Luis Jove and Belen Torrente share how OFS helped their daughters maintain their knowledge of the Spanish language and transition back to a local school with ease...
While moving your family to a new country may sound like an exciting adventure, it’s also one that comes with unique challenges. For expats in particular, it’s important to find a school that not only provides great facilities and accessibility, but also offers resources to help children adapt to their new environment. Another aspect to consider? A school that makes the transition back to one’s home country as seamless as possible. We spoke to Luis Jove and Belen Torrente, who recently relocated back to their home country of Spain, about their experience at OFS and how it’s made moving to Singapore and back to Spain so much easier on their daughters. Here’s their story…
Why OFS was their top choice
Upon moving to Singapore, Luis and Belen were looking for a school where their non-English speaking daughters could adapt best. To them, Overseas Family School (OFS) seemed very welcoming of all nationalities. Its Study Preparation Programme (SPP), which allows non-native English speakers to quickly assimilate into their new, English speaking environment, appealed to them the most. “My colleagues recommended the programme,” says Luis. “And it was a pleasant surprise that OFS also had the most extensive Mother Tongue (MT) programme being offered by a Singapore international school.” Another bonus? The Mother Tongue teachers at OFS also play a key role in supporting and facilitating communication with children in the SPP program. Within a few short months, Luis and Belen realised that their daughters, Carmen and Alejandra, were fully integrated in terms of their English language skills.
The Mother Tongue Programme at OFS
“Carmen and Alejandra had a great experience with OFS’ Mother Tongue Program,” the parents share. “They enjoyed playing and learning about their culture, and we also loved the fact that there was no re-integration when we returned to Spain.” When typically, most students moving back to Spain have support programs to help them adapt into their new environment, Luis and Belen say that in their case, it wasn’t even needed. “Carmen and Alejandra immediately joined the mainstream classes. In fact, their Spanish level was considered above average from the very beginning. They could read and write as well as their peers in Spain and had no trouble adjusting, even receiving top marks in all of their subjects,” say Luis and Belen.
Advice for other parents
“When you’re really far from your home country, it’s important to send your child to a welcoming school,” the parents say. OFS gave this family the peace of mind they needed in all aspects of education. From academics, personal growth, rich extracurricular and enrichment opportunities, the family is more than happy and grateful for their experience at OFS. And yes, they’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a school!
This post is in partnership with OFS.