Children, school, and parental leave in Spain

School admissions — the baremo system

Spanish public schools (and the publicly-funded concertados — semi-private religious schools) admit students through a points-based system called the baremo. Points are awarded for proximity to the school (catchment), siblings already enrolled, family income, parental work near the school, and other criteria specific to the autonomous community.

Apply during the regional admission window (typically March–April for the following September) at any public or concertado school. Tied applications are resolved by lottery. Mid-year admissions are possible at schools with vacancies but harder for popular schools — the Comisión de Escolarización assigns a place at the nearest school with room.

Public, concertado, and private

About 65% of Spanish students attend pública (public, fully funded). 25% attend concertada — privately operated but state-subsidised, charging only modest "voluntary" fees (€30–150/month). Concertados are mostly Catholic in tradition and dominate the school landscape in Madrid and Andalusia. Quality varies; some concertados are excellent, others mediocre.

About 10% attend privada (fully private, including international schools). Costs run €4,000–25,000/year per child. International schools (American, British, French, German, Lycée Français) cluster in Madrid, Barcelona, and the Costa del Sol, costing €8,000–25,000/year and following non-Spanish curricula (IB, English National Curriculum, etc.).

The school day and term dates

Spanish schools typically run one of two schedules. The traditional jornada partida runs 09:00–13:00 then 15:00–17:00 with a long lunch break (children come home for lunch). The modern jornada continua runs 09:00–14:00 with optional comedor (school-meal service) until 16:00. Each region and school chooses; jornada continua is increasingly popular.

The school year runs mid-September to late June with breaks at Christmas (about 2 weeks), Semana Santa (1 week), and a few regional and national holidays. Summer holidays are long — about 11 weeks for primaria, slightly less for secundaria — giving rise to the campamentos de verano (summer camps) industry.

School meals and the comedor

Most public schools run a comedor (school cafeteria) for €4–6 per meal, often well-balanced and locally cooked. Some communities subsidise comedor for low-income families; some children bring packed lunches. Many parents at jornada partida schools opt out of comedor entirely — children come home for lunch.

The Mediterranean-diet emphasis is real: most school menus include a daily fruit, fresh salads, and Mediterranean staples (legumes, fish, olive oil). Quality varies by school and provider; parental committees often have voice in menu planning.

Childcare: guardería, escuela infantil, and the bono

Pre-school in Spain is split into two cycles: 0–3 (guardería or escuela infantil de primer ciclo) and 3–6 (the second cycle, integrated into primary schools). The 3–6 cycle is free at public schools and most concertados, attended by ~95% of children — effectively starting school at age 3.

For 0–3 the picture is mixed: public guarderías cover a small share of demand at €0–300/month depending on family income; private guarderías cost €300–800/month full-time. Several autonomous communities (Madrid, Galicia, Catalonia, Valencia) offer bonos guardería (childcare vouchers) covering €100–300/month per child, means-tested.

Maternity, paternity, and shared parental leave

Spain modernised its parental-leave system between 2019 and 2021 to a fully equal 16 weeks per parent, paid at 100% of social-security base salary. The 6 weeks immediately after birth must be taken consecutively by each parent; the remaining 10 weeks can be split flexibly until the child's first birthday. Combined: up to 32 weeks of paid leave between two parents.

Beyond paid leave, parents have the right to reduce hours (reducción de jornada) until the child is 12 — up to 50% reduction with proportional salary cut. Family-care leave (excedencia por cuidado de familiares) covers up to 3 years for childcare, unpaid but with job protection.

For lone parents (familias monoparentales), recent legal changes (still being rolled out in 2025–26) extend the paid-leave period to roughly match the combined two-parent total — closing a long-standing gap.

Higher education — public, low-cost, and competitive entry

Spanish public universities charge low tuition for EU students — typically €1,000–2,500/year for first-degree programmes, varying by autonomous community. Non-EU students pay 1.5–4x EU rates depending on region. Postgraduate tuition is somewhat higher.

Admission to public universities is competitive — the EBAU (formerly Selectividad) is the standard entrance exam, and university places are awarded by combined high-school-grade + EBAU score. Top programmes (medicine, biotech, computer science at flagship universities) require very high scores. Foreign-qualification holders go through UNEDasiss to validate their qualifications.

Many bachelor and most master programmes in business, engineering, and IT are taught in English at major universities (Madrid, Barcelona, IE Business School, ESADE). Erasmus exchanges and Spain's strong international-student population make English-language programmes increasingly common.

Small rituals worth knowing

• Reyes Magos (Jan 6) — Three Kings is the main gift-giving day for traditional families. The Cabalgata de Reyes (parade) on Jan 5 evening is unmissable.
• AMPA fundraising — Asociación de Madres y Padres de Alumnos (parent associations) organise extras (trips, equipment, after-school activities); modest annual fees (€20–60).
• Comuniones — Catholic First Communion at age 8–9 is a major family event for many families, religious or cultural. Photos, family meals, and small-gift envelopes are standard.
• Excursiones — annual school trips, sometimes multi-day. Parents pay €30–200; many schools subsidise low-income families.
• Carnaval — schools across Spain hold carnival parties in February, with costumes and themes. Particularly elaborate in the Canary Islands and Cádiz.
• Year-group naming — Infantil 3/4/5 = ages 3–5; Primaria 1–6 = ages 6–11; ESO 1–4 = ages 12–15; Bachillerato 1–2 = ages 16–17; FP (Formación Profesional) is the vocational track.