General

Children move on to their secondary school education at the Instituto in the September of the calendar year in which they become 12. The two year six classes from the Colegio in Competa join with children from the surrounding villages to form three new intake classes at the Instituto. The classes are mixed ability with around 20+ children in each. There is no school uniform.

The hours are from 8.45 to 2.50 on Monday- Wednesday and 8.45 to 1.50 on Thursday and Friday and lateness is definitely not tolerated – the gates are locked at 8.50 and if a child is not there on time then they won't be allowed in. There's a canteen serving mainly cold snacks or the kids can take a packed lunch.

Study

The subjects covered are generally those you would expect but there are some interesting points to note. For example PE is taught as an academic subject and well as a physical one covering physiology etc. Religious study is optional. You'll be pleased to know that for children who are not native Spanish speakers there is continuing special help with learning the language.

At present you will have to provide all books and equipment, although this is gradually changing over the coming years. As in the primary school, the amount of homework given is very variable and seems to be at the discretion of the individual teacher.

Testing and qualification

Testing is very regular and the school provides you with a report on your child's academic progress every term. If they fail more than two subjects, or fail both maths and language, then they will be held back a year and this can happen for up for a maximum of two years in succession. The final qualification is the Certificate in Secondary Education. A young person can leave without this at any time from the age of 16, but it will mean that they cannot progress into further education (though some colleges will have their own entrance exams as an alternative) and also will not be able to obtain a driving licence or heavy goods licence.

Discipline

Some parents from both Spanish and foreign families do have concerns about the way discipline is enforced but there are ongoing discussions with the school to try and improve this. A number of black marks for bad behaviour can lead to a week's suspension.

Similarities and differences

There are probably many aspects of secondary schooling that are common across most of Europe, such as the subjects covered, class structures and timetabling, you will also notice differences. Many of these are a consequence of the demographics of the area. Competa is a small high school in a relatively small town serving the needs of a scattered rural population and so inevitably it is not always possible to offer the facilities of a big comprehensive. This sometimes means that the range of subjects and the provision of such things as science, computer and language labs and books may seem more limited than we are used to expecting. It's not that they don't exist but some facilities may only be available to children from the third year onwards. Where this is the case then a class will work more from books.

In addition it's worth noting that the school here only opened in the recent past and as such is still building up its facilities and doing its very best to create a cohesive community of staff and children who come from a wide range of backgrounds and a number of nationalities.