Transferring your child to a Spanish School is a fairly easy process as Spain is a member of the EU. State schools seem to be a good choice for those with younger children, you will find that the English children are warmly welcomed. The children will be taught in Castilian Spanish or the local dialect (ie Valencian), as parents you will be able to learn the Spanish language from your children! (Once you have made the decision to move to Spain you may want to enrol as a family in Spanish lessons before you arrive to learn some basics) Sending your children to a State school is a perfect way to integrate your children into the Spanish community and will give them plenty of opportunity to make new friends within the town or village you chose to live in. You will also probably find other English children already studying who will give them some help with translation etc during the first few weeks. It is also recommended that you arrange for some extra Spanish studies to give them a better understanding of the language. Just like the schooling system in the UK all academic subjects are studied.

The school holidays will excite your children as they are much much longer, with holidays at Christmas and Easter. During June the days are shortened to finish at around 1pm with all of July and August off then back to school during September with half days again.

To register your children within the schooling system they have to be on the Padron (Town Hall Register). A list of schools will also be provided by the Town Hall. You will also have to provide a copy of the child’s birth certificate, proof of immunisation and proof of residency.

Spanish schools take a more relaxed approach to uniforms – there is no uniform requirement!! and teachers are often called by their Christian names. The schooling hours during term time are longer than the UK usually from 9am to 5pm with a 2 or 3 hour break during the day, the children can either go home during this lunch period or eat in the school dining room. In Spain the State education is free but parents will need to pay for books and extra curricular activities such as art and sports equipment.

For those wanting to attend University every student must take and pass a University entrance examination.

Another option is to register your child in an English or International School; these are privately fee charging schools. Most of these schools will follow the UK syllabus offering entry into GCSE´s and A levels.

An excellent resource is to contact the National Association of British Schools in Spain (NABSS) founded in 1978 to promote and uphold the British schooling system in Spain. Their website http://www.nabss.org is full of information and offers a list of all English Speaking schools.

The Lady Elizabeth School has two sites, one in Javea which is for primary ages group with the Secondary School located in Jalon. Further information can be found on their website
http://www.theladyelizabethschool.com