Educational facilities on the Costa del Sol

If you are thinking of moving to Spain with your family one thing to know is they will have a great time with the fabulous outdoor lifestyle here. One thing they need for stability though is excellent educational facilities and here on the Costa del Sol there are plenty to choose from.

There are many schools in Spain to choose from: free state Spanish schools, subsidised private schools, bilingual schools and fully independent international schools. In Andalucia there are an excellent range of international schools to choose from, so if you prefer that your children are educated this way then contacting the school to see what availability they have is essential.

All children resident in Spain must attend school between the ages of 6 and 16, which includes primary education (educación primaria) and compulsory secondary education (educación secundaria obligatoria or ESO). After this, students can either continue onto optional upper secondary education (bachillerato) if they want to enter university, undertake vocational training to enter a profession, or leave education altogether.

Moving from one country to another is a big thing in a child’s life but the younger they are when they come here, the easier they will pick up the language which is particularly good if they need to integrate into a Spanish state school. There are plenty of English speaking schools that utilise the English curriculum to teach but these tend to be independent international schools that charge fees. These may be a good option if you have older children and are not planning to stay long term as the curriculum will be partly familiar. It’s also legal to home school your child in Spain.

Within the state education system in Spain, children usually attend the closest school to home at both primary and secondary level (allocated by the education department of the ayuntamiento or town hall). If you are thinking about moving to Spain, thinking about what choice of school may influence your decision about where you live, so talk to one of team so this can be factored in when searching for properties in Spain. Planning is essential so your children do not have to miss out on any term time.

The Malaga City Council website has details of school facilities as well as information on grants and scholarships available for study. Above all Spain has an excellent educational system and moving here with your family will be a great adventure where you all learn something new.