What is the difference between schools in spain and england

While all schools are required to follow the national curriculum, an individual school has the freedom to decide which exam boards it will use, which optional subjects it will teach e. Recently introduced new types of schools, called free schools and academies, have even more individual flexibility than this.

For instance, only the most old-fashioned teacher will expect the class to stand up when they enter a room. The class will be expected to be quiet and pay attention when the teacher is speaking, but if the teacher makes a factual mistake of some kind, someone in the class will point it out. Whether respectful behaviour is based on genuine feelings of respect is a different question. Unlike in some countries, British students are unlikely to be deferential of their teachers outside the classroom unless the teacher has earned their respect which most do.

At the age of , this would drop down to the core subjects of English, Mathematics and the sciences, plus another three or four of the rest. So far, so in line with most other countries. However, at the age of — the start of the sixth form, students taking A-levels the most popular school leaving exams in the UK usually take a mere three or four subjects entirely of their own choice — so after the age of 16, they could focus entirely on sciences, and never study humanities again, or vice versa.

The consequence is to make students choose an overall academic path much sooner than they do elsewhere, and to give them an education that is much more deep than broad. For one thing, teachers aim to keep their lessons lively and varied, but more importantly, students speaking up and having their opinions heard is considered a major part of the educational process.

So you might just as often see students sitting around working in groups and discussing a task with one another, or with their desks in rows facing one another for a debate. This means that creativity and individual thought are key features of British classrooms; if a textbook has an error, British students will not hesitate to point it out.

Children normally have the same class teacher for each two-year cycle. From about year 3 children are introduced to termly exams, but there is no equivalent to national testing in the Spanish system at this age. Although state education is free, parents will have to buy all textbooks and materials. Uniforms are generally worn by students in religious private schools and grant-assisted schools.

From age 12 or nearly 12 children move on to Secondary school el Instituto. Until about ten years ago, secondary school started at 14 and in some areas the first two years of secondary are still accommodated in the Primary building if the local Instituto is not physically big enough to hold them.

The new secondary system is modelled loosely on the British comprehensive system, moving away from a two-level system similar to Grammar and Secondary Modern to complete mixed ability schooling.

Children can leave school at the end of this period or at the age of 16 if they reach this sooner. ESO is divided into two cycles with the same system of repeated years at the end of each cycle as occurs in primary education.

A wide range of secondary subjects are taught, including a language choice between French and English. Until recent years secondary education in Spain was very conventional with a lot of rote learning and constant tests and examinations. Some schools run from 9 a. Other schools begin at 9 a.

When school gets out, everyone is free to go home for the most important meal of the day according to Spanish eating customs. Students in ESO are between 12 and 16 years old, which would be a mixture of middle school and the first two years of high school in the U. By law, Spanish students must finish the four years of ESO, but if they repeat a year and turn 16 before they finish, they are able to leave school if they wish.

The objective of ESO is for students to develop critical thinking skills and other abilities that will help them in their adult lives, such as working as part of a team. For the vast majority who do intend sending their kids to school, parents have four main types of school to choose from:. State schools which are free 2.

Private schools subsidised by the state 3. Bilingual schools, usually Spanish and English 4. International schools. Children go to school from the age of six until they reach 16, through primary school and secondary school.

After that, pupils can elect to join a higher level of education bachillerato , go on to university, receive vocational training or leave the education system. For families who will be spending a long time in Spain, and especially those with young children, a local school is often the best choice. Mixing as they will with Spanish kids, your child should quickly learn to speak Spanish or Catalan in Catalonia, Basque in the Basque Country, Galician or Valencian and will integrate easily.

If it is at all possible to learn some Spanish before you arrive, your child and you will be able to communicate with teachers and other parents.

You cannot expect them to speak English, though of course, some will. Parents learning Spanish will be a great help in assisting children with homework too. It may be more problematic for older children to settle down in a Spanish-speaking school with a different curriculum. To help with this, many schools now offer Spanish-English bilingual projects and some will provide extra lessons in Spanish Catalan or Basque to help a new pupil from another country.

In state schools class sizes tend to be quite large, up to 30 children. These are provided by local clubs which are formed by parents themselves. The majority of private schools are subsidised by the state and are called colegios concertados. They have the same curriculum as state schools and subjects are generally taught in Spanish.

Most are Catholic schools and some have provision for boarders. Because of the subsidies, these schools are cheaper than private independent schools, colegios privados.