Nobody could be blamed for wanting to live in a country as rich in heritage, stunning natural beauty and amazing cities and villages as Spain. If you’re moving from another country, obviously there are concerns such as language, but if you have kids the main concern would naturally be their education. Which schools to send them to? Well here’s some basic info about the education system and school levels in Spain to help ease your worries!
In Spain, schooling is compulsory for kids between the ages of 6 and 16; Primaria (primary) lasts six years, and ESO (secondary) lasts four, after which the child in question receives their Certificate of Education. This varies from school to school (international/local) and what level and subjects your child may have, but in general the Spanish school year is divided up into three terms with a summer holiday of almost three sun drenched months. Something unusual about Spanish culture is that the school day is interrupted at 12 and 3 for siesta and lunch.
Preschool is the foundation phase for the rest of your child’s school career, so finding the right one is vitally important. Find out what government subsidies you are able to apply for before you enroll your kids, is the first piece of advice I have for you. Apart from the school activities, I recommend getting out of the house with your tot as much as possible; educational places like the beach or zoo.
Primary school is the next phase for your little ones. Escuelas (state primary schools) are for kids from age 6 to age 12, the first mandatory phase of schooling. Spanish schools are known for their strikingly caring environment and method of handling the children they teach, so know that your kids will be in safe hands! Some Spanish schools only teach in their regional dialect: for instance a school in Catalonia, subjects will be taught in Valencian. Investigate carefully as you want to know what and in which language your child is learning. Most children however master Spanish as well as their local dialect.
Secondary school is the last phase of mandatory education, for 12-18 year olds. There are fantastic schools that sync partially with schools in the UK for instance, for whose students Spanish is a second language. As with primary schools, there are a few that teach in the dialect of their region. The best way to find a secondary school for your child is to go by personal recommendation. A child who is 13 and hasnt failed any years will be in second ESO, and a child of 15 would be in fourth, as secondary education up until Bachillerato is known as ESO. At 16, students get a Certificate of Completion of Secondary Education if they have passed all exams. If the student hasn’t passed all necessary exams, they’ll only get a Certificate de Escolarizacion. Students who pass have the following options: to leave school, to study for their Bachillerato to get into University, or to continue at their current school with a vocational course.
Bachillerato is an academically demanding course which takes two years and is roughly equivalent to UK ‘A’ Levels although it’s much more highly regarded and rigorous. There are several variations of Bachillerato: each one is geared towards a particular area of education, for example, the arts or the sciences. In every one of these courses 9 subjects will be studied by the students, with their yearend exam mark getting them a mark out of ten.
We hope that the information in this article has helped you stress a little bit less about the education side of things! Spain is known as a welcoming and friendly country, so be sure to experience all it has to offer!
