Spain's school system is a mixture of state, state-subsidised private (concertado), and fully private schools, operating across autonomous communities that have devolved educational authority. This means the system varies somewhat by region — the schooling experience in Catalonia (where Catalan is a language of instruction) differs from Madrid or Seville.

Here is the vocabulary for navigating the Spanish school system as an expat parent.

School Types

Colegio público — a state (public) school, fully funded by the government. Free for all students.

Colegio concertado — a state-subsidised private school. Operates with public funding but is managed by private (often religious, typically Catholic) entities. Fees are low or zero for tuition, but often charge for activities, materials, and services. Very widespread in Spain; many Spanish families prefer concertados for the combination of private-school culture and near-public pricing.

Colegio privado — a fully private school, with fees set by the institution. Often the preferred option for expat families seeking bilingual education or the International Baccalaureate.

Colegio internacional — an international school, teaching in a foreign language (often English) using a foreign or international curriculum. Significant fees; serves the expatriate community.

Escuela infantil / Guardería — nursery / early years childcare, for children aged 0–3.

Educación Infantil — the first stage of education in Spain, for children aged 3–6. Technically not compulsory until age 6, but universally available and nearly universally attended from age 3.

Educación Primaria — primary school, ages 6–12 (6 years). Compulsory.

Educación Secundaria Obligatoria (ESO) — compulsory secondary education, ages 12–16 (4 years). At the end of ESO, students receive the Título de Graduado en Educación Secundaria Obligatoria.

Bachillerato — the post-compulsory upper secondary stage, ages 16–18 (2 years). Leads to university entry via the EBAU.

EBAU — Evaluación del Bachillerato para el Acceso a la Universidad (formerly Selectividad). The university entrance examination, taken at the end of Bachillerato.

Formación Profesional (FP) — vocational education and training, an alternative to Bachillerato. Well-regarded in Spain and increasingly valued in the labour market.

Enrolment

Matriculación / Matrícula — school enrolment. Happens within defined periods (período de matriculación), typically in June for the following September.

Solicitud de plaza — application for a school place.

Criterios de admisión — admission criteria. State schools and concertados use a points system for oversubscribed schools, considering factors like proximity to home (proximidad al domicilio), siblings already attending (hermanos matriculados), and income.

Zona de influencia / área de influencia — catchment area. Children within the school's catchment receive priority points. For popular state schools, being inside the área can be decisive.

Libro de familia — the family record book, a historical Spanish document recording births, marriages, and other family events. Still used in school enrolment as proof of the child's parentage and siblings.

Certificado de empadronamiento — the municipal registration certificate, proving your address. Required for enrolment and for calculating criterios de admisión.

Número de plaza — placement number allocated during admissions.

Daily School Life

Horario — timetable.

Recreo — break / playtime.

Comedor — school canteen / dining hall. Many Spanish schools offer a servicio de comedor (lunch service), which is separately paid and optional.

Extraescolares — extracurricular activities. After-school clubs run by the school or external providers; parents pay separately.

Tutoría — a tutoring session; also the pastoral role of the tutor (form teacher).

Tutor/tutora — the form teacher / homeroom teacher, your primary point of contact.

AMPA — Asociación de Madres y Padres de Alumnos. The parent-teacher association, equivalent to a PTA. Active in most Spanish schools; manages many extracurricular activities.

Boletín de notas / Boletín de evaluación — school report / grade report.

Evaluación — assessment period. Spanish schools typically have three evaluaciones per year (November/December, February/March, June).

Suspenso — a fail (grade below 5 out of 10).

Aprobado — a pass (grade of 5 or above out of 10).

Sobresaliente — outstanding (grade 9–10).

Notable — good (grade 7–8).

Bien — satisfactory (grade 6).

Spanish grades run from 0 to 10, with 5 as the pass mark. This is the inverse of the German system (where 1 is best) — worth knowing if you've previously dealt with German education vocabulary.

Bilingual Education

Colegios bilingües — bilingual schools; increasingly common in Spain, especially in Madrid and Castilla-La Mancha. Teach core subjects partly in English (or another language). A popular option for expat families in state schools.

Programa bilingüe — bilingual programme.

Auxiliar de conversación — a language assistant (often a native speaker) supporting English-language classes.

Inmersión lingüística — linguistic immersion; the approach used in Catalonia, the Basque Country, and Galicia, where Catalan, Basque (Euskera), or Galician is the main language of instruction alongside Spanish.

Understanding the Spanish school system requires understanding the regional context you're in. A school in Catalonia operates differently from one in Andalucía. Ask the local AMPA — they know the system better than any website.

Spanish school vocabulary is the vocabulary of your child's daily life. Vokabulo helps you build it before the first parent-teacher meeting. Available on iPhone and iPad.