Schools or Housing First? A Guide for Families Moving to Madrid with Children
Moving to Madrid with children throws up decisions you never anticipated. Schools or housing — which comes first?
A family moving to Madrid chose a particular school that suited all their needs. They also chose their apartment in their preferred neighbourhood. Their son was 10 years old, in 5th grade. It was a 20-minute walk to the bus stop, plus another 30-40 minutes on the bus. Twice a day, every day. I tried to warn them but, coming from a much bigger city, they felt the commute would be fine. And it was — September, October — but then the weather changed. Dark in the morning. It quickly became a nightmare. The following school year they switched schools — stayed in the neighbourhood. The moral of the story: commutes and logistics are an important part of choosing the right school for your family.
Recently I did a YouTube Live on exactly this topic — Chicken and Egg, i.e. schools vs housing and which should come first for families relocating to Spain. My good colleague Angélica Lima Miller joined me to share her expertise as a relocation specialist in Madrid. Angélica and I have collaborated many, many times since 2020 and between us have helped hundreds of families find the right school and their home in Madrid.
▶️ Watch the full conversation on YouTube.
Housing vs Schools — What’s the Deal?
Private schools are different and easier in this respect. Enrol your child in a private school — easy, easy (with the right expert advice of course) — and it can all be done from overseas. But it’s a different kettle of fish when it comes to a public or concertado school. You must be empadronado in order to apply to these schools. It is your most important document.
The padrón is your official registration with your local town hall in Spain. It registers you and your family at your Madrid address and is a fundamental document for accessing public services — including applying to public and concertado schools. Without it, your application simply won’t be considered.
▶️ Want to know more? Watch my short video on everything you need to know about the padrón.
Madrid has three main types of schools — public (colegios públicos), semi-private (colegios concertados), and private — I cover all of them in detail in this video. You can also read a full breakdown in my guide to types of schools in Spain.
- Public and concertado schools are address-dependent. Your padrón determines your catchment area, which directly affects your admissions points in the regular application process (el proceso ordinario). And as a late applicant, although not dependent on points, you are restricted to the schools within your district — which is important to remember when choosing where you want to live with your family in Madrid.
- Private international schools don’t use the padrón for admissions. They accept applications year-round (though earlier is always better), and all have private routes covering popular neighbourhoods. This gives you significantly more housing flexibility — but the school bus does incur an additional fee (budget approximately €200/child/month).
Popular Neighbourhoods for Families Moving to Madrid with Children
For families moving to Madrid with children, there are particular neighbourhood favourites. I see this all the time with my families when supporting them on their school search.
Chamberí is the top favourite — and for good reason. Great schools across all three types, walkable streets, a great neighbourhood feel, and more speciality coffee shops appearing every day. It’s also where demand is highest, so move quickly if you find something.
Retiro/Ibiza is popular with international families, well-connected, with solid school options nearby — and of course, walking distance to one of Madrid’s biggest parks, el Retiro.
La Moraleja/Alcobendas/San Sebastián de los Reyes suits families going to the northern international schools — Runnymede, ICS, and others. More space, more green, and often more budget for the money. The trade-off is that you’re commuter-belt rather than central.
Pozuelo and Las Rozas work well for families choosing schools in the north-west corridor.
For a more detailed breakdown by neighbourhood, including school options in each area, take a look at my guide to family-friendly neighbourhoods in Madrid.
The Rental Market — Angélica’s Pearls of Wisdom
Angélica shared some pearls of wisdom that will be very useful for families relocating to Spain. The rental market here is very fast — much faster than in other countries. Here in Madrid, if you see something you like, you rent it there and then. No time to consider, no time to review. This is especially important when searching in the popular neighbourhoods. In less popular neighbourhoods, the pressure is not as high.
What Angélica and I Would Tell Any Family Moving to Madrid with Children
- Start earlier than you think you need to. For public and concertado schools, the admissions cycle in Madrid runs in spring for the following September. Most families moving to Madrid with children from other countries will miss this first round and will apply in the late application process — much easier to apply in the first two weeks of July compared to 1st September. These timelines are very important when applying to schools and searching for your home in Madrid.
- For private schools, there’s no hard deadline — but popular schools fill up, and late applicants take what’s left rather than what’s right for their child. Ideally, begin your school search nine to twelve months before your planned move date. Consider living near the school — the dream of walking to school — or at least living close to the school bus pick-up and drop-off.
- Get your school shortlist before you sign a lease. Even if you’re going private, knowing which two or three schools are realistic for your child means you can make a smarter housing decision. Research the commute before applying to a school, not afterwards.
- Learn some Spanish before you arrive. Even a few basics go a long way. Madrid is an international city, but daily life — school meetings, admin, dealing with your building’s portero — is predominantly in Spanish. Your children will pick it up faster than you, but you’ll feel far less isolated if you’ve put in some groundwork beforehand.
- Work with local specialists. Not because I’m biased (well, perhaps slightly), but because a global relocation firm managing twenty countries simultaneously cannot give you the neighbourhood-level detail that actually makes the difference. The wrong school in the right neighbourhood, or the right school with a brutal commute, are both expensive mistakes. A local expert who knows both sides of the equation can save you a lot of pain.
To all families currently struggling through this chicken and egg dilemma, my top tip is to try to do both at the same time — especially when considering public/concertado schools. It can seem a little overwhelming with so many great school options and so many family neighbourhoods to choose from. That’s where somebody like me can support you. Two heads are always better than one — lean on me for support, advice, guidance and local insights.
If you’re not sure where to start, that’s what I’m here for. Between the school types, the neighbourhoods, the padrón and the rental market — it’s a lot to get your head around. Let’s have a chat. Book your free call and let me take it from there.
Sinéad Galvin is the Founder of Steps into Spain, a boutique education consultancy based in Madrid. She helps families from all over the world find the right school for their child and navigate the Spanish admissions process. Get in touch via stepsintospain.es or book your free call to get started.
