In Spain, all children from 6 to 16 years of age must attend school. This applies to locals and children of foreigners who come to live in Spain. If you are applying for obtaining a Spanish residence permit, then the consulate will ask you for confirmation that your children are already enrolled in a Spanish school.

Levels of school education in Spain

Primary and secondary school are compulsory. High school is needed only for those who plan to further study at the university.

Primary school starts from 6 to 12 years of age. At this stage, children study general subjects: mathematics, Spanish, regional and foreign languages, literature, music, painting. At age 10, students can choose an additional foreign language.

Secondary school from 12 to 16 years old. The last year of high school is considered preparatory to entering high school or college. The student can complete specialized education and obtain a profession.

High school 16 – 18 years old. During this time, complete preparation for entering the university takes place; often the final exams are counted as entrance exams to the university. The curriculum consists of the subjects that students will study at university.

School education in Spain: daily routine and school schedule

Classes start at 9 am. Children spend almost the entire day at school. Schools usually have a lot of paid and free clubs and sections, for example: ballet, gymnastics, chess, football, fencing, tennis, etc. For such classes there is everything you need right on the school grounds – several fields, courts, equipment for students.

Lesson schedules vary by school.

Daily routine using the example of 7th grade in a semi-private school:

• 9:00–11:00 the first two lessons last 1 hour without break.
• 11:00–11:30 break for lunch, children eat what their parents give them and relax.
• 11:30–13:30 2 more lessons of 45 minutes without a break.
• 13:30–15:00 It’s a big break, at this time the children have lunch in the dining room and can attend clubs.
• 15:00–16:30 the last 2 lessons are 45 minutes each.

Then the parents pick up the children themselves or are transported by bus. After school, children also attend extracurricular activities. There is little homework assigned, most of it is done at school.

School education in Spain: types of schools

Schools are divided into public, semi-private and private schools in Spain. They differ in cost and training format.

State

These are free schools. Here, education takes place in the language of the region; for example, education in a Catalan school will be in Catalan. To enroll in a free school, you must first register and submit an application to the Ministry of Education, where students are assigned to the nearest school where there is a free place.

Cost: free

Semi-private

Previously, such schools were Catholic. They are now partly financed by the church or state, but education is secular and religious classes are optional.

They teach in Spanish, but much attention is paid to learning English. Some subjects may be taught in the language of the region. In such schools, the level of discipline is higher, there is a school uniform.

Cost: 100-120 euros per month, additional payment for bus, canteen, textbooks, excursions.

Private

Mostly foreigners study in private schools. Schools are international, English, American, Spanish, French – this means that training takes place according to the education system of the corresponding country.

For example, in English and American schools, instruction is taught in English, and Spanish is taught as the first foreign language.

International ones have a dual teaching system: Spanish-American, Spanish-German, Spanish-French, etc. The student will receive a double diploma and will be fluent in two languages and an additional third foreign language.

Here they immediately prepare for admission to universities in Spain. Graduates enter the best universities in Europe and the world.

There are residences at schools; a child can live and study there without parents. Schools have swimming pools, gyms, psychologists, tennis courts, and sports sections.

The children are looked after very well. They take into account the child’s temperament and learning rhythm in which he assimilates information; They pay attention to their strengths and develop them, while their weaknesses are improved.

Cost: from 500 euros per month tuition, additional costs for textbooks, canteen, uniforms, excursions, trips to other countries.

We will help you place your child in a private Spanish school and select the right educational institution. More details here:

Подбор частной школы в Испании: Торревьеха, Аликанте, Валенсия

Advantages of schooling in Spain

• Spanish learning is interactive. Children unite in groups to work on projects, create wall newspapers together, prepare presentations, and come up with costumes for festivals.
• In most cases, homework is not assigned or little is assigned. Homework is done at school, and at home they can finish what they didn’t have time to do.
• Parents are not required to make crafts with their children; most children bring them ready-made from school.
• School subjects are integrated, for example, history with geography, physics with chemistry. Children are taught to immediately think more broadly and see connections in the environment.
• History lessons are taught during excursions. Teachers talk about historical events right near these places.
• The Spaniards are very welcoming to new arrivals. Even if a child does not know the language, they will still communicate with him, involve him in games, and help him with learning.
• If a child enters school and does not know the language, a separate teacher will teach him free of charge. During classes, a separate teacher sits with the child in the back desk and translates the lesson, and also teaches Spanish several times a week.