it for myself as I wanted a British school for my son to start out (4 years) and now Spanish subsidised school (he's in 2nd grade now). However, I always have heard good things about "Brain's", even if the name is rather silly.

Best of luck!

Val

Posts: 144 | Location: Chicago, USA (living in Madrid, yeah!) | Registered: 05 September 2002

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mariposita

Posted

We're looking for a preschool for the fall. Colegio Brains sounds interesting, but it's probably a little too far out for us...

Hey Val--
Since you are a seasoned Madrid-mom... do you have any ideas about schools in the centro (or near Complutense) that might offer part-time preschool or daycare in the afternoons (3:00-6:00ish). My son is 2 1/2. It seems that of places offer morning programs, but we'll need just the opposite... He already speaks a lot of Spanish, so I'd really love to have him in a strictly Spanish-speaking environment. Any ideas?

Thanks!

Posts: 1081 | Location: Madrid | Registered: 10 December 2002

Ignored post by mariposita posted

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The guarderia for Brains is in Ventas, a little closer in, but I'm pretty sure that they have a really long waiting list. But it's worth calling, I've heard good things about it from staff members whose kids went there/are there.

Posts: 541 | Location: Madrid (but from Boston) | Registered: 16 December 2002

Ignored post by Queensita posted

Val

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Hi there!

I believe that most private daycare centers that are not schools per say offer care up until 7 pm or later.

I have a book called "Madrid de los Peques", it has ideas for just about everything related to kids and I'm sure they have a nice long section on this. They have it at all the book stores here. Also, the spanish yellow pages, www.paginasamarillas.es is a good place to start, then you'll just have to go to the places and check them out to see if they seem nice...and ask for referrals from people in the neighbourhood where you'll be living...

All neighbourhoods seem to have daycare centers...sorry, but I never looked much at daycare centers as Sam when right to a school from age 2 (King's College) and there they allowed the 2 year olders to go all day (until 4) or only in the morning.

Sorry I can't be more specific. The Community of Madrid, CAM, has good daycares (guardar�a), but I've heard that they are hard to get into.

Good luck and let me know if I can be of any further help...

Val

Posts: 144 | Location: Chicago, USA (living in Madrid, yeah!) | Registered: 05 September 2002

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mariposita

Posted

Thanks, Val and Queensita. Especially for the info on the book. I'm sure that will be a huge help.

Posts: 1081 | Location: Madrid | Registered: 10 December 2002

Ignored post by mariposita posted