Parent's Review of King Richard III College Mallorca in Mallorca 0

Review Your Child's International School

What is the name of your child's school? (Please report on one school per survey.)

King Richard III College Mallorca

In what town or city is this school located?

Mallorca

How would you describe this school? (i.e. American, British, International, Local, etc.)

British International

What grade levels are represented at this school?

3-18yrs

How do most children get to school everyday? (bus, train, walk, etc.)

Car, bus, walk

How would you describe the facilities at this school? What extra-curricular activities are available?

As the school seems to market itself as an exclusive school, one would assume that it had all the facilities on-site to validate this claim, but it doesn't. Although the location is great, the actual school site is cramped. The buildings look nice from the outside, but the classrooms are woefully under-resourced and cramped. It is clear that the primary school gets more finance than the secondary school (for reasons that become obvious) and this is a shame because the secondary staff work so hard to deliver their subjects and courses in relatively poor conditions. There is no air-conditioning in the school, apart from in the Reception class, dining room, School Reception and Senior Managers' offices. Teachers and students are not permitted to drink water in the buildings, even in summer (there is no water fountain either). Primary seem to offer more extra-curricular activities than secondary, but there are lovely shows in secondary, several day trips, field trips, a sponsored walk and a ski trip.

What has this school done to help your child transition from the curriculum in your home country into the curriculum in your new country? Are there programs to prepare your child for repatriation?

Helpful interviews and tours around school on application, but answers are not forthcoming about results or comparison with other international schools on the island. There is an attitude of "if you don't like it, there's the door" and that is not particularly helpful or encouraging to any family wishing to move country and make a decision on their child's academic career.

How would you describe the social activities available for parents through this school? Are there parent-teacher organizations?

None whatsoever, although there are several occasions during the year when the parents are silently 'expected' to participate in school activities as long as they don't become too involved. Sycophancy is rewarded and favoritism is rife.

What advice would you give to someone considering enrolling their child in this school?

If Primary aged, then great. If secondary, I would seriously consider the alternatives for this reason: My child worked hard to pass the entrance exams for secondary and did very well in them. Imagine how angered we were to find children joining his class who had not even sat the entrance tests or who could not even understand the most basic of instructions. If the school is seriously trying to be exclusive, then surely the results are very important. The wheat should be diligently separated from the chaff so that all students in every class have reached a minimum level before entry. Since my son started the school, I have realised that it is run as a money-making business with children accepted to boost numbers (=cash) in the upper high school. Alternatively, 'exclusive' might simply refer to the fact that it is an open school, and that results are of no significance as long your wallet is bottomless.