From public nurseries to private international schools, Barcelona offers a vast array of different educational options for families searching for the best fit for their child. Below I offer a comprehensive overview of the different stages of education in Barcelona, with a specific focus on the preschool years and how this relates to the later school stages.
Types of Early Education Settings
1. Public Nurseries (Llar d'infants or Escoles Bressol)
Age Group: 4 months - 3 years
Languages Offered: Catalan is the primary language of instruction.
Additional Information: Parents need to follow the application procedures set by the local authorities. Admission is competitive, with nearly half of applicants not getting a place from those who apply. Fees are set on a sliding scale so those for higher earners may not differ greatly from some private options.
The timetable tends to be 9 - 5 but a few offer part-time options.
2. Private Nurseries and Preschools
Age Group: 0-3 years (but some can extend up to 6 years)
Languages Offered: Private nurseries and preschools provide more flexibility in terms of languages. Most will use Catalan and Spanish but there are many options in English, French and German or a mixture of different languages.
Additional Information: The fees tend to be higher than in public nurseries and some require a joining fee. Not all private nurseries and preschools have official accreditation or are recognised by the Catalan authorities.
The timetable varies from place to place. Some offer part-time options or extended hours.
3. Private preschools attached to concertades (State-Subsidized Private Schools)
Age Group: Concertades typically start at 3 years old and usually extend to 18 years old although some may only run until 12 or 16 years old (and one or two options that only teach children from 3 - 6 years old). In some cases, there may be private preschools attached to these schools. From 3 years old, these schools will follow a specific application process organized by the educational authorities, but the private nurseries attached to them can be attended by anyone.
Languages Offered: Catalan is usually the primary language offered in these private preschools, to mimic what happens in the older grades, but, being private, they have more flexibility with the languages they offer.
Additional Information: Concertadas are private schools that are subsidized by the state so the fees from 3 years old onwards are less than the fully private schools. The fees in the 0 - 3 age tends to be comparable to other private options.
Something important to note is that attending a private preschool that is connected to a concertada does not guarantee a place at the school from 3 years old upwards.
The timetable varies but tends to coincide with the rest of the school, usually 9 - 5.
4. Private Schools (Including International Schools)
Age Group: Varies, often from 3-18 years, but can offer preschool options for children from 4 months upwards.
Languages Offered: The primary language of instruction can be any language but most often English. Other primary languages found at private schools in Barcelona include French, German and Japanese. Some private schools offer multilingual programs, incorporating Catalan, Spanish, and additional languages. The language used at these schools may differ depending on the grade. The preschool years (from 0 - 3 years) is often a time when children are immersed in the target language of the school.
Additional Information: private schools have their own application process and criteria. They usually require a one-off non-refundable enrollment fee, which can range from €600 to €6000. Tuition fees can be higher than the smaller private nurseries. The facilities are often bigger.
The timetable varies from school to school but most only offer full-time options.
5. Childminder/Nanny (Madre de Dia)
Age Group: 0 - 3 years
Languages Offered: Varies based on the childminder’s language skills; usually, Catalan or Spanish.
Additional Information: A more personalized form of childcare, where a childminder takes care of small groups of children in a home setting. This option can be an alternative to formal nurseries. Not all professionals working in this way have recognised qualifications.
Timetables are variable depending on the childminder.
6. Grups de Criança / Education Projects
Grups de Criança tend to be created by groups of families that employ one or two educators to run their education project. Families are highly implicated in these groups often being involved in their everyday running and volunteering their own time. Generally these groups are unregistered by the local authorities but there are also similar projects that encourage family participation paid for and run by the local districts.
Timetables are variable but tend to be shorter than those in conventional preschool settings.
Sometimes these groups become more formalized into educational projects admitting more than the families of the original founders. There are many of these around Barcelona.
Primary and Secondary School Education in Barcelona
Compulsory schooling begins at age 6, when children go into 1st grade. While school is not mandatory until this age, most families choose to enrol their child when they turn 3, when they are first offered a place at a public school or concertada. The pre-compulsory school years, from 3 - 6 years, are called I3, I4 and I5 (I standing for Infantil).
The main language of instruction in public primary schools is Catalan, with Spanish and English taught from 1st grade (when children turn 6 years old). On the whole, this is the same for concertades, although these schools are more likely to offer additional hours in other languages, most notably, English.
All but a handful of public primary schools also offer pre-primary education, teaching children from 3 - 6 years old. Once a child has a place at a school offering pre-primary education, they automatically have the right to continue to Primària within the school, if they wish to do so.
Like public schools, concertades (state-subsidized private schools), also generally start at 3 years old (although there are some that have private preschools attached to them - see above). Unlike public schools however, they tend to continue up until 18 years old, offering non-compulsory pre-university education. This is not always the case and there are some concertades that offer only Primary education or secondary education, but this is unusual.
There is a new branch of public schools called institut escoles that teach children from 3 up until 16 or 18 years of age. These are usually schools that were formerly concertades that have been incorporated into the public schools network.
After completing primary education, children attend ESO (Educació Secundària Obligatòria) from ages 12 to 16. Public secondary schools (known as Instituts) are linked to specific primary schools, giving priority to children from these primary schools. However, admission is not guaranteed if there are more applicants than spaces.
At age 12, children who have been attending concertades or private schools can choose to continue at the same school (if it offers secondary education) or can opt to move to a different school.
My approach, when working with families of young children, focuses on the needs of the child and family at that stage in their life. The first steps a child makes outside of their home is fundamental for laying the groundwork for success in later life. I come at this angle as someone who has worked as a teacher in early years settings and also as a mother who has gone through the process of choosing nurseries for her own children herself.
With this in mind it is always important to consider your long term goals and expectations. Understanding the different types of schools, age groups, and language offerings can help you make informed decisions about your child’s early education in Barcelona.
As an education consultant with many years of experience supporting families understand and make the best choices within the Barcelona education system, I am well placed to help you on your journey to finding the best fit for your child. Do get in touch.