The Spanish school system: levels, equivalences and choosing a school

Enrolling your kids in a system you don't know is one of those quiet anxieties of expat parenting. Here's the map of the Spanish system, how the year groups line up with the school years you may know from home, and what's specific to the Costa Blanca. (To decide between an international school and a Spanish one, we have a dedicated guide.)

The structure, level by level

Schooling is compulsory and free from age 6 to 16. It breaks down like this:

• Educación Infantil (0-6): preschool, not compulsory but free in the public system from age 3.
• Educación Primaria (6-12): six years, the equivalent of primary school.
• ESO (12-16): lower secondary, compulsory, ending with the school-leaving qualification.
• Bachillerato (16-18): the academic upper-secondary track, or Formación Profesional (FP), the vocational route.

Lining up the years

One thing to watch is that the exact age-to-year mapping can be off by a year compared with some home countries, especially at secondary level - so check carefully where your child actually lands. As a rough guide:

Public, concertado or private?

• Público: free (apart from the canteen and supplies). Two-thirds of pupils.
• Concertado: state-subsidised private, partly funded by the state, often religious. Officially free, but "cuotas" (contributions) are common.
• Privado: fully fee-paying, including the international and foreign-language schools.

Qualifications and getting into university

After lower secondary you get the ESO certificate; after upper secondary, the Bachillerato, which opens the door to university via an entrance exam now called the PAU (the old "Selectividad", sometimes still called EBAU/EvAU in older articles). Good news for international families: foreign upper-secondary diplomas can be recognised in Spain, and vice versa - check the equivalence process for your country.

The local twist: language. Valencian is co-official and taught alongside Castilian Spanish and English. Since a 2024 law, families have the right to choose the school's "base language", with a guaranteed minimum in each of the two official languages. It's a politically shifting topic, so check the details when you enrol.

How to enrol

Your empadronamiento sets your reference address. Each municipality sets its own admission zones, so where you live still matters: check the map for your town (Alicante, Elche, Torrevieja, Benidorm, Dénia and so on). Everything is done online through the regional ADMINOVA portal, usually with an admission window in May. Confirm the dates and criteria every year - they change.

Sources

• Generalitat Valenciana (CEICE) - Admission calendars
• Eurydice (European Commission) - Spanish education system
• Generalitat Valenciana - University entrance exam (PAU)
• BOE - Ley 1/2024 (educational freedom, Valencian Community)

Frequently asked questions

Is schooling free and compulsory in Spain?

Schooling is compulsory and free from age 6 to 16, covering Primaria and ESO, with free public preschool from age 3. Público schools are free apart from canteen and supplies, concertado are state-subsidised (often with expected contributions), and privado, including international schools, are fully fee-paying.

How do Spanish year groups line up with British, Irish and American schools?

Roughly, 1º Primaria matches Year 1 / Grade 1, 1º ESO matches Year 7 / Grade 7, and 2º Bachillerato matches Year 12 / Grade 12. The exact age-to-year mapping can be off by a year, especially at secondary level, so check carefully where your child actually lands; foreign upper-secondary diplomas can usually be recognised in Spain.

What's specific about schooling on the Costa Blanca?

Valencian is co-official and taught alongside Castilian Spanish and English, and since a 2024 law families can choose the school's base language with a guaranteed minimum in each official language. Enrolment is done online via the regional ADMINOVA portal, usually with an admission window in May, so confirm the dates and criteria each year.

Information verified in July 2026. Procedures, taxes and prices change fast: before you go anywhere, always check the official source (links above). The Daily Costa Blanca is an AI-assisted publication with human review. Spotted a mistake? Write to hello@thedailycostablanca.com or visit thedailycostablanca.com.