Schools & colleges in spain - Education in spain

Education is obligatory for all children aged 6-16 if the parents are legally resident in Spain, and is free from pre-school to 18 years. However as pre-school is not obligatory, not all children can gain a place. For more information on pre-school go to our Childcare pages.

State School Education

State education is free, but parents must usually pay for school books (which are expensive, although they are provided free in certain cases), school supplies and extra curricular activities. For most Spanish children, school starts with nursery or pre-school at the age of 4 or 5.

Compulsory education begins at six years of age in a primary school and lasts for ten years. At the age of 16, students receive a school-leaving certificate, which determines the course of their future education.

Attending at a local state school helps children integrate into the local community and learn the language and is highly recommended if you plan to stay in Spain indefinitely. Although it may not appeal to them initially, if given the choice later, many foreign children prefer to attend Spanish school and become part of the local community. Changing from a private school to a state school can cause problems at a later date as a teenager could find it hard to adjust.

There are special state schools in Spain for pupils with special education needs, however it is not unusual to see children with minor disabilities attending the normal state schools and being readily accepted.

Recent studies have shown there are significant long term benefits to moving your child abroad, particularly when they are very young. Click here for more information about educating your child in Spain and the different private and public school options that are available.

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International schools in Spain

Provided br ecis.org

Andalucia
Malaga	Aloha College
Malaga	Sunland International School
Marbella	Marbella Design School
Sotogrande	Sotogrande International School
Baleares
Mallorca	Baleares International School
Cataluna
Barcelona	American School of Barcelona
Barcelona	Benjamin Franklin International School
Barcelona	Colegio Europa International School
Madrid
Madrid	American School of Madrid
Madrid	British Council School of Madrid
Madrid	International College Spain
Bilbao
Bilbao	American School of Bilbao
Valencia
Alicante	Newton College
Alicante	Xàbia International College
Valencia	The American School of Valencia (Colegio Hispano Norteamericano)