Schooling in Spain - useful questions to ask

Some schools have a parent who takes on the role of a form representative. Ask the school for details. The parent Form rep can answer all those, seemingly, trivial questions which you might not want to bother the school with. They can also help let you know what involvement parents have in the school, such as committees or charity events.

It is a good idea to check what subjects are on the curriculum including the kind of sports taught, so you can match as closely as possible what subjects your child has already started to learn. Some schools have swimming pools, gyms, etc. Some use the local sports facilities. If there is any specific subject that the school does not cover during the official school day, you may find out there is an extra curricular club run by the school or a club the local area.

After school clubs vary from school to school, depending on teaching resource, expertise and demand, subjects covered often include languages, chess, judo, music and dancing. If a school is able to offer a "favourite" subject, even though it is after school it can be helpful to ease the transition to another school.

Check with the school whether the children wear school uniform. Most Spanish state schools do not wear uniform, most private schools do. If they do, does all the uniform have to be purchased from a particular supplier. Is there a second hand uniform shop?

Ask about arrangements for snacks and lunches. Some schools provide both, some expect the children to bring in their own. It is a good idea to try and get your children to try some traditional Spanish food before moving to Spain.

Even if you take a pack lunch it would help your child to integrate if the lunch box looked similar to their Spanish friends and would help when the invites to come to play with a friend or party arrives. Most children will try serrano ham, chorizo, olives, churros etc, if introduced gradually. There is a good selection of ideas on our Spanish Recipes section.

Do the children provide their own books or stationery? The Spanish state schools expect parents to pay for books (although free books are being introduced in some areas) and materials and extra cirricular activities. The basic minimum cost would be around £50 per year. Is there a rule about the type of book bag required? Essential to make sure your children fit in!