The Spanish education system consists of four main levels: pre-school, primary education, compulsory secondary education (ESO), and post-compulsory schooling (Bachillerato). School is compulsory between ages 6-16. ESO is for ages 12-16 and provides a basic education. Students can then pursue Bachillerato for ages 16-18 to prepare for university or vocational training programs. The vocational training programs include middle grade cycles for technicians or superior grade cycles for related university degrees.

2.  1. INTRODUCTION
 2. TYPES OF SCHOOLS
 3. SCHOOL TIMINGS
 4. PRE-SCHOOL
 5. PRIMARY EDUCATION
 6. COMPULSORY SECONDARY EDUCATION
(ESO)
 7. POST-COMPULSORY SCHOOLING
(BACHILLERATO)
 8. VOCATIONAL TRAINING (CICLOS
FORMATIVOS)

3. DIAGRAM OF THE SPANISH EDUCATION SYSTEM

4.  In Spain, schooling is compulsory between
the ages of 6 and 16 years.
 The system consists of four levels:
COMPULSORY POST-COMPULSORY
PRE-SCHOOL PRIMARY EDUCATION SECONDARY SCHOOLING
EDUCATION (ESO) (BACHILLERATO)
• 3 TO 6 YEARS • 6 TO 12 YEARS • 12 TO 16 YEARS • 16 TO 18 YEARS
(NON- (COMPULSORY) (COMPULSORY) • (NON-COMPULSORY
COMPULSORY)

5. - Textbooks are free in primary school and
secondary school in our region: the school buys
them with the money that the government gives
for it.
- Students have to buy their workbooks and
materials.

6.  Schools in Spain can be divided into 3 categories:
 STATE SCHOOLS
 PRIVATELY RUN SCHOOLS FUNDED BY THE
STATE (colegios concertados). They are purely
private for the Bachillerato years.
 PURELY PRIVATE SCHOOLS. There are private
schools for all the range of compulsory
education. Parents must pay a
monthly/termly/yearly fee. Most of these
schools are run by religious orders.

7. The school year is divided into THREE TERMS with a
long summer holiday break of almost three months:
First term: September to
December
Second term: January to Easter
Third term: After Easter to late
June
In Spain, there are frequent long weekends relating mainly to
religious holidays and regional and national holidays.

8.  The school day for primary schools can vary
but is normally from 09.00 – 14.00.
 For
ESO or Bachillerato, the school day is
usually from 08.30 – 14.30.

9.  Children who are 3 to 6 years old have the
option of attending the Pre-school stage, which
is non-compulsory and free. It is considered as
an integral part of the education system and
there are preschool classes at almost every
primary school.
 Children enter pre-school in the autumn of the
calendar year in which they turn three years old.

11.  It is structured as three 2-year cycles:
First cycle Second cycle Third cycle
(6 to 8 years) (8 to 10 years) (10 to 12 years)
• First year • Third year • Fifth year
• Second year • Fourth year • Sixth year

12.  At this stage, students get the essential and
basic knowledge and skills for their learning
life.
 The main subjects they learn are:
Maths, Spanish
Language, Science, Music, English, Art and
Physical Education.

13.  Thissecondary stage of education is
compulsory and also free.
 Students are usually between 12 and 16
years.
 Secondary education consists of four years.
There are two 2-year cycles :
First cycle Second cycle
• First year • Third year
• Second year • Fourth year

14. There are approximately 30 students in every classroom

16. FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH
NATURAL SCIENCES 3 3 4 3*
SOCIAL SCIENCES 3 3 3 3
PHYSICAL EDUCATION 2 2 2 2
CITIZENSHIP - 2 - -
VISUAL ARTS - 3 2 3
SPANISH LANGUAGE 4 4 4 4
ENGLISH 4 4 3 4
MATHS 4 4 3 4
MUSIC 3 - 2 3*
TECHNOLOGY 3 - 3 3*
RELIGION 1 2 1 1
OPTIONAL 2 2 2 -
TUTORIAL 1 1 1 1
CIVICS - - - 2
BIOLOGY AND GEOLOGY - - - 3*
PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY - - - 3*
INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGIES - - - 3*
LATIN - - - 3*
2nd FOREIGN LANGUAGE - - - 3*

17. CURRICULAR DIVERSIFICATION PROGRAMME
It’s a programme for those students who are
in the 2nd cycle and can’t get the
educational objectives but they have a good
learning attitude. They share subjects with
other students who have a common curricula
but they go to another class just for them in
Linguistics and Communication, Mathematics
and World knowledge.

18. INITIAL PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION PROGRAMME
In Spain, the Initial Professional Qualification Programme
aims at providing the students with learning problems an
opportunity to:
- Obtain their Certificate.
- Receive professional learning in fields such as
Electronics, Carpentry, Computer or Business.
- Offer easier access to Middle Grade Training Cycles.

19. If a student has achieved their Certificate of Secondary
Education, then they can decide to:
• Continue their education by studying for the
BACHILLERATO (necessary for University)
• Continue their education by taking a
VOCATIONAL COURSE (Ciclo Formativo)
• Leave school

20.  Students are usually between 16 and 18
years.
 Itconsists of two years:
 First Bachillerato.
 Second Bachillerato.
 It is comparable to the A Levels.

21. There are three kinds of Bachillerato:
 Humanities and Social Sciences
 Nature and Health Sciences
 Arts

22. COMPULSORY SOME SPECIALIZED
SUBJECTS SUBJECTS
HUMANITIES AND -Spanish Language and -Latin and Greek
SOCIAL SCIENCES Literature - Applied maths and
-First foreign language Economy
(mostly English)
NATURE AND -Physics
-Physical Education -Chemistry
HEALTH
-Spanish History - Biology
SCIENCES -Science to the - Maths
contemporary world
- Optional subject (2nd
foreign language,
Information
ARTS Technology, -Artistic drawing
Psychology…) -Technical drawing
- History of art
- Design

23. The students who get their Certificate and want
to go to University have to take a University
entrance exam.
It is the same exam for the whole region. They
are tested on the compulsory subjects of their
Bachillerato (English, Spanish Language, History
or Philosophy) and the subjects of their field of
specialization.

24. The vocational training is another possibility
after ESO or Bachillerato.
There are two different types of programmes:
1) MIDDLE GRADE TRAINING CYCLE (2
years), which have the certificate of Secondary
Education as a requirement. Students get a
certificate as a Technician.
2) SUPERIOR GRADE TRAINING CYCLE (2 years)
for the students who finish Bachillerato. After
its completion, students are entitled to direct
entrance to several related University degrees.

25. NURSING
ELECTRICITY

26. WE ARE LOOKING
FORWARD TO SEEING
YOU IN FEBRUARY IN
SPAIN!