schools

One of the main tasks for any family moving to Spain is finding a school for their child. To avoid getting lost in the local rules and unfamiliar terms like padrón or baremo, we have put together this guide. It will walk you step-by-step, from choosing a school type to the moment of enrollment, to ensure your move goes smoothly.

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Types of schools: Público, Concertado, Privado

The Spanish education system offers three main paths, and choosing one of them will determine not only your child's academic trajectory but also, in many ways, your family's lifestyle and budget. There are three main types of schools in Spain: state schools (colegios públicos), semi-private (colegios concertados), and private (colegios privados). Each type has its own philosophy, funding model, and features.

State schools (Colegio Público)

This is the foundation of the system, educating about 67% of all children in Spain. These schools are fully funded by the state, and education is free (with the exception of costs for textbooks, materials, and sometimes school lunches). The main principles are accessibility, inclusivity, and a secular approach to education. Teachers here are civil servants (funcionarios) who have passed a rigorous competitive selection process. Placement in these schools is based on a points system determined by a territorial principle, where proximity to home plays a key role.

Advantages

• Free, guarantees the right to education, promotes social integration, and introduces the child to a real, diverse Spanish environment.

Disadvantages

• You cannot simply choose any school you like; your place depends on your registration address and the points you earn. The quality of infrastructure can vary greatly from school to school.

Semi-private schools (Colegio Concertado)

This is a hybrid model that is very popular in Spain (the country ranks 4th in Europe for their number). These schools are private in their management but receive government subsidies to cover the main part of their expenses. In return, they must follow the same general admission rules as state schools, using the same points system. Parents usually pay a monthly fee, cuota (contribution), which covers additional services not included in state funding. Most of these schools have a religious (most often Catholic) orientation.

Advantages

• Often offer better infrastructure and a more personalized approach than state schools at a relatively affordable cost. They may provide additional class hours for languages or technology.

Disadvantages

• Most of them are religious, which is not suitable for all families. Despite the subsidies, the monthly payments can be significant.

Private schools (Colegio Privado)

These schools are fully funded by fees paid by families and are not dependent on the state. This gives them maximum freedom in shaping curricula, choosing teaching methods, and hiring teachers. Many private schools offer international or bilingual programs (such as the British A-levels or the International Baccalaureate), have excellent facilities, small class sizes, and a wide range of actividades extraescolares (extracurricular activities).

Advantages

• High academic standards, in-depth language study, modern methods, excellent infrastructure, and the ability to choose a school that perfectly matches your values and expectations.

Disadvantages

• High cost, which makes them elitist and can create a "social bubble" for the child.

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Schedule: Jornada Continua or Jornada Partida

Choosing a school type is not just a matter of money and ideology. It is a choice about your family's rhythm of life. In Spain, there are two main types of school schedules, and this is one of the most heated debates in the educational community.

With a jornada continua (continuous day), all classes are held in the morning, usually from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. After that, children either go home or stay for lunch and extracurricular activities, which are paid for separately. With a jornada partida (split day), classes are held in the morning and after lunch, with a long lunch break (about two hours), for example, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

A key point for newcomers to understand is that there is a clear division by school type. The vast majority of state schools (about 81% in regions that provided data) have switched to jornada continua. At the same time, private and semi-private schools mostly (about 77%) stick to the traditional jornada partida.

Proponents of jornada continua (often teachers and some families) speak of its convenience: children have more time for clubs and rest in the afternoon, which improves family life. Proponents of jornada partida (a position supported by research) argue that this schedule is better for academic performance. Studies in Galicia, Andalusia, and Madrid have shown that students on a split day have higher academic results. This schedule is better aligned with children's biorhythms, especially for younger children whose concentration drops by the end of morning classes. Moreover, a full day at school, including lunch, helps to smooth out social inequality by providing a structured environment and quality food for children from less privileged families.

Ultimately, there is no such thing as a "best" school for everyone in Spain. There are schools with better resources, schools with stronger academic performance, but the main task is to find the one that is right for your family. Parent guides advise you to ask yourself the key questions: what kind of person do we want to raise? what values are important to us? The answers to these questions will help you choose not just a building with a good rating, but an environment where your child will be happy.

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Registration Process

Housing and padrón

The first step is to find housing (alquilar una vivienda) and sign a rental agreement (contrato de alquiler). With the rental agreement in hand, go immediately to your city's town hall, Ayuntamiento (town hall, municipality), and register your place of residence. You will receive a document called Certificado de Empadronamiento, which everyone simply calls the padrón (residence registration). It is this document that confirms your right to a place in a school in your area.

Document package

Submitting applications

The process of submitting applications to state and semi-private schools is strictly regulated by time. As an example, we will take the Valencian Community, where the process is completely digitized.

Here are the key stages and vocabulary you should know:

• Application submission, or Presentación de solicitudes, usually takes place in May. The entire process is online through a special portal where you fill out a form and choose several schools in order of priority.
• Preliminary lists — Listas provisionales — are published in early June. There you can see how many points you have been awarded.
• Appeals — Reclamaciones — is a short period (2-3 days) to file a complaint if you believe the points were calculated incorrectly.
• Final lists — Listas definitivas — are published in mid-June. Here you will see which school your child has been enrolled in.
• Enrollment, or Matrícula, is the final stage where you confirm your place by submitting the original documents to the school. This can be done both online and in person.

What to do if you arrived late? (Fuera de Plazo) This is a common situation for expats. If you arrive in the summer or in the middle of the school year, you submit an application fuera de plazo (outside the established deadline). Education for children is compulsory, so your child must be given a place. However, it may not be in your first-choice school, but where there are still available places. In this case, applications are submitted through the special school education commission of your district.

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Scoring System (Baremo)

Competition for places in popular state and concertado schools is decided using a points system — the baremo. Understanding this system is key to successful enrollment. For highly qualified professionals whose income is unlikely to earn them points for low rent, and who do not yet have other children in a Spanish school, the main strategic factor is their place of residence.

From this table, it becomes clear: for a relocating family enrolling their first child, the most powerful and controllable tool is the choice of residence. By choosing an apartment correctly in the área de influencia of the desired school, you practically guarantee yourself 10 points, which is often the decisive factor. Therefore, researching school districts should precede signing a rental agreement.

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How to choose a school

Checklist

• Educational project and values: What is the school's proyecto educativo (educational project)? Is it traditional, project-based (like Montessori), or does it emphasize something else? What are the valores (values) the school promotes—competition or collaboration, environmentalism, respect for diversity?
• Language policy: How exactly is language instruction implemented? If the school claims to be bilingual, what subjects and to what extent are taught in English?
• Student-to-teacher ratio: What is the student-to-teacher ratio in the class? The smaller the class, the more attention your child will receive.
• Support and inclusion: How does the school work with children who have special needs or learning difficulties (atención a la diversidad)? Are there speech therapists, psychologists, or tutors on staff?
• Infrastructure: Assess the condition of the classrooms, library, sports fields, and computer lab. Are the technologies modern?

Visit an open house (Jornada de Puertas Abiertas): This is an official event where you can meet the director and teachers (profesores), ask questions, and tour the school.

Use the "observation method": Go to the school during drop-off and pick-up times. Observe the atmosphere: how the children, parents, and teachers interact. This will give you more information about the real life of the school than any official visit.

Talk to people: Try to talk to the students' parents. Their informal feedback is an invaluable source of information.

What is an AMPA?

In all state and semi-private schools in Spain, there is an AMPA (Asociación de Madres y Padres de Alumnos), which is the Association of Mothers and Fathers of Students. It is sometimes called AFA (Asociación de Familias de Alumnos) to emphasize inclusivity. It is a non-profit, voluntary organization of parents that represents their interests, cooperates with the administration, and improves school life.

The AMPA organizes extracurricular activities, school festivals, and trips, manages services such as "early drop-off" (los primeros del cole) for working parents, purchases equipment, and represents parents on the School Council (Consejo Escolar) — the key governing body of the school.

Membership in the AMPA is not just a social burden. It gives you a voice, access to information, and a network of other parents. The annual fee is usually symbolic, and in return, you often get discounts on all events and services organized by the association. For a foreigner who feels like an outsider, the AMPA is the "backdoor" to the heart of school life, the fastest way to make connections and understand how everything really works.

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The path to adaptation

First few weeks

• One of the main issues is language. There is no need to panic if your child doesn't speak Spanish. The Spanish system provides support mechanisms. In many regions, there are aulas de enlace (literally "connecting classrooms") or language immersion classes where foreign children intensively study the language before fully integrating into a regular class. In addition, there are support teachers in schools.
• Be prepared for the so-called "silent period" (Período silencioso). In the first months, a child may understand much more than they speak. This is a normal stage of acquiring a new language when the brain is accumulating information. Do not pressure them, but create a supportive environment.
• Social integration. The main enemy of adaptation is loneliness. Many Spanish schools use a "student-tutor" system (alumno tutor), where a local classmate (compañero de clase) is assigned to a newcomer to help them find their way around in the first few weeks. Encourage your child to invite new friends over, and participate in school festivals and AMPA events.

Possible differences

Here's what distinguishes Spanish schools:

• The relationship between teachers and students here is usually less formal and warmer.
• WhatsApp parent chats are completely normal. Communication with teachers will be direct and fast.
• Spaniards love holidays, and schools are no exception. Be prepared for carnivals, Christmas plays, and saint's days.
• Especially in junior grades, in addition to academic knowledge, great attention is paid to the ability to communicate, make friends, and be part of a team.

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Practice: school dialogue templates

At the school secretary's office (En la secretaría del colegio)

This dialogue will help you feel confident on your first visit to the school.

¡Hola a todos! — Getting to know the class

Help your child prepare a short and positive self-introduction. This will relieve stress and help them make initial contact with classmates.

Useful phrases to motivate a child before the first day

The first day at a new school is a thrilling moment for any child. Your support and a few kind words can play a decisive role. Use these simple phrases to cheer them up and help them feel more confident.

• Confío en ti y sé que lo harás genial. (I believe in you and I know you'll do great.)
• No tengas miedo de hacer preguntas, todos están allí para aprender, igual que tú. (Don't be afraid to ask questions, everyone is there to learn, just like you.)
• Con tu gran personalidad podrás hacer muchísimos amigos. (With your great personality, you'll be able to make a lot of friends.)

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Conclusion

The process of enrolling a child in a Spanish school can seem like a marathon consisting of collecting documents, deciphering rules, and making difficult decisions. But it is a manageable process. It boils down to a few key steps: finding housing, getting residence registration, collecting documents, and submitting the application.

Every bureaucratic step, every trip to the Ayuntamiento, every form filled out is not just a formality but a brick in the foundation of your family's new, happy life in Spain. Remember that you are not alone on this journey. Use this guide, join the AMPA, talk to other parents, and believe in your child. Their amazing ability to adapt, combined with your support and preparation, will open doors to a new, vibrant, and multilingual world. ¡Bienvenidos a España!

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Materials used

• Diferencias entre colegio público, privado y concertado
• Educación pública y privada en España: ventajas y desventajas
• Jornada escolar continua o partida: datos, estudios y evidencias
• Jornada escolar continua o partida: argumentos del debate
• Documentación indispensable a aportar
• Vuelve el distrito único en la educación valenciana: este es el nuevo baremo de puntos para elegir colegio
• ¿Qué es un AMPA? Sus funciones y normativa
• La atención al alumnado inmigrante en el sistema educativo en España
• Guía para mejorar la atención al ALUMNADO INMIGRANTE EN LOS CENTROS EDUCATIVOS