Is there a healthy expats scene in Poland? (drinks, food, golf, etc.)

Interesting. Personally I'd say that if one has the cash, it is by far the best English language education in Poland and one of the best schools of any type in Poland.


You sure about that pip? My understanding is that Poles are now the largest group but not the majority.

I think it varies from year to year. A few years ago I think it was up to 60% but I think it has dropped since then. There are a lot of foreigners there now.

I disagree. They offer the American curriculum. Which, personally, I don't think is the best. My kids go to a private school with more Polish curriculum- the maths my 13 year old is learning is quite shocking to me. I don't remember ever learning what she is doing now. Same with many of the other subjects. History is primarily Polish and European so I never really learned it- I learned Canadian and North American history with a touch of World.

My daughters best friend moved to the American school. She was bumped up a grade because of her previous education.

I do think the American school is great for things like community and making people feel welcome. The have great sports facilities and really do a lot to involve all nationalities. I think the expats use it well where the Poles use it as bragging rights.

If we are ever to switch schools they will go to the British school. But at this moment we are happy because there is equal Polish and English subjects being taught.

My point, or opinion is that when/if we move to Poland then it will be a much smoother transition for our children who are currently 10yrs and 9yrs old to stay in an English speaking school, and continuing in the curriculum that they have got used to. Both our children speak English and Polish, but their English is at a much higher level than Polish; I am a Brit citizen but feel more Polish having been brought up in a Polish household, while my wife is a native Pole, but we speak both languages fluently.

If the children were much younger, say 4yrs or 5yrs old then sending them to a predominantly Polish speaking school could be an option.

I agree that the fees are quite high, and I know that quite a lot of people sending their kids to these international schools get help with the fees through the companies where they work; unfortunately we are not in such a lucky position but I'm sure we'll manage somehow :o)


This is what I have heard also; I also know friends who sent their kids to the British School and some who have also worked there. Last time I checked the staff, I recognised at least two people I knew in London from 20-30 yrs ago !

It is very difficult to put a price on ' identity' in my experience children of Brit/Polish parents or other, at some stage in life will question where they belong, in my experience the BS do a very good job of dealing with this issue.

You pay for what you get in life.

dollar for dollar you are paying for the facilities of the American school. The British school has a better curriculum.

Now this is a very interesting subject, and one I wish to follow. Btw, it has nothing to do with the thread I started, I have no objection to it, so if it's ok with the posters and mods please let it continue.

Polish schools, International schools, private schools...what a choice and what a headache! Can I throw in another...? Any thoughts on the Montessori schools?

I have a friends whose son goes to Montessori schools all his life (first elementary school, now gymnasium), but they are Polish schools.
Anyway if you are interested, I can ask her for more information.

As far as I know there are a few Montessori schools in Warsaw. The only pre school I could ever recommend with confidence is the IPW at Zawrat 14, both of my kids attended there and both still have friends in WAW and overseas from their preschool days.

I was really impressed with the facilities of the American School, and especially as my son is very good in sports I considered putting him into the American School ; anyway after the initial euphoria at seeing the facilities, reality and common sense hit home - our kids are already immersed in the British curriculum, so it makes sense to continue with that.

I took my son to see the Brit School when we were over for Euro2012 and although they didn't have time to take us round the classrooms and facilities, my son liked what he saw and is keen to go to Poland, even though he has lots of friends here in London. He is quite mature for a ten yr old and said that it would be a good life experience to live and get educated in another country. I think he also worked out that the holidays would be longer if we moved to Poland :o)

He is a keen footballer and plays regularly for a Sunday League team, and also trains with Brentford FC at their Advanced Training Academy, so if we move to Warsaw I'll have to find him a team locally - I have already done some research and found Kosa Kostancin (run by Roman Kosiecki) which maybe a bit far and also SF Wilanow. Does anyone know anything about these clubs?

My daughter has already said she'd like to go horse-riding and this is more affordable than it would be here in London. I have spoken to friends whose daughers are frequently going on horse-riding/jumping camps and they say it is not expesive at all.

Both our kids have friends in Poland, as my god-daughter (13yrs) and her younger brother(11yrs) live in Warsaw, and I have quite a few friends who are Brits but with Polish parents who married nativePolish girls, already living in Warsaw.

Does anyone know whether or not there is a central Montessori governing authority which authorizes the use of the name and supervises each of its schools? Or can anyone use the name?

In Babice there is a Montessori primary school.

There isn't.


They can.

Have a look at these two links below, your kids are about the right age.

deski.org
chris.com.pl

As far as football if your son is gifted approach Legia or Polonia.

Thought so. I went to a website for a 'Montessori' school in Białystok and my avast! stopped a trojan.

Thanks, looks good!

If its a consideration, put down Pod Skocznią ( Mokotow) on your house hunt list.

Got it :-)

I'll get in touch once we make the move; I have a friend whose son is in one of the Polonia Yth squads.

and sex ...

good grief, we have already established that he is a married man with a family.

whats wrong in cooking books LEGALLY! ofcourse?

If it's legal, it isn't cooking the books. If its cooking the books, it isn't legal.

Precisely. Just as tax avoidance is perfectly legal (although sometimes morally questionable), while tax evasion is illegal (although one can certainly make a very good case for it in certain circumstances).

Pb with Osiedle Konstancja , apart from the fact that it is gated (talk about ghetto!), is that it is located just after the main road linking Konstancin to Warsaw narrows down from 4 lanes to 2 lanes (one each way). That means traffic jams and long waits in the morning and the evening.. That is , unless there has been roadworks since I left Warsaw (summer 2011)..

the traffic jams are less since they widened the road and put the rondo there. like I said, some may like this place and some not depends on the person.

I quite liked Konstancja Osiedle when I visited last year ..... price of property is quite expensive though, 2,500,000 złoty for 216m2 semi detached on plots of around 700-800m2, 4,000,000 złoty for 279m2 detached on plots of around 1200m2. Prices vary from 11,000zł/m2 - 15,000zł/m2

I'm sure that as they're coming to end of phase V , the final phase, they want to wrap up the sales dept and would be willing to take offers.


nothing wrong with gated communities (very American) .... gives one the feeling of security which many people. Buying in this development would be a good investment, as resales and rentals are quite good from what I've heard.

Also liked a gated community which was a bit further out ... around Chylice, called Oakland Park but prices were ridiculous for location of the development, although properties were just like the ones I'd choose to live in.

Next time I'm in Warsaw will have to pop down there and see what finally got sold - in first phase they were planning 36 detached properties on large plots (over 2000m2) but I think only about 12 got built and sold, but I could be wrong; latest I heard was the company was selling off plots of land.

So far, my wife's favourite location is Wilanow, and Lawendowe Ogrody Osiedle seem reasonable; there is also Sady Wilanowskie & Osiedle Lercha Bis which don't look too bad.

Osiedle Konstancja was offering a free mini cooper with purchase- I don't know if they still offer it though. You are right about Oakland park--they also started construction before the prices started to decrease and banking regulations got tighter- they will never get the asking price. There are a few osiedles that have just popped up just past Wilanow on the side of Kabaty forest- next to horse stables. Osiedle Karpiola and Osiedle Residencja Palacowy

rezydencjepalacowa.pl/en/
osiedlekapriola.pl

--palacowa is quite nice- I could live here in a second.

Plenty wrong if you ask me..I'd love to see what would happen if this were pushed to its limits, with everybody living in separate gated community; That would create great cities!

but this is what Poles want. I worked with a developer who created the open North America style osiedle and the houses are not selling. The reason is that they are not gated.

I've seen this one on the internet and it seems all the latest gadgetry comes with these properties, ..... not keen on having a shared underground garage though.

Location looks pretty good, and there's no danger of flooding.


people want to live in a safe environment and gated communities provide this; lots of these gated communities are on the outskirts of the main city ..... in the suburbs and not in centre of the city.

Personally I can't see much wrong with gated communities; what is the difference to living in a gated community of semi-detached or detached properties and living in an apartment block where you have underground parking where entry is restricted to apartment owners or peole who have purchased a garage space. Many apartment blocks or gated communities are guarded 24 hrs by security and entry to them is by code/password entry pads.