One of the main concerns for families considering a move to Spain is education for the children and how they will cope with a new language and culture. There is a wide range of schools available to choose from. These include state funded schools, private schools and international schools. The choice you have will depend on where you live, the age of your child and your financial situation.

Since 1991, there has been a new education system introduced in Spain. The main points of this system are as follows:

1. Basic education is compulsory and free of charge to all children up to the age of 16.
2. Both general and special education is included in the system. This means that different levels of education are adapted to suit students with special needs.
3. All students must have basic vocational education. This is given during secondary education.
4. Improvements in the overall quality of teaching must be achieved. This is achieved by making improvements to human resources, material resources and a renewal of the content of the courses.
5. Religious education must be available to all schools but is voluntary for pupils.
6. Special systems are in place for artistic education and languages.

There are many things to consider when deciding which type of school you want to send your children to. As well as your financial situation, you will also have to consider any future plans you may have of returning to the U.K.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

International schools following the British curriculum are growing in number in Spain. Demand for places in these schools can be high as fees tend to be cheaper in Spain than in the U.K. If you plan to return to the U.K. it is advisable to choose an international school which follows the British National Curriculum. International schools following the British education system usually belong to the National Association of British Schools in Spain (NABSS) or the Council of International Schools (ECIS). Check with the schools to see whether they belong to either of these before deciding whether to enrol your children.

There are also International schools that follow the education systems from other countries such as France or Germany but the language spoken will usually be the language spoken in that particular country. You may also find that some English speaking private schools follow the American curriculum.

Whichever school you choose to send your children to, they all will be required to teach some of the Spanish curriculum.

SPANISH SCHOOLS

Spanish schools can be either state or privately owned. You will find some of the private schools are subsidised by the government and are called Concertados. Fees are usually low and in some cases there are no tuition fees at this type of school. You will usually find in a Concertados there is a combination of primary and secondary education in one school.

Parents aren’t always able to choose a state school, as some towns in Spain may have a policy of spreading foreign children between schools. It can also be because there are no places available. Usually, it is best to move within the catchment area of a school, but this doesn’t necessarily guarantee a place at the school. Families, who are already living in the area, can apply for school places in the spring before the start of the academic year in September. A points system is applied in the case where there are more applicants than places. School places must be found for children of families who arrive during the school year, but the authorities do not have to provide places at the local school.
The language spoken at Spanish private or public schools is usually Spanish. Teachers employed in the state sector (including Concertados) would not necessarily speak English and in any event lessons are not taught in English. If English is taught as a foreign language (which is mostly the case), then there would be an English teacher at the school whose main job is to teach English as a modern foreign language. The younger children usually adapt to this really well and soon learn to speak fluent Spanish. It can be a bit more difficult for older children as the work load will be a lot larger. Careful consideration has to be taken as to the suitability of a state school for older children. The children can really struggle to pick up the language which can make them withdrawn or stressed. Extra tuition in your own home could be a solution to this. The services of private tutors are widely available throughout Spain.

BILINGUAL SCHOOLS

There are a few private schools in Spain with bilingual programmes. It would be unusual to find a state school that taught more than one language.

The schools mainly cater for E.U. staff but anyone can apply if there are spaces available. Priority will be given to the children of E.U. staff, and teachers and staff at the schools. Full school fees have to be paid by anyone not falling into these categories.

You will find these bilingual schools are mainly situated in cities and rural areas and not in tourist areas.

THE SPANISH EDUCATION SYSTEM

In most parts of Spain schooling is available to children from the age of three, although the obligatory age for starting school is five years. Children are admitted once a year, in September according to the calendar year of their birth. This means that children born in January are the oldest in their class, and children born between October and December actually start school before their third birthday. The normal registration period for all ages is in May for the following September. Registration may be done via the local town hall, or by applying directly to a school

The school year starts in mid-September and ends in the third week of June. There is usually a break of two weeks for Christmas and Easter. There are other short breaks throughout the year. These are usually organised around national, regional and local saint’s days and festivals.

There are two kinds of timetables. A divided day which allows at least two hours for lunch, or the innovation of the “jornada continua”, a blocked day which finishes in the early afternoon. Most secondary schools have now adopted this blocked day timetable, so your teenager will be free from about 2 p.m. every day.

The education system falls into the following categories:

1. Infant education – Educacion Infantil (E.I.) lasts for three years and teaches children about social, personal and environmental values, as well as developing their physical and mental skills. They are gradually introduced to reading and writing in Spanish from 4 years old and will have covered their alphabet by the end of E.I. although fluent reading ability is not expected. E.I. is one of the newest areas of Spanish education and is generally well-taught by dedicated specialist teachers.
2. Primary education – At aged 5 children progress to Educacion Primaria (EP) where they will study subjects ranging from Art and Physical Education to Conocimiento del Medio which is a general knowledge subject which includes biology, history, geography, general and local knowledge and social awareness. In addition most students will study Religion which mainly consists of teaching Catholic doctrine. Schools are required to offer an alternative to children who opt out. In many regions of Spain the local dialect and culture is also taught as a subject. English will be taught by a specialist, but there is no obligation for the class teacher to speak English. Classes are always of a mixed ability in Spain. The state system usually provides support teams of psychologist, sociologist and speech therapist, and they may give foreign children language support if they have time. Although state education is free, parents will have to buy all textbooks and materials.
3. Secondary education – From age 12 children move on to Secondary school (El Instituto). The secondary system is based loosely on the British comprehensive system. The first four years are called “la E.S.O.” (EducaciSecundaria Obligatoria). Children can leave school at the end of this or at the age of 16 if they reach this sooner. The E.S.O. is divided into two cycles. A wide range of secondary subjects are taught, including a language choice between French and English.

At the age of 16, subject to qualifications achieved, pupils are awarded a graduation certificate, making them eligible to attend a higher secondary school to study for the university entrance exam. Any pupils who haven’t managed to gain the necessary qualifications can attend a 2 year Vocational Training School to train for careers in areas such as secretarial, IT, clerical, telecoms and electronics. Attendance for the first year is compulsory.

There are many things to consider when choosing the best school for your children. Once you have decided on the area of Spain you want to live in, it would be a good idea to visit as many schools as possible so that you can determine which schools offer the best facilities for your children.