Education in Madrid
יפעת צאיג- Apr 26
- 2 min read
In the family decision to relocate, children's education plays a central role.So here’s some information about education in Madrid.
Schools in Madrid have autonomy over how they allocate their resources and teaching hours, so there will be variations in holidays, school hours, and the curriculum between different schools.
Everything I will share here is generally true for most schools, but not for all.
The education system in Madrid is considered very good, and most of it is bilingual (Spanish-English), even in public schools.
What does bilingual mean?
From kindergarten age, children learn in two languages, and at school, there are subjects taught exclusively in English while other subjects are taught in Spanish.
The maximum number of students per class is 25, although often classes are smaller — up to 28 students with special permission.
The teaching staff usually includes a teacher and an additional staff member.
Sometimes it’s one teacher who speaks Spanish and another who speaks English, or a support staff member.The school is free to allocate human resources as it sees fit.
School hours typically range from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM (sometimes even later, depending on the children's age).Schools are given freedom in how they divide up the hours.
There are three types of schools:
Public schools
Semi-private schools (Concertado)
Private schools
Public schools are free of charge and are considered very good. However, there is usually a payment for the school lunch.
Semi-private schools (Concertado) — these schools are specialized (Montessori, Anthroposophical, Jewish, Christian, Scientific, Humanistic, etc.) and involve an additional fee.The languages taught are usually English and Spanish. For example, in the Jewish school, Hebrew and Jewish studies are also taught alongside English and Spanish.
Private schools — some follow the Madrid education system, and others are completely independent.The languages taught and the educational methods depend on the specific school.Private education is not cheap and usually costs around €900 and up.
When making the decision to relocate, there’s a lot more involved than just the education system.It’s about an acquired culture, not only within the school walls, but also through the adoption of new habits, social behaviors at school and after school, extracurricular activities, communication styles, ways of thinking, long weekends, holidays, and more.
Choosing a school is a significant family decision — involving social integration, community, residential environment, choice of language for instruction, budget, emotional factors, and more.
No matter what we choose, there will always be concerns, reflections, and challenges in adapting.
Here are some useful links:
A list of all alternative schools in Spain, sorted by regions:https://ludus.org.es/en
Quality of education in Madrid according to OECD:https://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/countries/spain/
A list of all bilingual public schools in Madrid (free of charge):https://www.comunidad.madrid/servicios/educacion/madrid-comunidad-bilingue
A link to all private schools in Madrid:https://www.international-schools-database.com/in/madrid
The information provided is based solely on personal experience and should not be considered professional advice.
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