Moving to Spain with children brings a whole new vocabulary: colegio, ESO, jornada continua, concertado. The good news is that the broad structure is fairly clear once the stages and school types are laid out.
The more complicated bit is that education is largely managed by Spain’s autonomous communities, so admissions, term dates and teaching languages can change from one region to another.
For families who do not speak Spanish, the key decisions tend to be the language of teaching, the child’s age and prior schooling, the available places nearby, and the daily routine that comes with each school.
- School stages and ages in Spain
- Public, concertado, private and international schools
- School holidays and term dates in Spain
- Schooling in Spain when a child does not speak Spanish
- Language of instruction across Spain
- How school enrolment works in Spain
- School hours, lunch and after-school care
- What to check before accepting a school place
- Choosing the right school for a foreign child in Spain
School stages and ages in Spain
Spain’s education system is divided into several stages. Compulsory education runs between the ages of six and 16, covering primary school and compulsory secondary education.
Stage | Spanish name | Typical ages | Compulsory? |
|---|---|---|---|
Early childhood education | Educación Infantil | 0–6 | No |
Primary education | Educación Primaria | 6–12 | Yes |
Compulsory secondary education | Educación Secundaria Obligatoria (ESO) | 12–16 | Yes |
Upper secondary education | Bachillerato | 16–18 | No |
Vocational education and training | Formación Profesional (FP) | Usually 16+ | No |
Educación Infantil has two cycles: ages 0–3 and 3–6. The second cycle is free in public schools, although families can still face costs for meals, materials or activities depending on the school and region.
After ESO, teenagers can continue through Bachillerato, generally leading towards university, or choose vocational training.
Public, concertado, private and international schools
Spain has several school models, and the labels matter.
Public schools in Spain
Public schools, or colegios públicos, are state-funded. Tuition is free, although books, lunch, transport, trips and after-school activities may involve separate payments.
They usually follow the curriculum set by the relevant autonomous community and teach primarily in Spanish or, in bilingual regions, the applicable co-official language.
Most public schools do not use a compulsory uniform. Their admissions processes are normally tied to local rules and may take factors such as residence or siblings already attending the school into account.
Concertado schools explained
A colegio concertado is a privately run school with public funding for the agreed, subsidised stages of education. It follows rules set by the education authority but has its own management.
The label does not automatically mean the school is free in every respect. Families should check the school’s official information on services such as meals, uniforms, books, activities and any voluntary contributions, as charges differ between schools.
Private and international schools
Private schools charge fees and may follow the Spanish curriculum, another national curriculum or international programmes.
International schools commonly teach programmes such as the International Baccalaureate, British curriculum or American curriculum. A school using the word “international” does not automatically mean every lesson is in English, so it is worth checking the curriculum, language of instruction, examinations and the qualifications awarded directly with the school.
The International Baccalaureate’s school finder can be used to verify whether a school is authorised to teach an IB programme.
School holidays and term dates in Spain
School calendars are set by each autonomous community, so the first and last day of term, local holidays and non-teaching days can differ between Madrid, Andalusia, Catalonia and elsewhere.
Most state-funded schools in Spain run from early September until mid or late June, leaving a summer break of roughly 10 to 12 weeks.
Christmas holidays usually last around two weeks, generally beginning shortly before Christmas and ending after Epiphany on 6 January.
Easter, or Semana Santa, is commonly a one- to two-week break, depending on the region. The 2026–27 calendar ranges from five school-free days in the Canary Islands to 12 days in Ceuta.
Alongside these main breaks, pupils have national, regional and local public holidays, plus occasional días no lectivos set by the school or local authority.
These extra days mean there is no single nationwide total for days off each year, but families can generally expect around 180 teaching days, with the remaining weekdays accounted for by school holidays and non-teaching days.
For the 2026–27 school year, for example, official regional calendars show between around 175 and 181 teaching days.
Schooling in Spain when a child does not speak Spanish
A child does not need to be fluent in Spanish before arriving. However, the practical experience will depend heavily on the school type, the child’s age and the region.
In public schools, English is generally a subject rather than the main language used throughout the day. A bilingual programme may include some subjects taught in English, but arrangements vary considerably between autonomous communities and individual schools.
- International schools can make the first months easier for children who are more comfortable learning in English or another home language. They also tend to be the costlier route.
- Local schools can provide faster day-to-day contact with Spanish and local families, but language support and the pace of settling in should be discussed openly with staff before enrolment.
Language of instruction across Spain
Castilian Spanish is the official language across the country, but several autonomous communities also use a co-official language. This has a direct impact on school life.
- In Catalonia, Catalan is the normal language of instruction in the education system, with Spanish also taught and used under the region’s framework.
- In the Basque Country, families can encounter different linguistic teaching models involving Basque and Spanish. Details are managed by the regional education department and can differ by school and area.
- Galician is also co-official in Galicia, while Aranese has official recognition in the Val d’Aran in Catalonia.
How school enrolment works in Spain
School admission is organised by each autonomous community, so deadlines, online systems, priority criteria and paperwork are not identical nationwide.
For the standard annual admissions round, families normally apply through the relevant regional education department. A child arriving after the main application period may need to use a separate process for a place during the school year.
The school and education authority can confirm which documents are required. Commonly requested paperwork may include proof of identity, proof of address, the child’s previous school records and health or vaccination information.
The practical place to begin is the education department of the autonomous community where the family lives, followed by the local school or local authority. The Spanish Ministry of Education links to education information at national level, but regional authorities publish the current admissions rules.
School hours, lunch and after-school care
The school day in Spain does not always follow the one-block timetable many international families expect. Exact hours are set locally and can differ between schools, but these are common patterns.
School stage or timetable | Typical hours | Lunch arrangement | What this can mean for families |
|---|---|---|---|
Primary school with a split day | 9 am–12:30 pm, then 2:30 pm–4 pm | A long break, often around 1 pm–3 pm | Children may eat at the school canteen, known as the comedor escolar, or go home for lunch. |
Primary school with a continuous day, or jornada continua | Usually 9 am–2 pm | Lunch may follow lessons, depending on the school | The teaching day ends earlier, though lunch supervision and after-school activities may extend the time children can remain at school. |
Some full-day primary-school schedules | Around 9 am–5 pm | Lunch break typically around 1 pm–3 pm | A longer day on site, with a substantial midday break. |
Secondary school | Often 8 am or 9 am–2:30 pm | Lunch is commonly eaten after school, around 3 pm | Teenagers may finish lessons earlier than primary pupils but eat later in the day. |
Primary schools teach around 25 hours a week, although those hours can be arranged differently.
School meals may be prepared in an on-site kitchen or supplied by a catering company.
After-school activities, known as extraescolares, can cover the gap between the end of lessons and collection time.
What to check before accepting a school place
A school visit or meeting with staff is a chance to get beyond glossy prospectuses and general reputations. The practical details can make a bigger difference after the first few weeks.
- Language support: ask how new pupils are helped to follow lessons and make friends.
- Teaching method: find out how pupils are assessed, how much homework is set and how teachers communicate with families.
- Class size: ask about the number of pupils in the relevant year group, not only the school’s overall figures.
- Journey: check the real door-to-door commute, school-bus availability and collection times.
- Food and dietary needs: ask about vegetarian, allergy-aware or medically required meals.
- Daily timetable: establish whether lunch, after-school care and activities fit around family working hours.
- Facilities: look at outdoor space, sports areas, library provision and classroom equipment, without treating a shiny building as the whole story.
- Costs: request a written breakdown of tuition, lunch, transport, books, uniforms, devices, trips and activities.
Choosing the right school for a foreign child in Spain
There is no universal best option. A school that feels straightforward for a short stay may not be the best long-term fit, while a local public school can be a natural route into Spanish life but involve a steeper language adjustment at first.
The sensible comparison is not simply English-speaking versus Spanish-speaking. Look at the school’s language model, its support for newcomers, the journey each day, the child’s age and temperament, the family budget, and the likelihood of staying in the area for several years. A conversation with the school about these practicalities is usually more revealing than a ranking alone.
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