Information on local education in the Mazarron area.

Polaris private school

Situated in The La Torre development is the new Kings College School. The school will follow the English curriculum and caters for pre nursery children all the way to upper sixth.

This Polaris World school offers all the reliability and prestige of a bilingual academic Institution with over 30 years’ experience: King’s College.

King’s College Polaris World is a new concept in schools, with all the background of one of Spain’s most prestigious institutions. The best education and the best environment for the ideal intellectual and physical growth and development of your children.

State schools

There are many English children attending state schools in Murcia, particularly in the Mazarron area.

Arrangements for foreign pupils

Many schools have a specialist teacher to help immigrant children of all nationalities learn Spanish. Generally speaking the younger the child, the more quickly they learn the language and integrate.

It is quite common for secondary pupils to be placed in the class a year below their actual age in order for them to learn the language and cope with normal school work.

A pupil who does badly in end of year exams, especially if the staff feel that they have made insufficient effort, can be required to repeat the year, but this can only happen once.

Costs

State education from three to sixteen years is free in Spain, but parents have to buy all their children’s books and materials. Schools supply a list of what is required at the start of each school year which will include art and craft materials as well as text and exercise books. Expect to spend a minimum of around fifty pounds per child. School uniform is not normally worn in state schools but is usually worn in private schools.

There are three phases of state education in Spain;

Infantil from age 3-6yrs

Primaria from age 6-12yrs

Secundaria from age 12-16yrs

Compulsory education is from 6 yrs old, but the infantil or pre-school stage is regarded as an integral part of the education system with infantil classes in almost every primary school. There are some separate Colegios Infantiles or nursery schools.

The Spanish name for a primary school is a Colegio, and for a secondary school, Instituto.

The stages of education are often referred to by their initials, eg. ESO or Education Secundaria Obligatorio for secondary education.

Qualifications

A Certificate of Secondary Education is awarded at the end of compulsory secondary education and a student who achieves appropriate grades graduates from compulsory secondary education ESO and can apply for one of the different types (academic or technical) of (Spanish) Bachillerato. Vocational training is also a possibility after ESO. The new qualifications replace the COU and the BUP. Students with appropriate qualifications and wishing to progress to University in Spain, must usually take an entrance exam. The School Leaving Certificate is not inferior to a number of GCSEs. The Bachillerato is not inferior to A levels. Therefore students obtaining the appropriate grades required for entrance into universities in Europe including England are not precluded because they have Spanish qualifications.

School hours

Primary school hours at present are 9.00 until 12:30 and 3.30 until 5:00, except during June and September when they work mornings only, 9:00 until 1:00. There is a move towards a single session day in primary schools which would bring them in line with secondary schools. To achieve this each school has to submit a programme of extra curricular activities to be offered in the afternoons to the education authority, and if this is approved the proposal to move to a single session day is put to a vote by the parents for their approval.

Some schools have a dining room and provide lunches, but many do not.

Secondary schools work 9:00 until 2:00 all the school year.

School terms

Broadly similar to the English three term system, but with slightly shorter holidays at Christmas and Easter, and longer in the summer, this year the summer holiday runs from June 21st until September 1st.

The English half term holiday doesn't exist, but there are frequent odd days and long weekends relating mainly to religious holidays and regional and national holidays.

Religious education

Takes place in all schools in accordance with the doctrine of the Roman Catholic church. Parents are asked when they enrol their children whether or not they wish them to take religious education.

Availability of schools

All but the very smallest villages have their own primary school, and there is widespread coverage by school transport. Small village schools are grouped together under the auspices of their local teacher's centre for the provision of specialist teachers for subjects such as music, English, etc.

Most larger villages and towns will have a Secondary school.

Bilingual schools

Shoreless Lake school at Totana is a private fee-paying school for boys of all ages which follows the American curriculum, with all teaching conducted in English.

El Limonar is a private fee-paying bilingual primary school in Murcia city.
www.ellimonarinternational.com