Schools

When moving to Spain finding the right school for you children can be difficult and time consuming. We hope this page makes the process easier for yourself and the future pupils.
First we should look at the Spanish state education. Firstly, it is free, but parents must usually pay for school books (which tend to be expensive), school supplies and extra curricular activities, such as sports and art.
Most Spanish children, school starts with nursery or pre-school at the age of 4 or 5.
Compulsory education starts at the age of six with the start of primary school and lasts for eight years. At the age of 14, students receive a ‘school-leaving’ certificate, which determines the course of their future education. Those with high marks are awarded a ‘titulo de graduado escolar’ certificate and may attend a higher secondary school to study for their baccalaureate. Less academic students are awarded a school certificate, and attend a vocational programme providing specialised training for a specific career.

To enrol a child in a Spanish school you must provide your town hall with the following documents:
-Your child's birth certificate or passport with an official Spanish translation (if necessary)
-Proof of immunisation
-Proof of residence in the form of an electricity or telephone bill in your name. If you don't have any bills, a rent receipt, lease or proof of ownership is acceptable
-Proof of convalidation

If you would rather enrol you child in a private school, in which there are several excellent ones, it is important to confirm that all certifications are valid and any certifications that may be received are valid in spain and/or your home country.

List of schools

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