Cyprus-Forum.com

[mccaffary]

hi, my name is Audrey, We are in the prosses of buying a house in pyla, larnaca. we have a 12yr old who is going to go to school over in cyprus. what are the entrance exams like. will she find it hard. We have located the bowling alley, the cinema, horse riding shops etc. is there any organised groups for here age in the larnaca area ie: guides, drama groups, tennis, anything that will help here get to know people her own age. are ther any expat organizations that can tell us about places to go eg: supermarkets, garden centres, furniture shops etc

[Aris]

we have a 12yr old who is going to go to school over in cyprus. what are the entrance exams like. will she find it hard.

Is she going to study in a public Greek language school? Does she speak Greek? If she knows the language then there shouldn't be any major problems. But if I don't know if she will be able to start in gymnasium without the ability to speak good Greek.

In Larnaca there is almost everything that you need, you will not have problems to find good supermarkets, furniture stores etc.

[city]

I know that there are at least two private schools in Larnaca which are supposed to have a good level and lessons are in english. Your daughter will also learn greek language there. One is the American Academy (AA) and the other one the Mediterranean High (MedHigh). Especially from the AA I know that lots af foreigners have their kids going there.
Furtheron I know that the Nautic Club on Dhekelia Road used to have a swimming "Club" for kids. Regarding shopping etc Aris is right - you can find all you need in Larnaca. My suggestion, at least for your daughter: would be really good for her to know greek, at least some basics for the beginning.
Thats all I remember at the moment that could be interesting for you. In case you need some more or some special infos, please dont hesitate to get back to me and I might me able to get the required info.

good luck, city

[devil]

I know quite a number of Cypriots who send their kids to the American Academy at Larnaca or the English School in Nicosia, because they consider that the local schools are not good enough to ensure a good grounding for future life. I think this idea may be well founded, seeing the number of guys in the Cypriot limelight who also have been to these schools or similar.

[city]

yes, devil is right. There are also many cypriot kids at the AA, as well as english and russian.
I'd say the main difference between the local/public schools and the private institutions is the teaching language and the level of education the kids get there. So local school is difficult for someone who does not know Greek. On the other hand the question is whether you can afford to send your kids to AA or MedHigh.