Schooling and childcare in Barcelona

Three kinds of school

Public schools (escoles públiques) are free and run by the Generalitat; concertadas are privately run but state-funded, charge a monthly “voluntary” contribution and are often religious; private schools charge full fees. All three, apart from the international sector, teach principally in Catalan under the language immersion model, with Spanish taught as a subject. Younger children absorb Catalan quickly and there is support for newcomers; a teenager arriving mid-secondary has a harder time.

• Preinscripció runs in spring for the following September, with a defined application window.
• Places are scored: proximity to the address, siblings already enrolled, and other criteria.
• The registered address on the padrón is what determines the catchment score.

Structure and stages

Infantil covers three to six, primària six to twelve, ESO twelve to sixteen and is compulsory, then batxillerat or vocational training (formació professional) to eighteen. University entry runs through the selectivitat examinations. Vocational routes are well developed and not the second-class option they are in some countries.

International schools

Barcelona has British, American, French, German, Swiss and IB schools, and most sit outside the city in Sant Cugat, Esplugues, Castelldefels or along the coast. That geography drives family housing decisions more than anything else, since the school bus route effectively defines where you can live. Apply in the winter for the following September, and expect assessments, past school reports and a registration fee on top of tuition.

• Apply from January for the following September; popular year groups fill first.
• School bus provision, and its route, is worth checking before you sign a lease.
• Registration fees and annual capital levies sit on top of the published tuition.

Before school

Escoles bressol are the 0–3 nurseries, with municipal ones cheaper and heavily oversubscribed and private ones available at short notice for more money. Municipal places are allocated in their own application round with income-scaled fees. Private nurseries fill the gap and vary widely in price and approach across districts.