Browse Topics
Tools
Editor's choice

Spanish food recipe: Pollo Asado

Prepare a perfect Spanish roast chicken by following Sandra Piddock’s recipe.

Top 10 restaurants in Madrid

Here's our pick of the top ten restaurants in the Spanish capital.

Spain's North-South divide

Sun-seeking pensioners live in southern Spain, while arty young entrepreneurs move to Barcelona or Madrid. True or just cliché?

Favourite restaurants in Barcelona

Blogger Jeremy Holland on where to find good, old-fashioned American hamburgers, rich authentic Italian pasta and traditional Catalan bocadillos.

Internaxx Stock Market
Index Last Var.(%)
BEL 20 2119.3 0.50
DAX 5252.45 1.50
IBEX 30 10726.8 0.59
CAC 40 3377.59 1.40
FTSE 100 4564.5 0.79
AEX 276.85 0.95
DJIA 9096.72 -0.13
Nasdaq 1975.51 0.39
FTSE MIB 20341.67 1.65
TSX Composite 10570.54 -1.74
ASX 4148.9 -0.60
Hang seng 20135.5 -2.37
Straits Times 0.00
ISEQ 20 442.48 0.27
You are here: Home Education Pre-school Applying for schools in Barcelona

Pre-school

archive
Print Email Comment Subscribe
Enlarge font Decrease font Text size

06/01/2009Applying for schools in Barcelona

Here’s a brief guide on the easiest way to apply for a school for your child.

Schooling in Spain is free and compulsory for children aged 6-16 years.  

Primary education is the first stage of schooling for children aged 6-12 years and secondary education is the period of schooling from 12-16 years.  

Although many children attend school in Barcelona when they are three years old, it is not compulsory in most parts of Spain. Schooling from 3-6 years is known as infants or parvulario.

The Department of Education of the Generalitat of Cataunya governs the registration process for state schools.

Trying to find a place for your child can seem very much like trying to win a lottery at first as the number of applicants usually outweighs the number of places available at local schools and so a lottery process at the final selection stage in used to determine which children get a place.  

Earlier in the year, School Open Days or Jornades de Portes Obertes are organised by Barcelona public and private schools in order for parents to visit. Most schools will also allow you to organise visits at other times of year.

The first stage of application is the Pre-inscription stage in March or May (for 0-3 years). From this stage a short-list of applicants is compiled and in the case where numbers exceed places, a lottery is drawn.

A final list of pupils is then published and if you wish to accept any place offered to your child, you must then undertake the inscription process. You can improve your initial chances of a successful application by choosing a school according to certain criteria that will put you higher on the priority list.

Selection is first based upon the following points scheme:
40 points: When the child has a sibling at the school or if a parent is employed there.
30 points: When the child’s home address is located close by to the school.
20 points: When a parent’s place of work is located close by to the school.
10 Points: When the child's home address is not in the specific catchment area but is located in the same city district as the school.
10 Points: When a parent is receiving income support (varies by the number of dependants).
10 points: When the child, child's siblings or parents have a certain level of disability.
Have your Spanish News delivered straight to your inbox - sign up for our e-mail newsletter now!

Print Email Comment Subscribe

General rating: Not rated yet

Rate article:    Add my rating

0 reactions to this article

Reply
Education essentials
Education forums
participate in the forums
Education expert Q&A
ask your question
Education A-Z listings
find the business you need
Discussion Forums

Jobs

Part Time Work Needed in Madrid and Barcelona, by marthaa

Soapbox

Books on Spain for Christmas, by shuggie

Travel & Transport

backpacking in Australia, by Zuri

Discuss Spanish Culture

Are Spanish people Tactless and arrogant or just forthright?, by john4efc66

Jobs

cvExpres, work in Spain as a teacher in a private school or academie, by santi21

participate in the forums

Inside Expatica
Checklist for expats moving to Spain

Checklist for expats moving to Spain

Before you head out to explore the new city, make sure your paperwork's all done by referring to our guide.

Job hunting in Spain

Job hunting in Spain

Looking for a job just got harder with the global recession. Here’s a guide to make things a tad easier.

How to open a bank account in Spain

How to open a bank account in Spain

Expatica's guide to opening a bank account in Spain.

Unique festivals in Spain

Unique festivals in Spain

Too many fiestas and too little time; Expatica presents our pick of the top monthly festivals in Spain so you won’t miss out on the action.