Schools/Education
Overview
There are basically three options to educating your child in Spain:
- Registering your child in the Spanish state school system
- Registering your child at an international school
- Spanish Private School
The age of the children is a factor to consider. Children attending a local state school will be taught totally in Castilian Spanish, or the local dialect (e.g. Valencian). Normally, the younger the child, the more quickly they learn the language and integrate.
In areas where there are many foreigners it is likely that there will be other English-speaking children in local state schools who will help translate.
Pre-school education
This type of education almost invariably takes place within the school system. Under 3´s are catered for by family, nurseries or by child-minders hired by individual families.
Pre-school education is defined as covering the period from 0 to 6 years of age. Most children commence pre-school by the age of 3, with some beginning a year earlier, often in buildings attached to a primary school.
Nursery Schools
Private nurseries are increasingly common and are run by both Spanish (usually cheaper) and non-Spanish nationals.
State nurseries are provided by the council in some towns and are usually excellent.
Fees (usually considerably cheaper than in the UK) and registration requirements vary but most will require copies of vaccination certificates or a medical certificate. Most Nurseries are open from 08.00 to at least 17.30 hrs. Always ensure that they are approved and licensed by the local authority and visit the establishment during opening hours, talk to staff and other parents to ensure it meets yours and your child’s needs.
State schools
Infant and Primary School
More and more ex-pats are deciding to integrate their children into the state schools. State education is free of charge, but parents are expected to purchase books and materials. As in British state schools, the catchments area is all-important, so having decided on your chosen school it is essential to ensure that your house (whether purchased or rented) is located in the correct area. Infant education covers 3 – 6 years old and Primary education covers ages 6 – 12 years old (however in some regions pupils don’t move onto secondary education until they are 14 years old). Class sizes in Spanish State schools are on the whole smaller than in the UK averaging 20 pupils.
Education for infants is usually free; if there are any fees to pay they are usually reasonable. It is not compulsory to send your child to school until they are 6 years old however if the school of your choice offers this facility it is advisable to enrol your child, as children attending the infant section automatically get given places in the primary school at the school. If there are then any places left they are allocated to children joining at primary school age.
To register your child you will need to have the child registered on the ‘padron’ (town hall register) and provide the following documentation.
- two photos
- a copy of the child’s vaccination certificates
- a medical certificate
- a copy of the child’s registration on the town hall register
- copy of child’s passport or identity document
- birth certificate
- copy of the mother’s passport or other identity document
- marriage certificate (if applicable)
- social security card or private health insurance (some schools insist that you take out a health cover policy, the cost of this is usually around €20 per year and most schools include this in their fees)
These days, for state schools in many towns/cities, there is a means tested entry system.
You will also be asked to list three schools in your order of preference, with admission being based on your means tested ‘points’ and classroom availability, with no guarantee of getting into one of your chosen schools (although you will always be offered a place at a school). Points are awarded for some or all of the following, for which proof is required:
- Living in the catchments area
- Low income family
- Paying income tax, usually for at least one year prior to enrolment
- Unemployed mother or father or both
- Having a sibling in a chosen school
- Many children family
- Disabled child or siblings
The above claim(s) for points appear on the application form.
Spanish schools are more relaxed than their English counterparts, there is no uniform requirement. School hours are usually 09.00 to 17.00 but there will be a two to three hour break in the middle of the day when the child can either stay and eat in the dining room or go home for lunch returning usually around 15.00. In some areas one day a week the school is closed in the afternoon.
Secondary school (Aged 12 to 18)
This is known as the ‘Instituto’ and takes children from 12 to 18 years old. 14 is an important age as this is when students start the last cycles of compulsory education and the outcome of studies will dictate the route at 16. Post 16, students can undertake vocational training or carry on with their studies for a further 2 or 3 years.
It is quite common for foreign secondary pupils to be placed in a class a year below their actual age in order for them to learn the language and cope with normal school work. A pupil, who does badly in the end of year exams, can be required to repeat that year.
To gain entry to secondary education you will need the same paperwork as for the infant and primary school plus a school leaving certificate from their relevant school in Spain. If the child is coming directly from England then copies of any exam certificates should be produced and a report from the head teacher, which you should have translated into Spanish.
School hours vary from region to region, but school usually 8am – 2pm, Monday to Friday.
School holidays are taken at Easter and Christmas and there is a long summer break (usually around 12 weeks). From 1st June until the summer holidays commence children attend half days, with half days again when they return to school for the month of September. The English half-term holiday does not exist, but there are frequent odd days and long weekends relating mainly to religious holidays and regional and national holidays.
International Schools
Entrance requirements vary from school to school as do fees. Most will follow the syllabus of the United Kingdom schools and offer entry to GCSEs and A/S levels and now in most cases to the ‘bachillerato’ as offered in Spanish schools.
A birth certificate, a report from their leaving school in England, vaccination and medical certificates and exam results are all likely to be required
Spanish Private School
Spanish private schools are becoming increasingly popular and offer an excellent education. The private sector offers Spanish education in an environment with a lower student/teacher ratio than provided by a state school. They are usually situated near the larger cities such as Valencia, Barcelona etc.