Education in Spain
Moving house is one of the most stressful things that we go through in life, even more so when it involves relocating to a different country. As an adult it is hard enough, now imagine what your children go through. Yes they adapt quicker than us, but taking them away from their familiar environment and friendly faces can be very daunting.

That’s why its important to get it right when you get to Spain. Here you can find general information on the Spanish education system and some of the multilingual schools in and around the Costa Blanca and Costa Calida.
Pick the right school and your child will integrate and settle quicker than you thought
Language
Language difficulties are the first obvious hurdle that children will need to overcome when integrating in to a new school. However, recognising that there is such an influx of foreign children coming in to local schools, specialised language courses are implemented to ensure that they are soon speaking Spanish.

The academic year in Spain is similar to the UK and runs from September to June. School times vary depending on which area you are in and the age of your child. In the more traditional you child could be at school from 08.00 - 13.00 followed by 15.30 - 17.00. A long day but good preparation for the traditional siesta in the Spanish working day.
How to enrol your child in school
State schools have an annual quota for pupils and places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. The enrolment period usually lasts for two months early in the year e.g. February to March or April to May, although it varies from region to region. Contact your prospective school for exact dates. The process of enrolment depends on the age of your child but requires an interview and in rare cases an examination.
To enrol a child in a Spanish school you must provide the following documents:
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    		• Your child’s birth certificate or passport (original and photocopy), with an official Spanish translation
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    		• Your own passports (original and photocopy)
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    		• Proof of residence
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    		• Proof of verification, if applicable (see below)
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    		• Two passport-size photographs (for a student identity card and school records)
    Verification
    If your child is going to start a Spanish secondary school in the third year of ESO (around age 14) you must also present proof that your child’s education record has been verified by the Spanish Ministry of Education. The process is known as homologación or convalidación. To do this you must complete the official form provided by the Ministry, which is available from Spanish consulates and embassies abroad, from regional departments of education or directly from the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (Tel: 902 218 500).

    You should also submit your child’s school record book and/or exam qualifications, plus their birth certificate. It is advisable to complete this process before arriving in Spain, as a child may not be accepted at a school until these official verification papers have been received and stamped by the Spanish Department of Education. The process takes around three months, although if you show a school proof of the Ministry’s receipt of the verification documents, your child should have no problems being accepted.
    State Schools
    State funded schools are termed “public schools” or colegios públicos and State education is ultimately the responsibility of Ministry of Education and Science (Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia), although the 17 autonomous regions now have responsibility for their own education system (including higher education).

    State education is free but parents must usually pay for schoolbooks, school supplies and extra curricular activities such as sports and arts and crafts. Pupils usually go to the village nursery and primary schools, although attending secondary school may entail travelling long distances (buses are usually provided).

    School starts with nursery or pre-school (preescolar), from around the age of four. Compulsory education (escolaridad obligatoria), termed the basic general education or Educación General Básica/EGB, begins at six years of age in a primary school (escuela primaria) and lasts for six years.
    At the age of 12 pupils move on to secondary education (education secundaria obligatoria/ESO) which lasts for four years.

    At 16, having completed ESO, students are awarded the graduado en educación secundaria certificate and from there, go on to higher secondary school (in the same school in some cases) to study for their baccalaureate leading to university entrance.

    For those who haven’t successfully completed the four years secondary education, they are awarded a school certificate (certificado de escolaridad) and have the option of attending a vocational school (formación professional) providing specialised training for a specific career.

    There are also special state schools for pupils with special education needs, e.g. learning difficulties due to psychological, emotional or behavioural problems and slow learners. However, pupils are taught in special education units or schools only when their needs cannot be accommodated in a mainstream school.

    Children must attend a state school (primary or secondary) within a certain distance of their own home, so if you have a preference for a particular school, it’s important to buy or rent a home within that catchments area. Town halls and provincial Ministry of Education offices can provide a list of local schools at all levels.
    Private Schools in the Area
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    		• British School of Alicante
    British education for children from 3 to 18 years old. Cambridge examination centre for wide range of IGCSE and A level subjects. www.bsalicante.com
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    		• El Limonar International School - Murcia
    Private fee-paying school providing a bilingual English/Spanish education for children of 6 to 18 years old. www.ellimonarinternational.com
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    		• El Limonar International School - Villamartin
    Sister school to the one in Murcia for 3-14 year olds. The School day is conducted in English and education follows the English National Curriculum combined with the requirements of the Spanish system. www.ellimonarinternational.com
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    		• First Independent Primary School - Javea
    Private co-educational school following the traditional British system for children aged from 3 to 18 years old. http://www.nabss.org/sierra.htm
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    		• The British Prep School Elche
    Bilingual education for pupils aged 2-6 years preparing children for English/Spanish primary school. » e-mail Tel: 965 469 733 Fax: 965 440 455
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    		• The British Primary School - Javea/Lliber
    International co-educational school for children aged 3-18 years old. The school follows the full British curriculum and is based on two sites: the Juniors are in Javea and the Seniors in Lliber. www.thebritishprimaryschool.com
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    		• Xabia International College - Javea
    Education is based on the English National Curriculum. The College comprises primary and secondary sections ranging from nursery at 3 years of age, through to GCSE and A level www.xabiainternationalcollege.com
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    		• The Lady Elizabeth School - Javea
    An international co-educational school with 700 pupils aged 3 – 18. Full British National Curriculum delivered by qualified and experienced staff from Nursery to GCSE and A Level. http://www.nabss.org/lady-e.htm
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    		• Den Norske Skolen - Rojales
    Takes Norwegian children from Grade one to Grade ten. www.norskeskolen.com
    Nursery Schools
    Spain has a long tradition of state-funded pre-school (educación infantile), with over 90 percent of children aged 3 to 5 attending at least a year before starting compulsory schooling. The term pre-school embraces a play school, nursery school (guardería), kindergarten (jardín de la infancia) and infant school (escuela infantile).

    There are also many private, fee paying nursery schools, usually taking children aged from two to six, some of which are part of a primary school. Arrangements are generally flexible and parents can choose attendance during mornings or afternoons, all day, or only on selected days. Many schools provide transport to and from homes. Fees are generally low and schools popular, well-organised and good value.

    Note that some nursery schools are more nurseries than schools and simply an inexpensive way for parents to obtain supervised childcare. The best pre-schools are designed to introduce children to the social environment of school and concentrate on the basic skills of coordination, encouraging the development of self awareness and providing an introduction to group activities.
    Don’t Just Leave It To The Children......
    It’s all too easy to let your children learn the lingo and forget about yourselves. Don’t! There are plenty of places to go to pick up some basics and not only will it help you to get by and great respect from the locals, its also a great