People moving to Spain with children of school age are justifiably concerned about the continuance of their education.  As with health, there are two Systems. State and Private. The state system is similar in ways to the English system and just as strapped for cash. For this reason a charge of £150 per annum is made for school books.

Age does not determine what will be taught but rather what has been learned. If progress is slow, a child will be held at the level where he or she is experiencing difficulty until it is appropriate to move on.

When it comes to continuing education in Spain for older foreign children, there is one problem which must be overcome -  language!. However, in recognising that education cannot continue unless the language is spoken, most, but not all, schools have effective language courses which ensure that foreign children are soon speaking Spanish. All Embassies and Consuls have lists of schools for all areas. You should check with you child's UK school for the procedures necessary for his or her continuing education in Spain.

The private system, preferred by many, will involve payment for your Childs education. This varies from school to school but is far less than would be paid for private education in the UK. In the Torrevieja area, private schools charge approximately £260 per month which includes food. Results from private education tend to be better than that obtained from state schools. If a choice of school is available, shop around. Talk to other parents. Higher fees may not necessarily indicate better or higher standards. The Spanish-Property ABC

Since new legislation was introduced in 1990, school attendance is now mandatory from age 6 to 16. The public educational system is divided into four stages:

(1) Preelemtary Education: no grades, from 3 to 6 years.

(2) Elementary Education: 6 grades, from 6 to 12 years (grade 1 to 6).

(3) Secondary Education: 4 grades, from 12 to 16 years (grade 7 to 10).

(4) Bachillerato: 2 grades, from 16 to 18 years (grade 11 and 12).

After the mandatory secondary education cycle, pupils may leave school with the certification of secondary graduation or continue high school education for two years and obtain the certification of "Bachiller".

Secondary Mandatory Education (E.S.O.). Main subjects are mandatory and cannot be chosen: Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Physical Education, Plastic and Visual Education, Spanish and Literature, Foreign Language (English), Mathematics, Music, Technology.

"Bachillerato" (11th and 12th grade)
Common Subjects: Physical Education, Philosophy, Spanish and Literature I, Foreign Language I, HistorySpanish and Literature II, Foreign Language II.

There are three more subject to take, depending on the school's offers: Drawing, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Latin, Greek, etc.

Each school also offers some optional subject that may be chosen depending on the interest of the student.

Schedule and time-table: Competence of Education are transferred to the regional governments, so start dates of school may vary by a few days. Usually all high schools start at the end of September and end in mid-June. There are 2 weeks of Christmas break and a two week break at Easter. Schools start usually at 8.30 in the morning until 14.30. There are no classes in the afternoon. Some schools offer optional workshops in the afternoon.

SCHOOL YEAR AND TERMS: The Spanish school system is based on one full school-year, from September until mid June. It is not divided into semesters or terms. The evaluation system is based on grading throughout the year, with marks issued before the Christmas break.