Schools
Moving to Spain and taking your children away from their normal environment, friends and schooling is a very daunting decision for any parent to make.
When it comes to continuing education in Spain for older foreign children, there is one problem to overcome - language! However, in recognising that education cannot continue unless the language is spoken, most schools have effective language courses which ensure that foreign children are soon speaking Spanish.
As in the UK, the educational year in Spain is 6-16 years (the age where they can legally start work). The education system is organised as follows:
- Nursery Infant education (0-6 years)
- Primary education (6-12 years)
- Compulsory education (12-16 years)
Most schools in Spain follow the American curriculum where age does not determine where the child is placed. A child will be held at the level where he or she is experiencing difficulties and then moved up a grade once they have achieved that level.
There are two schooling systems in Spain state and private:
State
The state system is similar to the way an English system is ran, due to lack of funds there is a charge of £150 per annum for school books and educational equipment.
Private
Private International schools follow the British curriculum. The day student fees tend to be cheaper than the fees you would pay in the UK. Please note that there is a high demand for places in the private international schools so we advise you enrol early.
Private Schools
Newton College, Alicante
E-mail - newtonc@cif.ass
www - www.nabss.org/newton.htm
Newton college is a private no grant British school, founded in 1991. The school runs on a British Primary Curriculum, complemented by obligatory subjects of the Spanish curriculum, this is required by the Spanish Ministry of Education. At present Newton college accepts pupils aged 3 to 11 years although a continued programme of construction will ensure the education of children up to the age of 18 years.
Sierra Bernia School
A privately owned co-educational day school offering British education to pupils of all nationalities from 3 to 18 years of age. The school is fully authorised by the relevant ministries of both foreign and Spanish nationals. Following the traditional British system of education, the curriculum is directed towards GCSE/IGCSE level and A-level examinations.
Lady Elizabeth School
The Lady Elizabeth School is a privately owned, long established British international school, founded in 1978 by Veronica Barnes. The International Co-educational day school holds approximately 250+ pupils aged between 3 and 18. The school holds pupils of several nationalities although the majority of pupils are British.
Xabia International College
The Xabia College is an international co-educational school. The school follows the educational structure of England and Wales with a wide-ranging balance curriculum combined with the Spanish educational system, leading to an internationally recognised qualification. All pupils are taught Spanish although English is the main language of instruction.
El Limonar International School
El Limonar international school is an independent bilingual Spanish school. The school houses approximately 400 pupils and gives English instruction except for in Spanish language sessions and social studies; there are emersion classes for those who are not familiar with the Spanish language