Every family who contacts me is trying to answer the same question: how do I choose a school in Spain?
It sounds simple. It isn’t.
Spain has more than 1,000 schools in Madrid alone, across three different systems — public, concertado, and private. Each system works differently, costs differently, and suits different children. Add in bilingual programmes, IB options, British curriculum schools, and American schools, and the landscape becomes genuinely complex.
Since 2020, I have worked with more than 400 families and visited over 250 schools across Madrid. From that, I’ve developed a clear framework for how to choose a school in Spain. Not a ranking. Not a shortlist. A process — because the right school is never the same for any two children.
Here’s how to approach it.
How to Choose a School in Spain: A Six-Step Framework
Step 1: Understand the School System
Before you can choose a school in Spain, you need to understand what you’re choosing between. Before you can choose a school in Spain, you need to understand what you’re choosing between. The Spanish education system has three distinct types of schools:
- Public schools (colegios públicos) — free, state-funded, taught primarily in Spanish. Most follow a bilingual programme.
- Concertado schools — state-subsidised but privately run, often by religious institutions. Fees are low (typically €100–€300/month). Most require a uniform.
- Private schools — fully fee-paying. Includes international schools offering British, American, and IB curricula. Fees range from €600 to €2,000+ per month.
Each system has genuine strengths. None is universally better. The right system depends entirely on your child, your family’s priorities, and your situation in Spain.
Step 2: Consider Your Child’s Age — and Where They’re Headed
A three-year-old starting Infantil has time on their side. A fifteen-year-old arriving mid-ESO does not. Age shapes everything — which schools are realistic, how much adaptation is required, and what the stakes are if things don’t work out first time.
- Early years (ages 3–7): The easiest age to integrate, whatever the school type. Children absorb language naturally and adapt quickly. The priority here is warmth, pastoral care, and a school that understands transition — not curriculum or league tables.
- Primary age (ages 7–11): More flexibility, but the future starts to matter. If your child will eventually sit GCSEs or A Levels, a British school keeps them on track. If deep bilingualism is the goal — whether you’re here for one year or ten — a strong concertado or bilingual Spanish school at this age can deliver something genuinely lasting.
- Secondary age (12+): The stakes are higher and the options narrower. Exam continuity becomes critical. A child arriving at 13 or 14 needs a school that can absorb them mid-stream without disrupting their academic pathway. Ask specifically: what qualifications does the school offer at 16 and 18, and where do their students go afterwards?
Step 3: Know Your Child
This sounds obvious. It’s the part most families rush.
The families who struggle most when they choose a school in Spain are those who focus on reputation before they’ve properly considered the child in front of them.
Ask yourself honestly:
- Is my child academic, creative, sporty — or a mix?
- Do they thrive with structure, or do they need more freedom?
- How do they handle change and new social situations?
- Do they have any learning support needs?
- How important is sport, music, or the arts — not as extras, but as part of who they are?
I work with families every week who have a school in mind before they’ve answered these questions. Sometimes the match is right. Often it isn’t. A school that looks perfect on paper can be completely wrong for a particular child.
A note on language: if your child is arriving with little or no Spanish, this isn’t a reason to avoid Spanish or concertado schools. Most good schools have experience integrating non-Spanish-speaking children. What matters is the school’s approach to that transition — ask specifically about language support, buddy systems, and how they handle the first term.
Step 4: Think About Location Properly
Madrid is a big city. A 40-minute commute each way, twice a day, is not sustainable long-term — and it affects the whole family, not just the child.
- Where are you living, or planning to live? In Madrid, school and neighbourhood are often linked — particularly for concertado schools, which operate catchment areas.
- Does your child need to travel independently as they get older? A local school makes that possible. A school across the city does not.
- Are after-school activities important? A school close to home makes it far easier to build a social life around the school day.
I’ve worked with families who chose a school they loved, on the other side of the city, and spent their first year exhausted by the logistics. Location is not a secondary consideration. It’s a core one.
Step 5: Visit. Then Visit Again.
No amount of research replaces a school visit. Reviews, reports, WhatsApp groups — none of it tells you what a school actually feels like when you walk through the door.
When you visit, pay attention to:
- How the staff speak to children — and to you
- What the atmosphere is like in corridors and playgrounds
- Whether the head teacher or director is present and engaged, or whether you’re passed to an admissions officer
- How the school answers difficult questions — about learning support, about what happens if a child struggles, about pastoral care
- Whether the children look relaxed and purposeful, or anxious and over-managed
A school that won’t meet you before you’ve enrolled is telling you something. Read why there isn’t one best school in Madrid.
Step 6: Factor in the Real Cost
School fees are rarely the whole picture. Before you commit to a school, make sure you understand:
- Tuition fees — always ask for the full breakdown upfront. Concertado schools in particular are not always forthcoming — be direct and ask specifically what is and isn’t included.
- Enrolment and registration fees — often paid upfront and non-refundable.
- Uniform costs — can reach €200–€300 per child in concertado and British schools, more with sports kits and coats.
- School meals — most schools offer a comedor (lunch service). Costs vary widely.
- Extracurricular activities — often charged separately, and quickly add up.
- Sibling discounts — many schools offer them. Always ask.
For a full breakdown of what schools in Spain actually cost, watch my video on school fees in Spain — it covers exactly what families get caught out by.
How to Choose the Right School in Spain: Where to Start
The families who get this right are the ones who start with their child — not the school, not the WhatsApp group, not the rankings.
If you’re planning a move and want to make sense of the options — whether you’re months out or weeks away from needing a place — there are a few ways I can help.
Every family’s situation is different. If you’d like to talk through yours, book a free 20-minute call and we’ll work out where to start.
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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.
