Although it may not initially be appealing, attending a local state school will help your child integrate into the local community and learn Spanish quickly. This is an advantage if you plan to stay in Spain for the long term. Often, given the choice, many foreign children prefer to attend Spanish school and become part of the local community.

The Spanish state offers two stages of compulsory schooling:- Educación Primaria 6-12 years and Educación Secundaria Obligitar 12-16. Educación Infantil 0-6 years is not compulsory and therefore not all children can gain a place. The availability of places depends on the area of Spain and the demand. From 16 to 18 children can continue to study at a higher level or at a vocational level. State education is free, but parents have to pay for text books and materials. These can be quite expensive, with cost ranging from €150 to €250 per year per child. However, an older child's text books can often be used for a younger child when they reach the relevant year.

Although there are state schools for pupils with special educational needs, it not unusual to see children with minor disabilities attending the normal state school and being readily accepted by their peers.

You and your children do need to be aware that all teaching is done in the Spanish language and it may be that none of the teachers may speak English. However, often there are teachers who do speak English who will be available to help. In some schools foreign pupils will be offered extra classes in Spanish language to help them learn more quickly.

In Spain, children must attend a state school within a certain distance of their home, so if you have a preference for a particular school it's important to buy or rent a home within that school's catchment area. Please try to visit your school of choice with your child before you make any decisions. When you make the appointment try to find an English speaking teacher to translate for you. If there is not one available take someone with you who can translate for you. Ask all the same questions you would ask if you were choosing a new school in the UK.

In order to enroll your child in a Spanish state school you need to provide the following:-

A copy of their birth certificate and a copy of their passport.
Proof of all immunizations/vaccinations from your UK GP, stamped and signed.
Proof of residence in Spain in the form of a title deed of your house, a rental agreement or an electricity bill.
Proof of convalidation - this is an official validation of your child's education record. In practice this is not normally needed.
A report from your child's present school is very useful for the new school. They generally prefer it if you have had the report translated into Spanish. The report will need to be stamped and signed by the head of the school.
4 passport size photos of your child.
You need to begin the process of enrolment not later than April for the new school year.

The following are subjects taught in Spanish schools:-

Ciencias Sociales, Historia and Geográfia [social sciences, history and geography]
Ciencias de la Naturaleza [biology, physics, chemistry, geology]
Educación Física [physical education]
Educación Plástica y Visual [art and design]
Matemáticas [maths]
Lengua y Literatura [Spanish language & literature]
Tecnología [technology, CDT, IT]
Lenguas Extranjeras [foreign languages, usually English and/or French/German]
Música [music]
Etica/filosfía [philosophy/ethics]
Latín, griego y cultura clásica [Latin, Greek and the classics]
These last two subjects may or may not be taught in the particular school to which you apply.
Religious education (Catholic) is taught in all schools but you may opt out of this subject if you wish.

When your child starts at the new school they will usually be placed in a year lower than that which would be expected for their age. This gives them time to learn Spanish, get accustomed to the new environment and minimise the pressure to succeed in the first, already stressful, year.
Children are continually assessed during the school year. Also, in some subjects they will sit an examination at the end of each term. Children can be held back at the end of the year if they fail more than 2 subjects and they will then have to repeat the year.

Your child will be apprehensive about starting school. This is, of course, very normal. From my own experience with my children, (10 and 13 years old when they started school) the first few days will probably be as bad as they think it would be, but after a week or so it will get better. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about starting school. You may find my personal experiences useful to you.