# Schooling in Spain



## soja (Apr 10, 2016)

Hello, could anyone help me with my questions.

1. What are the usual hours in a Spanish state school, what time do kids start and end the day? Do the international (British) schools have the same times?

2. Are schools in Spain just primary and secondary or are there middle schools like in the US?

3. What is the leaving age? 18? Does that mean if your children go to a British school they leave at 16 or do they have an option to stay until 18?

4. What are the term times? Again, are International schools and Spanish state schools the same or do international schools follow British term times?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

soja said:


> Hello, could anyone help me with my questions.
> 
> 1. What are the usual hours in a Spanish state school, what time do kids start and end the day? Do the international (British) schools have the same times?
> 
> ...


:welcome:

The daily timetable can vary from region to region - & even school to school. 

The state system though is of Primary (age 6 - 11) & Secondary (age 12 - 16). There is also the option of infant school from age 3. 

16 is the earliest they can leave, but then there is the option of 2 more years bachillerato. Not all schools offer this, but there will usually be one locally which does. I believe that most International schools offer A levels.

Spanish schools don't have half terms. Terms are September to Xmas. Jan to Easter. Easter to mid June. 

The British schools follow a sort of mix of the Spanish terms & UK terms, with half terms & a long summer!


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

soja said:


> Hello, could anyone help me with my questions.
> 
> 1. What are the usual hours in a Spanish state school, what time do kids start and end the day? Do the international (British) schools have the same times?


Varies from region to region. Some leave around 2 after an intensive morning, others around 4. They usually start around 9.

Not all International schools are British, but I expect they vary. I know some that start at 9.30 because they are out of town and the kids need to take the bus. 



soja said:


> 2. Are schools in Spain just primary and secondary or are there middle schools like in the US?


Infant from 3 to 6, Primary from 6 to 11, Secondary from 11 to 16, and tertiary from 16 to 18.



soja said:


> 3. What is the leaving age? 18? Does that mean if your children go to a British school they leave at 16 or do they have an option to stay until 18?


Education is obligatory until 16. Many British schools teach until 18.



soja said:


> 4. What are the term times? Again, are International schools and Spanish state schools the same or do international schools follow British term times?


Spanish schools tend to have 2 weeks holiday at Christmas, a bit less at Easter, and nearly 3 months off over summer. The British schools I know of follow a more British calendar, with half terms, etc.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Other differences you might not have thought of...
In state schools the tuition is free, but parents have to buy books and materials which can cost several hundreds of euros, even in primary.
State primary schools don't usually have a uniform, although here some do. l I don't know of any state secondary school that does, but all private schools do.
Secondary school starts at 12, not 11.
Students have to pass the year and if they don't...
Pupils can, and regulary do, repeat years. In primary children may repeat the 6th and final year if the teachers feel the student is not sufficiently prepared for secondary school. It's extremely unusual that the child would repeat before that. In secondary school, if the child needs to repeat it will normally (always?) be at the end of a cycle ie year 2 or 4, although it could be any year.
Spanish education is still very heavily based around learning by heart and exams.
There can be a huge amount of homework, so even if a student is home earlier than in the UK, they might have 3 or 4 hours of homework every night.
State secondary schools don't provide school meals, but there is a cafeteria where children can get snacks and meals. 
The school day in secondary school finishes around 14:30, but the children haven't eaten, so by the time they get home (if they don't eat in the cafeteria) they will be eating maybe around 15:00. Primary school children can eat at school and they eat a lot earlier, usually between 13:00 and 14:00.
Private schools tend to have a timetable of 9:00 - 17:00.


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## soja (Apr 10, 2016)

Thank you everyone for your replies! Very helpful.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Chopera said:


> Varies from region to region. Some leave around 2 after an intensive morning, others around 4. They usually start around 9.
> 
> Around here it's 09:00 - 17:30 with lunch from 14:00 - 15:30 However, some schools don't take such a long lunch and finish at 15:30
> 
> ...


Each school and each area seems to vary!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> Each school and each area seems to vary!


Yep! Note the use of "around here" by Chopera.

PS I think Chopera is referring to concertados in the Madrid area


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> Each school and each area seems to vary!


Yes, that's what we all said  

Even in Jávea the primary schools aren't all on the same timetable, though the two secondary schools both do 8am to 2pm or 3pm (From 2º some days are 2pm & some 3pm)


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## kingkongx (Oct 25, 2015)

You might find this site useful: El mejor listado de colegios de Madrid con todos los detalles que buscan los padres
I certainly did.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

kingkongx said:


> You might find this site useful: El mejor listado de colegios de Madrid con todos los detalles que buscan los padres
> I certainly did.


.... but only any good if you live in Madrid.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> .... but only any good if you live in Madrid.


Actually there are few cities that you can choose like Barcelona and Salamanca, but unfortunately it's a very incomplete list, at least for Colegios infantiles in Madrid it is.


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Yep! Note the use of "around here" by Chopera.
> 
> PS I think Chopera is referring to concertados in the Madrid area


In fact I had state schools in mind when I wrote it. The concertado my kids go to is from 9am to 5pm. A lot of state schools in Madrid are trying to introduce a "jornada intensiva" from 9am to 2pm, but they're meeting a lot of opposition from parents (especially the working ones) and I'm hearing stories of underhand attempts by the schools to introduce it behind their backs.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Chopera said:


> In fact I had state schools in mind when I wrote it. The concertado my kids go to is from 9am to 5pm. A lot of state schools in Madrid are trying to introduce a "jornada intensiva" from 9am to 2pm, but they're meeting a lot of opposition from parents (especially the working ones) and I'm hearing stories of underhand attempts by the schools to introduce it behind their backs.


But state primary schools, nor secondary come to that, don't have classes until 17:00 or 17:30. I am confused.

The jornada intensiva has to be voted in by the parents through the AMPAS and the school provides extra curricular activities or a "babysitting service" (is obliged to?) until the normal picking up time...


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## KG5 (Mar 21, 2016)

Some useful information here so thanks everyone. We are looking at schooling in La Cala/El Faro, Rincon and Torre del Mar.

I have a couple of questions

- do Spanish state primary schools have many expat kids in them? I know an accurate answer is difficult but any experiences people have would be useful
- what's are people's opinions on the best way to prepare 8 and 4 year old kids for school in Spain? Language school, online learning, a long summer in Spain before starting...?
- does anyone have any experience of bilingual status schools that they can share?

Thanks

KG


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## Mushu7 (Jul 17, 2015)

KG5 said:


> Some useful information here so thanks everyone. We are looking at schooling in La Cala/El Faro, Rincon and Torre del Mar.
> 
> I have a couple of questions
> 
> ...


Before we move I plan to spend the summer holidays out in spain in a more rural/spanishy place, just to get a better feel if you know what I mean. So in your situation I would consider that as well. 

As for learning Spanish. My kids are 3 and 10. And between us all we are using Duolingo, 24/7, Spanish Fun (which is games that my 3 year old is using) and I have just downloaded memrise.

Both kids have really taken to it and are sponging up words and phrases really well, so I would recommend them.

Me on the other hand, my reading is much better than my writing, but all the apps are working wonders.


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

Pesky Wesky said:


> But state primary schools, nor secondary come to that, don't have classes until 17:00 or 17:30. I am confused.
> 
> The jornada intensiva has to be voted in by the parents through the AMPAS and the school provides extra curricular activities or a "babysitting service" (is obliged to?) until the normal picking up time...


I was saying that some concertados (which are not state schools, although they are state subsidised) can go to 5pm, but state schools normally stop at either 2pm or 4pm (approx.)

Regarding the jornada intensiva, yes they have to provide a guardaría or some extra activities ... but they can charge for it . Some schools near me are obviously keen on this idea (it also means the teachers have an easier timetable) but it is being rejected by parents when it comes to the vote. So some schools have been holding votes at short notice, or only publicising votes in obscure parts of their websites, or trying anything in the hope that fewer parents vote.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

KG5 said:


> Some useful information here so thanks everyone. We are looking at schooling in La Cala/El Faro, Rincon and Torre del Mar.
> 
> I have a couple of questions
> 
> ...


They are more or less the same age as mine were when they started in the Spanish system. 

They had been at an International school for a couple of terms & the elder of the two had learned some Spanish but the younger one hadn't learned any.

They didn't have any extra help other than what was offered at school, & were absolutely fine. We did only have Spanish TV though, & I bought Spanish kids' magazines etc., for maximum immersion at home as well, rather than having English TV & English mags etc. They also mixed almost exclusively with Spanish kids - still do at 16 & 20.

The % of English kids in a school will of course depend where you move to. When we came here there were more English in the town than now. My elder daughter's class in primary had more English kids than my younger daughter's (maybe 4 or 5 out of a class of 20) - but by the time they moved to secondary there were only one or two English in the class.


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## KG5 (Mar 21, 2016)

Thanks xabiachica - that's really useful stuff.

The option of almost full Spanish immersion is quite a daunting one but once the initial hurdles are dealt with progress seems to be quicker than when having the best of both worlds if you know what I mean.

Food for thought!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

> Some useful information here so thanks everyone. We are looking at schooling in La Cala/El Faro, Rincon and Torre del Mar.
> 
> I have a couple of questions
> 
> ...


There was never an English child in my daughter's class. Moroccan, Polish, Ecuadorian, Colombian - but not English


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

Pesky Wesky said:


> There was never an English child in my daughter's class. Moroccan, Polish, Ecuadorian, Colombian - but not English


There were never any English speaking kids in my kids' classes either. Moroccan, Ecuadorian, Romanian, Russian, yes...but not many of them. 

Obviously where you live would determine the percentage of expat kids. My town is not an expat area at all. As far as I know we are the only English speaking family here.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Pesky Wesky said:


> There was never an English child in my daughter's class. Moroccan, Polish, Ecuadorian, Colombian - but not English


I can't speak for the other areas KG5 mentioned, but I'd guess the position would be similar as regards Torre del Mar. There are certainly Morroccan, African and Eastern European families with children who would be attending school around, but the vast majority of the rest of the foreign population (British, German, Scandinavian, French etc) are people in their '50s or older.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Lynn R said:


> I can't speak for the other areas KG5 mentioned, but I'd guess the position would be similar as regards Torre del Mar. There are certainly Morroccan, African and Eastern European families with children who would be attending school around, but the vast majority of the rest of the foreign population (British, German, Scandinavian, French etc) are people in their '50s or older.


That's what a lot of people say about Jávea - that the foreigners are all, or nealr all, retirees or at least early retirees.

However, it isn't the case at all, & the percentage if British kids in classrooms fairly closely reflects the percentage of British residents.

When we came here Brits made up about 30% of residents & about 25% of kids in primary school classes were British. Now we make up about 20% of residents & while I don't know about actual figues in primary schools now, I'd be amazed if it isn't a closerr correlation now, simply because I see new families with children arriving all the time from the UK & putting their children into the local schools, rather than the International schools. In the vast majority of these families, 'dad' works offshore.


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## KG5 (Mar 21, 2016)

One more question - can anyone explain more about convalidation for acceptance into State schools?
Does it apply to primary age kids and what is the cost? The process seems heavy and potentially expensive based on some info we've seen. Thanks.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

KG5 said:


> One more question - can anyone explain more about convalidation for acceptance into State schools?
> Does it apply to primary age kids and what is the cost? The process seems heavy and potentially expensive based on some info we've seen. Thanks.


I'm not sure what you mean. Its obligatory for all children who live in an area to attend school, so you need to go to the local ayuntamiento to register and find out which schools are accepting new pupils

Joxxx


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

xabiachica said:


> That's what a lot of people say about Jávea - that the foreigners are all, or nealr all, retirees or at least early retirees.
> 
> However, it isn't the case at all, & the percentage if British kids in classrooms fairly closely reflects the percentage of British residents.
> 
> When we came here Brits made up about 30% of residents & about 25% of kids in primary school classes were British. Now we make up about 20% of residents & while I don't know about actual figues in primary schools now, I'd be amazed if it isn't a closerr correlation now, simply because I see new families with children arriving all the time from the UK & putting their children into the local schools, rather than the International schools. In the vast majority of these families, 'dad' works offshore.


I'm sure that is the case in some areas, and as I said I don't know what the figures are like in the other areas KG5 mentioned (Rincón and La Cala). However, in 2014 the total foreign population of the Vélez-Málaga municipality (which Torre del Mar is part of) was under 10% (7,063 out of a total population of 77, 638). Morroccans and Romanians are the biggest groups of foreign residents, and the total number of British residents registered is only 807. Not much more than 1%, therefore. 

http://212.227.102.53/navegador_web_diputacionmalaga/fichas/1/29094.pdf

Even if all of them were families with school age children (and trust me, they're not - I used to know or know of several familes with children attending local schools but can now only think of two, and in one of those the child is too young for school) if they were spread across all the schools in Torre del Mar and Vélez, of which there are many, the numbers would be absolutely tiny.


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## KG5 (Mar 21, 2016)

jojo said:


> I'm not sure what you mean. Its obligatory for all children who live in an area to attend school, so you need to go to the local ayuntamiento to register and find out which schools are accepting new pupils
> 
> Joxxx


Hi Jo

Rather than explain, probaly best just to paste the info we've read (from the Andalucia.com website)

Does this sound familiar at all?

Thanks

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New arrivals in Spain must have their children's education record officially verified through a process known as homologation or convalidation. This can be an expensive and lengthy process involving the confirmation of credits and marks for each year of schooling. The price depends on the number of years to be convalidated. In some towns there may be only one 'public notary' authorised to carry out the necessary work and consequently he usually charges a considerable amount. Without the necessary paperwork a child won't be accepted at a state school, irrespective of his qualifications (foreign qualifications such as the British GCSE aren't recognised in Spain). If possible, this process should be completed before arriving in Spain as a child may not be accepted at a school until the official papers (confirming convalidation) have been received and stamped by the Spanish Department of Education.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

KG5 said:


> Hi Jo
> 
> Rather than explain, probaly best just to paste the info we've read (from the Andalucia.com website)
> 
> ...


Not familiar to me at all. Although it was 5 years ago when we underwent the process. We moved to the town, we went to the ayuntamiento (town hall) with a friend who had children in a school there already and said that this was the school we'd like our daughter to attend. The Ayuntamiento told us that this school was taking new pupils, so we went there, filled in forms, they showed us around and she started the following week - she hated it, so we then went direct to another school and the same thing, we filled out forms, showed us around and she started the following week (she didnt like that school either lol - but thats another story!!!)

BTW, the first school we tried was a "primary" and the second one was a "high school" both in the Malaga province

Jo xxx


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

KG5 said:


> Hi Jo
> 
> Rather than explain, probaly best just to paste the info we've read (from the Andalucia.com website)
> 
> ...


I haven't heard of this either, and after a quick Google (Ecosia) I didn't find anything. I wonder if there has been some confusion with entry into Spanish universities by foreign students? Either that or things have changed recently, which is always a possibility.
Maybe open a new thread asking specifically if primary or secondary aged children have been asked for this documentation?


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## KG5 (Mar 21, 2016)

Thanks for the swift replies - perhaps this is something for children who are a lot older and approaching exams or even university???

Found this reference on homeespana

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For older children, you will need to have your child’s education record verified through a process known as Convalidation. This can be a costly and time-consuming process depending on how many years the child has been in school in the UK. If possible, Convalidation should be completed before arriving in Spain.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I do remember when we put my son into an international school, they wanted to see two years worth of school reports?? and he had to sit an entrance exam. And eventually we put my daughter into an international school too - no reports wanted, just the entrance exam to assess her skill levels - and these entrance exams were free ( incorporated in the deposit/bond)

Jo xxx


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

School records from outside Spain are definitely not required for those of obligatory school age. They cannot be refused a school place anyway.

Possibly needed for tertiary (16 to 18) & for sure for higher education though.


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## KG5 (Mar 21, 2016)

xabiachica said:


> School records from outside Spain are definitely not required for those of obligatory school age. They cannot be refused a school place anyway.
> 
> Possibly needed for tertiary (16 to 18) & for sure for higher education though.


That's good to know - thank you! One less task to deal with!


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Our son, now 6, has been at state school since he was 3. Next September he begins the next level and will stay there until he is 13 when he moves to the third and final level until he is 16 or 18 (his, but really our, choice). His hours are 9 am until 2 pm but others can stay until 4 pm where they are fed, looked after but not taught anything. In addition to the public holidays there are a host of local public holidays which we normally get notice of the day before. None of our Spanish friends are any wiser. At the age of 6 our son is fluent in English and Spanish and reads both languages very well. He is also learning German. His written work is far better than mine was at his age and his maths skills are pretty good. He will have a test at the end of this school year which will determine which of three streams he will be in when he starts senior school. He will get homework every day from next year and he will also have exams at the end of each term which he must pass. That's how it is here.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

thrax said:


> Our son, now 6, has been at state school since he was 3. Next September he begins the next level and will stay there until he is 13 when he moves to the third and final level until he is 16 or 18 (his, but really our, choice). His hours are 9 am until 2 pm but others can stay until 4 pm where they are fed, looked after but not taught anything. In addition to the public holidays there are a host of local public holidays which we normally get notice of the day before. None of our Spanish friends are any wiser. At the age of 6 our son is fluent in English and Spanish and reads both languages very well. He is also learning German. His written work is far better than mine was at his age and his maths skills are pretty good. He will have a test at the end of this school year which will determine which of three streams he will be in when he starts senior school. He will get homework every day from next year and he will also have exams at the end of each term which he must pass. That's how it is here.


I guess, at the age of 6, this is Primaria (just for clarification).


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

snikpoh said:


> I guess, at the age of 6, this is Primaria (just for clarification).


Yes, of course it is, but for him it IS senior school


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## KG5 (Mar 21, 2016)

thrax said:


> Our son, now 6, has been at state school since he was 3. Next September he begins the next level and will stay there until he is 13 when he moves to the third and final level until he is 16 or 18 (his, but really our, choice). His hours are 9 am until 2 pm but others can stay until 4 pm where they are fed, looked after but not taught anything. In addition to the public holidays there are a host of local public holidays which we normally get notice of the day before. None of our Spanish friends are any wiser. At the age of 6 our son is fluent in English and Spanish and reads both languages very well. He is also learning German. His written work is far better than mine was at his age and his maths skills are pretty good. He will have a test at the end of this school year which will determine which of three streams he will be in when he starts senior school. He will get homework every day from next year and he will also have exams at the end of each term which he must pass. That's how it is here.


Thanks for the insight - useful stuff.


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## maddy82 (Mar 8, 2013)

This is what I am trying to find out .It is for Benidorm area ,I read somewhere they only ask for convalidation of education info for over 14 years old but on other places I have read all state schools ask for this but I don't even know for sure what they mean do they mean the yearly school reports or is it something you have to send off for ?
Maddy


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## maddy82 (Mar 8, 2013)

Hi I keep reading children will not be accepted in a state school without convalidation of school info ,but I don't really know do they just mean there school reports because my son is only nine ,it seems weird to get things like this done where there is no qualification involved ?
Thanks 
Maddy


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

maddy82 said:


> Hi I keep reading children will not be accepted in a state school without convalidation of school info ,but I don't really know do they just mean there school reports because my son is only nine ,it seems weird to get things like this done where there is no qualification involved ?
> Thanks
> Maddy


I really don't know where you're reading all this stuff but the question has already been answered.

Many of us on this forum have (or have had) young children who have been schooled in Spain. We therefore have direct knowledge of exactly what is needed .

Personally, I have never come across this need to have education history "convalidated". Maybe it is just required for 16+ teenagers.

Can you please provide a link to one of these reports and we can take a look into it. Thanks.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

snikpoh said:


> I really don't know where you're reading all this stuff but the question has already been answered.
> 
> Many of us on this forum have (or have had) young children who have been schooled in Spain. We therefore have direct knowledge of exactly what is needed .
> 
> ...


Agreed. It's a legal requirement for kids to be schooled and regardless of history, which is likely to be in a different languages, to any assessors anyway. The schools IME just want the obvious information - ie, name, address, gender, age, parents contact details, health issues....

International schools do (did when we did it) require an entrance exam

Jo xxx

Sent from my D5803 using Expat Forum


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## maddy82 (Mar 8, 2013)

Will try do a link later after work ,there those kind of websites about what you need to know about moving to Spain .
Maddy


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