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School and Education in Andalucia Spain
The Andalusian region is the largest of the regions of Spain and comprises the provinces of Malaga, Almeria, Jaen, Granada, Seville, Cadiz, Cordoba and Huelva. Almeria, Granada and Malaga border the Mediterranean Sea and contain the tourist areas of Costa Almeria, Costa Tropical (Granada) and Costa Del Sol (Malaga). Cadiz and Huelva border the Atlantic Ocean and the Costa de La Luz is in the province of Cadiz.
State Education System in Andalusia
Education policy is controlled by the Junta De Andalusia, with is the governing body with each region having responsibility for the administration of education within their region. The local councils have a role to play too. Some offer educational services, but all councils will have a say in the infrastructure and buildings within their local areas. Local town halls can also often help with school lists once you have decided upon moving to their area. The Procedures for enrolment are pretty much the same across Andalusia, however some town halls have departments that provide services for foreign families, you can choose to apply to a school directly for a place for your child. As in the UK each school has a catchment area or zone and it is best to apply to the school within the zone of where you live or intend to live permanently. Applying for a place according to where you work is also possible, but you would need proof of work address. In certain circumstances children do attend school out of catchment area, but this is only possible if there are places. If you are already living in Andalusia, the correct time of the year to apply for a place for the coming academic year is around April. Application and enrolment dates are published annually. If you are coming from another area within Spain or from elsewhere in Europe, then you can apply for a school place for your child at any time of the year, although note, the schools are usually closed for most of the summer holidays in the second half of June, July and August, along with Easter (usually only a week) and during the Christmas holidays. Generally there are no half terms in the Spanish schools however this may alter in the private sector. The academic year ends around mid June and starts again in mid September. Families moving to Andalusia during the summer holidays can usually enrol their children at the very beginning of September, or if any staff are on duty at the schools, at the very end of August. The Secretary of the school is usually part of the management team and he or she would be the first contact, if you decide to apply to a school directly. Formalities are often overstated. It is usually a fairly simple process to enrol your children, but you will need to be registered on the local electoral roll at the town hall, provide passports, full birth certificate of the children, marriage/divorce papers if applicable and sometimes, the childrens vaccination certificates. If you’re not asked for any of this paperwork in rural Andalusia, do not worry, as sometimes a casual approach is taken, especially if the school has plenty of places available, which can sometimes be the case in less densely populated places. You may wish to apply If you wish to apply for grants for books and materials (parents pay for these, along with cost of school transport and meals if available), you will need to provide proof of income as grants may be available to low income families. School uniform isn’t usually worn, except in private schools. Children can often start school before their 5th or 6th birthday, but it isn’t compulsory to attend below the age of 6 (children start school in the September of the calendar year in which they become 6), neither is there a right to schooling below the compulsory starting age. Many children can start pre-school in the year when they become 3 if there are places, with priority going to working parents. Children move to secondary education in the September of the year in which they become 12, although there is a system whereby children can repeat a year, so some will be older than 12 when they move up to secondary school. The school leaving age is 16. The equivalent qualification to 5 UK GCSE’s grades A-C is the Graduado (of compulsory secondary education -ESO. After ESO students can go onto the 5th year of secondary education. Usually students in Andalusia study in schools, but they can attend adult education centres, often for basic skills or language courses, or go into work or work based training. The Bachillerato is the equivalent of A levels in the U.K. Parents with 15 or 16 year olds in their final UK school year should enquire about the Convalidacion procedure with the Spanish Ministry of Education in Madrid, if the student intend to continue their education in Andalusia or anywhere else in Spain.
Private International Schools
Spanish Private International Schools often offer part of the Spanish curriculum in addition to a non Spanish style of education, which in the case of offering a British style of education, the curriculum on offer would usually lead to GCSE, AS or A level. One of the Marbella schools offers a vocational qualification in Travel and Tourism as well as traditional AS and A levels at 16+. Teaching at British schools in Andalusia would normally be conducted in English.