The differences between Spain's public, private and 'concertado' schools

Spain has three main types of schools - public schools, concertados and private schools. It can be confusing at first to decide which one to send your kids to and which one is the best, but this guide should help you be more informed and make a decision.

Firstly, a public school is one that is run by the state and is free of charge. This may be confusing for those coming from the UK where public schools are prestigious private schools, which charge a fee.

Concertado schools in Spain are state-subsidised private schools, which typically charge a lower fee. The Royal Spanish Academy defines it as a "privately owned educational centre that has entered into an agreement or contract with the public administration, which means it is managed or subsidised with public funds".

The average fee for a concertado school isn't very high and is on average between €680 and €860 per year. However, there have been complaints in the past that these schools often charge more than they should.

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So, besides the cost, what are the main differences and is one better over another?

Curriculums

Public education in Spain is built on a standardised curriculum which ensures a common educational foundation for all students. The goal is to guarantee an education based on principles of neutrality.

Concertados on the other hand, don’t have a standardised curriculum, so you won’t always know exactly what each school will prioritise and focus on.

They can also interject their own ideologies and different teaching methods. This could be seen as both a positive and a negative.

Public schools promote values ​​of equality and social cohesion, which will help children in the future to understand about people from all backgrounds. But the advantage that a concertado has is that it can provide a more personalised learning environment, with more individualised attention and educational programmes that can be better tailored to the specific needs of their students.

So, if your child has some kind of special needs or may need help in extra areas, they may benefit from this type of semi-private school.

Some concertados are also religious schools, so if you want your child to have these types of teachings and background (typically Catholic), it could also be a good option.

READ ALSO: Does Spain have a catchment area system for public schools?

Class size

Another major difference is the number of students per class. Public educational institutions tend to have larger class sizes, which could affect the level of personalised attention each student receives, while concertados can dedicate more time to each student as they have smaller classes.

Facilities

In public schools, the quality of facilities can vary significantly depending on when it was built and government budgets, but concertados which have extra budgets often offer improved facilities, additional educational resources and specialised extracurricular programmes.

Level of students

Students are concertado schools often rank better than those at public schools in exams. The school failure rate can vary significantly between public and concertado schools too.

According to recent data, the percentage of students that need to repeat a year in public school is 9.2 percent compared to 4.3 percent for concertado and private schools.

Factors such as students' socioeconomic background, available resources, and teaching methods influence these statistics.

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Private schools

Both public schools and concertados differ from private schools in Spain, which include international schools. Private schools can cost between €6,000 and €12,000 per year. However, in some of the most expensive private schools in Spain this figure can be more than double - between €10,000 and €30,000 per year.

Private schools again don’t have to follow a certain curriculum or even a specific language. In some international schools for example, they may choose to follow the British curriculum, the French one or even the American.

This has its advantages as your child can carry on learning in their native language and take exams to allow them to go to universities back in their home countries.

On the other hand, it will mean it will be harder for them to integrate into their new country and they may find it harder to make local friends and learn Spanish to a good level.

The level of education and performance grades of the students may be higher in private schools too as though as they can afford better facilities and materials and can pay teachers better. Some also have entrance exams ensuring that only the best students can go.

In the end, public, concertados and private schools all have their advantages and disadvantages, there’s no ‘best’ solution for everyone. It will completely depend on your child and the way they learn, what you want the school to focus on, as well as how long you intend to stay in Spain. Of course money is also a big factor and it will also depend on which option you can afford.

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