10 Interesting Facts About Schools in Spain
If your child is starting school in Spain for the first time, it’s worth knowing some of the subtle differences between Spanish schools and what you’re used to elsewhere. These are ten interesting facts about schools in Madrid that come up again and again with the families we work with, along with a few notes on where things look different in Málaga and on the Costa del Sol.
1. Holidays and School Terms
Spanish kids enjoy some of the longest school holidays in Europe. The first term usually begins around the second week of September and runs until about 20th December, often a few days later in Málaga, where some schools go right up to 23rd December.
Because Spanish families celebrate Los Reyes Magos, who arrive bearing gifts on the evening of 5th January, schools never reopen before 8th January. The second term runs from January until Easter (March or April), and the Easter break usually lasts around ten days.
The third and final term runs from Easter until the second or third week of June, when schools close for summer. Most Spanish schools don’t have half terms, though some have a few days off in February (Semana Blanca).
2. School Lunches
Forget a little sandwich. Most school lunches are a proper three-course affair, served with bread. You can read more about school lunches in Spain.
It’s an additional cost, but most families sign up because it’s convenient and takes one thing off the evening to-do list. Allergies are generally catered for, though vegetarians and vegans can have a harder time. Lunches are usually prepared on site, though some schools use external catering, so it’s worth checking. Lunch monitors run the show while classroom teachers take a well-earned break, and children are often on first-name terms with them since they see them during after-school activities too.
3. Timetables
School days here are longer than in many neighbouring countries, typically running from 9am to 4 or 5pm. There are two main structures:
Jornada partida, with classes in the morning and afternoon and a two-hour lunch break in between.
Jornada continua, used by a growing number of state schools, with classes running from 9am to 2pm and a short break. Families either collect their children at 2pm or, more commonly, children stay for lunch and are collected at 4 or 5pm.
Secondary students have a slightly different timetable, with earlier starts and finishes, typically 8am to 2:15pm.
These days can feel long to families new to Spain, but they do fit reasonably well around a working parent’s schedule.
4. Student-Teacher Relationships
In Spanish schools, children usually call their teacher by their first name. This can feel unfamiliar if you’re used to Mr Jones or Ms Galvin, but it genuinely helps build a closer relationship between student and teacher. Children here are also very hands-on with their teachers, hugs included, in a way that would raise eyebrows elsewhere.
Students usually spend their first three years of infantil (ages 3 to 6) with the same teacher, who becomes something like a second parent, though male teachers at this stage are rare. In primaria (ages 6 to 12), students typically keep the same teacher for two years running, which again supports a strong relationship.
In public and concertado schools in Málaga, students often call their teachers seño (for a female teacher) or profe (for a male teacher), though some prefer their first name, such as Seño María or Profe Daniel.
5. Parental Involvement
How much parents get involved depends on the school. State and concertado schools usually have a very active AMPA (parents’ association), while most private schools don’t. AMPAs are a genuinely good way to get involved and meet other families, and this holds true whether you’re in Madrid or Málaga.
Many parents also organise cumpleaños trimestrales, one shared birthday celebration per term for the whole class group, often at a soft play centre or local playground. The parents of that term’s birthday children bring a small gift and a merienda (afternoon snack) for the class. It’s a good system: it takes the pressure off a full calendar of individual birthday parties and avoids the awkwardness of some children not being invited. It’s also common for the birthday child to hand out a small token to each classmate on the day.
6. Concertado Schools
Concertado schools are semi-private schools that receive partial state funding, similar in concept to charter schools in the US or grammar schools in the UK. Read more in our guide to concertado education in Spain.
Families are usually expected to pay a monthly contribution, the amount varies by school, and although these fees are technically voluntary, in practice most families pay them. Around 30% of students in Madrid attend concertado schools, about 50% attend a state school, and the remaining 20% attend a private school. Concertados follow the Spanish curriculum and can be bilingual or not. About 98% of concertado schools in Madrid capital are Catholic.
Málaga’s concertado sector is more mixed, with a good number of lay-run and secular schools alongside the religious ones.
7. School Age and Year Groups
Education in Spain is compulsory from age 6 to 16, though most children start at age 3 (segundo ciclo infantil). Year groups are based on year of birth, so all children born in the same calendar year are in the same class, regardless of month. This is a different system to countries that use an August cut-off, and it can be frustrating for international families whose children end up moved up or down a year depending on their birthday. Spanish schools tend to apply this rule strictly, as required by law, even though maturity and other factors arguably matter too. International schools tend to be more flexible and consider each child individually.
8. Teachers
Dress codes are generally relaxed among teachers, casual clothing is the norm, though many private schools expect more formal dress. All teachers must be qualified, but those in state schools must also pass la oposición, a demanding civil service exam. Results depend not only on your own performance but on how everyone else does and how many posts are available that year. It’s the route to a genuinely secure, long-term teaching post.
9. International Schools
International schools in Spain are independent and typically follow the curriculum of another country, with fees generally higher than other private schools. Madrid has around 50 international schools, covering IB, British, American, French, German, Scandinavian and Swiss curricula, among others. These schools are popular with Spanish families too, and many have a majority Spanish student body (70 to 80%), so while lessons follow the school’s curriculum language, Spanish is often what you hear in the playground.
Málaga and the Costa del Sol have a smaller but growing international school scene, with British and American curriculum options increasingly common, particularly around the coast.
10. Bilingualism
Madrid Bilingual is the buzzword here, offered at almost every stage of education. About 50% of public and concertado schools in Madrid are bilingual. In a bilingual state or concertado primary school, at least 30% of teaching hours must be in English; in secondary, English and other subjects taught in English must account for at least a third of the weekly timetable. Most bilingual private schools split roughly 50/50 between English and Spanish.
Málaga and the Costa del Sol Andalucía’s bilingual programme designates certain public schools to teach part of the curriculum, usually Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and Art or Music, in English. Quality varies considerably: some bilingual schools have native English-speaking teachers delivering genuine dual-language instruction, while others have Spanish teachers with intermediate English and a lighter version of the content. Teachers are required to have at least B2 level English (C1 in Madrid). It’s worth researching each specific school rather than relying on the “bilingual” label alone: ask other parents, visit during class time, and ask what percentage of instruction is genuinely delivered in English. The best bilingual public schools can be excellent, and they’re free, but the label alone is never a guarantee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Spanish school system very different from other countries? In structure, less than you’d think. In daily culture, quite a bit. Longer school days, first-name terms with teachers, and a very active parents’ association culture are some of the biggest adjustments for international families.
Are concertado schools the same in Madrid and Málaga? The concept is the same everywhere: partially state-funded, semi-private. In Madrid the concertado sector leans heavily Catholic. In Málaga it’s a more mixed picture, with lay-run and secular options too.
Is a bilingual label enough to judge a school by? No. Bilingual provision varies enormously between schools in both Madrid and Málaga, so the label tells you far less than an actual school visit and a specific question about how much instruction is genuinely in English.
Let’s Find the Right School for Your Child
These are just some of the ways schools in Spain differ from what you might be used to, and every family adapts in their own time. If you’d like help finding a school that genuinely fits your child, wherever you are in Spain, book a free call and we’ll talk through what matters most for your situation.
Founded in 2020, Steps into Spain has guided families through the Spanish school system, from admissions paperwork to choosing between public, concertado and private education
