Barcelona International or Local Schools?

There are a number of private international schools to choose from. If you are a resident with school-age children, they have the right to attend public schools and schools integrated in the public system (concertadas). Most of the teaching is in Catalan, with some classes in Spanish and English offered as the main foreign language.

Click through to a guide to International Schools and Schools offering the International Baccalaureate.

Your choice of neighbourhood will be linked to your choice of school and the location of your work.

How school is organised in Barcelona?

Compulsory education in Catalonia spans the 10 years between when a child turns 6 years old to when they turn 16 years old.

Public education in Catalonia is divided up in the following ways:

• 0 – 3 years: Escola Bressol (P0, P1 & P2)

• 3 – 6 years: Educació Infantil (P3, P4 & P5)

• 6 – 12 years: Educació Primària (1st – 6th of Primaria)

• 12 – 16 years: Educació Secondaria Obligatoria – often referred to as ESO (1 – 4th of ESO)

• 16 – 18 years: Batxillerat / Cicles formatius de grau mitjà (Baccalaureate / Vocational Training).

Some international schools may have slightly different age groups, but it is roughly similar to the local system.

Enrolment process

Please check the detailed information on My Barcelona School to get all the dates and procedures.

My own experience is of public and integrated schools that my children attended.