There are several levels to the education system in Spain. These begin at nursery level, through primary, secondary and then voluntary secondary education, college or university.

Nursery education runs from birth to 6 years of age. This is divided into 2 sections of 3 years and is mainly voluntary, although the majority of children will attend the second stage. These can be either private or public and there are fees to pay, with private nurseries invariably costing more. There is some financial help available for working parents if they use public nurseries. The second stage of nursery education is usually in the same building as the primary school.

Primary education is compulsory for all children from the ages of 6 to 12 and is also divided into three sections of two years. The first runs from the ages of 6 to 8 and children undergo assessments every year. There are provisions in place for children to repeat a year at this stage if necessary. Stage 2 runs from the ages of 8 to 10 and the third runs from the age of 10 to 12. The final stage is planned with secondary school in mind and again, there are provisions for a child who may need to repeat a year.

The first stage of secondary education is compulsory and runs to the age of 16 years. Children complete this stage and leave with the Secondary Education School Certificate, which is the equivalent of the UK GCSE. This first stage has two sections, one for those aged 12 to 14 and the other for those aged 14 to 16. There are several types of school which cover this stage of eduction including public schools (Institutos de Educación Secundaria)and private schools (Colegios Privados). Subjects that are taught at this level include sciences, history, geography, Spanish, another modern foreign language, literature studies, music and maths. In the final year of the compulsory secondary education students are able to choose to specialise in some subjects such as science and visual arts. Religious Studies are optional. There is also the opportunity to repeat a year if necessary but this can only be done once. Students must pass the Secondary Education Certificate (Graduado en Educación Secundaria) before moving on to the second stage. International schools in Spain often offer GCSE courses which follow a British curriculum.

The second stage of secondary education is voluntary and students can choose vocational studies or ‘bachillerato’ studies (the equivalent of the UK A Level). Most schools will offer both stages unlike in the UK where some schools do not have a facility for the second stage. The bachillerato is a 2 year programme and all students are required to take all the basic courses which include history, Spanish and another language. In addition to this the student can specialise in either arts, sciences, engineering, humanities or social sciences. All subjects must be passed before a qualification can be given out. Vocational training is a combination of academic study and work experience. The UK ‘A’ Level is available at some international schools.

Universities in Spain offer similar courses as can be found in universities in the UK and the US. These are bachelor’s degrees, masters degrees and PhDs. Universities can be either private or public although private universities must have their courses assessed and recognised before they can award the certificates. University places are given after students take an entry exam. There are fees for university education and these vary according to the course.

School places are given to children who live within a specific geographical area of the school. This means that there may be little choice of schools in rural areas but in cities where most districts have several schools may have more choice.

In order to register for a school the family needs to be registered on the list at the Town Hall. This is known as Padrón Municipal de Habitantes. This needs to be followed by an appointment at the Department of Education. School registration forms will need to be completed and the family doctor will need to complete a medical form. This should include all the details of the child’s medical history and vaccinations. The registration form allows the parents to choose if the child should study religion or if the child should study through the medium of Spanish or a local language. The department of Education will tell the parents which school has been selected for the child.

Most private schools do have waiting lists so it is important to put your name in as soon as possible. Parents wanting their child to go to a private school should contact the school directly.

For state schools enrolment varies from region to region but most will take place between February and April but dates should be confirmed with the school in question. Documentation that is required for enrolment includes a certificate issued by the local authorities that confirms that the family live within the relevant geographic area, birth certificate for the child (must be translated into Spanish, a medical certificate and a number of passport photos. In order to enrol from the second level of secondary school onward it is important to have the educational records of the child verified by the Ministry of Education.

The school year begins in mid-September and will normally run until mid-June. There are 3 academic terms and each lasts around 11 weeks. School hours in Spain vary depending upon the type of school. Children at primary school will normally begin their day at 9 am, break at 12 for lunch and a siesta (most will go home although some schools have a facility for this), then return at 3 pm until 5 pm. In some urban areas the lunch break is shorter so that children can finish earlier, either at 2 pm or 3 pm. During the months of September and June the schools usually operate for half of the day, from 9 am to 1 pm. Secondary schools begin at either 8.30 am or 9 am and finish at 3 pm.

In busier areas there are normally after school clubs that can be joined and activities vary widely from sports to crafts. Local authorities often run summer schools but there are fees that need to be paid for these and the type of activity will depend on the local authority.

Useful Resources

National Association of British Schools in Spain
www.nabss.org/en/home.php
Email: admin@nabss.org

International Schools Directory
http://spain.english-schools.org

Department of Education (for local schools)
www.mec.es