Note: Here at Fresh Start Spain, we LOVE details. The more the better. We aim to include the information most people don’t think to ask but always turns out to be key to navigating the culture. So if your the type of person that prefers bite size content, use the index to jump sections or try some of our shorter posts.
Overview
Public elementary education in Spain, known as Educación Primaria (Primary school), is compulsory for all children aged 5-11 years residing in Spain for more than 185 days a year. Despite regional variations, Spanish primary schools generally adhere to a classical educational model, focusing on theoretical lectures, written exercises, and tests, with a notable emphasis on cursive penmanship and group participation.
Public schools are usually within walking distance of residences, so one can find many per neighborhood or town if large enough. The number of schools in a neighborhood indicates a large residential area. There are no school buses for public schools; families use public transportation or drive if necessary.
The majority of public schools are housed in ancient buildings, often hundreds of years old and retrofitted for modern use. This often results in small classrooms, insufficient rooms for elective subjects like arts or music, and limited communal or outdoor play space. Buildings are minimally maintained, with broken whiteboards, locks, missing windows, peeling paint, and crumbling walls being normal. The curriculum and teachers may be excellent, yet the buildings can be in poor condition.
Daily Schedule
While there are variations by region and individual schools, the basic daily schedule for public primary schools is as follows:
- Start of the Day: The school day begins at 9 am, with parents required to drop off their children at the school gates. Parents are not allowed inside the school except for visits to the Secretary’s office or by appointment. Only older siblings 18+ are permitted to drop off younger children.
- Classroom Structure: Students stay in one classroom with one teacher for most of the day. Non-core subjects such as art, music, and foreign languages are taught by teachers who move between classrooms, while physical education is the only class held outside the home classroom. Field trips are usually within walking distance of the school and limited in primary school.
- Mid-Morning Snack: Around 11 am, students have desayuno (breakfast), a light snack brought from home, followed by a short recess.
- End of the Day: The school day ends between 1:45 pm and 2 pm, with students picked up by an adult at the front gates. After-school activities are few and typically require additional fees.
Afterschool Activities and Extended Care
Some schools offer almuerzo (lunch) for students with two working parents who cannot pick them up at 2 pm. These children are served lunch in the cafeteria and provided with activities until 6 pm. Afterschool programs such as sports, chess, and tutoring are available for a fee and usually require students to return to school later in the afternoon, ending around 5-6 pm. These programs are more common in schools that cater to both elementary and secondary students on the same campus (K-10th grade).
Curriculum and Subjects
The Spanish primary school curriculum aims to provide a well-rounded education, encompassing:
- Mathematics
- Natural and social sciences
- Arts, including basics of composition, color, shapes, and music theory or choir
- Physical education
- Foreign languages (commonly French or German and English)
There is also a significant focus on Spanish language, literature, geography, and history. Social ethics and values are key parts of the curriculum. Language acquisition in Spanish progresses gradually, with a higher level of proficiency expected from 4th to 6th grade. By the end of 6th grade, a level of B2 in Spanish is recommended to ensure smooth transition into secondary education. To understand more about language level standards, read here.
Ethnic and Cultural Inclusivity
Inclusivity in Spanish schools is a nuanced topic influenced heavily by Catholic values. This often manifests as paternalism and benevolent prejudice, where actions and attitudes, though seemingly well-intentioned and offered with concern and a smile, reflect an underlying belief in the cultural superiority of Spanish norms.
For example, Spanish teachers and students might make comments or jokes aimed at helping immigrant children adapt, believing this to be beneficial. However, these remarks can often feel derogatory or teasing by the immigrant student, resulting in feelings of rejection and possible physical aggression. While the Spanish do study other cultures, there is rarely any interest or acknowledgment towards immigrant students to share about their culture. There is an unspoken expectation that immigrant children will conform to Spanish cultural norms immediately. This creates an environment of superficial tolerance, failing to actively celebrate or integrate the diverse cultural identities of all students, with immigrant children often feeling invisible and struggling to make friends.
Learning Diversity and Inclusivity
Learning diversity is treated similarly. Children with learning disabilities are integrated into regular classrooms, but this integration often lacks the necessary support and resources. Only children with extreme or specialized difficulties, such as deaf or blind, attend special schools. Learning disabilities are frequently neither formally acknowledged nor properly diagnosed due to long waiting lists for testing nor general knowledge of signs to watch for by teachers.
While integrating children with learning disabilities into regular classrooms can foster empathy and social connections, it also presents significant challenges. These children often do not receive the specialized tools and attention needed to keep up academically, resulting in many having to repeat grades until they pass the required exams. For normative children, classroom disruptions can occur when a struggling student has an outburst or becomes violent, as regular teachers are not trained to handle these situations effectively. Support staff assigned to diagnosed children are often shared among many students at the school.
School Events and Cultural Celebrations
Spanish primary schools host various events throughout the year, in addition to national and regional holidays. These include:
- Cultural Festivals: Events like Día de la Hispanidad (Hispanic Day, formerly Columbus Day in the US) or Dia de Andalucía (Andalusia Day, similar to the 4th of July in the US) celebrate Spain’s rich heritage.
- Sports Days: Promoting physical health and teamwork.
- Seasonal Concerts and Plays: Held during holidays, these are usually chorals singing popular culture songs and liturgical plays celebrating religious stories and events.
- Extracurricular Exhibitions: Showcasing students’ creative talents such as debate or robotics demonstration day or awards ceremony for short film or writing contests.
While many Spaniards may not be devout, religious iconography and rituals remain prevalent in school activities and cultural celebrations, creating a sense of community and belonging among students, teachers, and parents. While you may opt out of these events, they are key to socialization among parents and kids.
School Enrollment Process
The school enrollment process in Spain is relatively straightforward but requires careful planning. Parents must register their children during February-March for the upcoming school year. Enrollment is based on birth year rather than academic level, with almost no exceptions. If given a spot (assigned in June) you must confirm by May if you plan on attending that school. If you do not confirm you will lose the spot, which is important to remember for popular schools with waitlists! In September to October, there is often a good amount of switching of schools, with some last-minute seats opening up in highly demanded schools.
For families arriving after October through the rest of the school year, you will need to apply directly to the main regional education office, which will give you the option of schools that have remaining seats open. Note that these schools can be located far from where you live and most likely will not be the best public schools (that is why they still have open seats). However, for your first year, due to the need to have a residence in order to file the empadronamiento which is needed to register at school, there is not a lot of choice when choosing public schools.
Thankfully, a lot of the enrollment process can be managed via the government app, iEscolariza, available on both Google Play and Apple App Store. It is only available in Spanish language but is required for communication with school administration and organization of all educational paperwork including grades and exam scores for your children during their entire schooling in Spain.
Priority – A Numbers Game
Enrollment offers are calculated through a points system. Expats and immigrants usually fall to the end of the list based points, especially the first year in Spain. If there is a tie, a lottery determines seat allocation. The following circumstances are allocated the highest number of points. If none of these apply to your situation you will have none or few points:
- Resident within the school’s áreas de influencia or catchment area (See catchment areas and what schools fall in your area either in the App or here).
- Children of funcionarios (government employees in Spain which includes firefighters, teachers, inspectors, judges, police, doctors, nurses, social workers, government administrative, consular, military, etc.). In other words, a large portion of the Spanish population.
- Siblings of current students
- Families or students with disabilities or economic hardships
Here is an online calculator to find your point rating. For most schools, you want at least 17 for even a slim chance of getting a seat at your neighborhood school, especially in crowded areas or popular schools.
Documents and Fees
Required documentation includes the following, all translated into Castilian Spanish. Transcripts are usually not required for elementary school.
- NIE or TIE number (similar to a social security number in the US)
- Proof of residence (empadronamiento)
- The child’s birth certificate
- Vaccination records
- Student Insurance (between 5-10 € per year)
Textbooks are provided for free but need to be ordered from a local bookstore. You must request vouchers directly from the school in September. School supplies you will need to buy include colored paper, drawing paper, pencils, erasers, crayons, markers, paints, scissors, playdough, Kleenex, folders, and for the youngest children, a smock to wear over clothing for messy activities.
Challenges in Spanish Primary Education
Public primary education in Spain faces several challenges, including disparities in educational quality between regions and the integration of students with special educational needs. While alternative curriculums are rare, a few public schools offer innovative learning styles focusing on creative, play-based learning and independent study. These schools allow children to learn at their own pace and are often found through word of mouth, and have waiting lists.
Tips for Finding and Applying to Schools
Most schools have outdated websites, if any, and minimal information. Google reviews are often unreliable, and no third-party school review website currently exists for Spain.
- Research: First, explore social media channels to gauge the type of activities offered and possible views into classroom teaching and diversity of the school.
- Visit Schools: If you are particular about the environment your child is in, this is a critical step. Only in person can you accurately gauge how your child might fit in. This is worth the extra expense and time to visit before moving, especially if it will affect where you choose to live.
- Entry Years: Apply to popular schools during entry years, when everyone is new to the school, and all seats are open for better chances of getting an open seat. The entry years are Pre-school (3 years old) if attached to the desired elementary school or Kindergarten (5 years old).
By understanding these aspects of the Spanish primary education system, you can make more informed decisions if public school is right for your family and better prepare your children for a successful educational experience in Spain.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Primary education in Spain lasts for six years, typically from ages 5 to 11.
Most public schools offer a choice between religious instruction or general civics & ethics class. However, many schools still incorporate Catholic prayers and religious icons into daily activities and classroom decoration but do not consider these as being “religious.”
While primary education in public schools is free, parents incur costs for books, materials, field trips, extracurricular activities, and cafeteria lunches.
Public schools offer limited language support, with separate classes led by auxiliary teachers to help non-Spanish speaking students integrate and catch up with their peers. However, these teachers are not guaranteed and are often shared with other schools, so daily support may not be available. A private tutor is highly recommended as your child will be expected to keep up academically, with no accommodation for their level of Spanish. This becomes more important from 4th-6th grade.
Unfortunately, it can vary due to vague definition requirements for “bilingual” qualifications by the Spanish Education Ministry. The majority of public schools with this label will offer two classes taught in English (usually Sciences and Ethics Values) along with “English” class as a foreign language. These English-based classes are usually taught by Spanish speakers with basic levels of English. Also, keep in mind that English as a foreign subject in Spain, as in the rest of Europe, is usually British English, not American English. The rest of the teaching will be in Spanish.
Parents play a relatively hands-off role in education. They are expected to monitor their child’s homework, ensure daily attendance, participate in occassional school events, and meet with teachers when requested.