I've decided to try to get education discussions together in one thread
rather than merge a lot of old threads I've linked to some useful ones & closed them so that further discussion will continue here
there are of course others, so if you come across one you find useful, put a link to it on this thread
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/spain-expat-forum-expats-living-spain/5532-how-old-too-old-spanish-state-school.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/spain-expat-forum-expats-living-spain/60961-more-educational-differences.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/spain-expat-forum-expats-living-spain/4366-homeschooling-spain.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/spain-expat-forum-expats-living-spain/58314-moving-costa-blanca-desperate-find-good-state-school-13-year-old.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/spain-expat-forum-expats-living-spain/42708-international-schools-malaga-marbella-area.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/spain-expat-forum-expats-living-spain/57285-back-school.html
Possibly the most often asked question is about what age children start school here, & will they be held back?
some schools will hold your child back for the first year to help them pick up the language, some will see how it goes & maybe hold back later
the biggest difference in Spanish schools is that the year they are in depends upon the year they were born, regardless of the month
the following is what year your child would be age-appropriate for when the school year starts in September 2012 - going by year of birth
1997 - 4th YEAR SECONDARY
1998 - 3rdYEAR SECONDARY
1999 - 2nd YEAR SECONDARY
2000 - 1st YEAR SECONDARY
2001 - 6th/last YEAR PRIMARY
2002 - 5th YEAR PRIMARY
2003 - 4th YEAR PRIMARY
2004 - 3rdYEAR PRIMARY
2005 - 2nd YEAR PRIMARY
2006 - 1st YEAR PRIMARY
2007 - 3rd/last YEAR INFANTS
2008 - 2nd YEAR INFANTS
2009 - 1st YEAR INFANTS
interesting website with calendario escolar by region, amongst other things
http://www.cyberpadres.com/irescuela/calendarios/home.htm
rather than merge a lot of old threads I've linked to some useful ones & closed them so that further discussion will continue here
there are of course others, so if you come across one you find useful, put a link to it on this thread
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/spain-expat-forum-expats-living-spain/5532-how-old-too-old-spanish-state-school.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/spain-expat-forum-expats-living-spain/60961-more-educational-differences.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/spain-expat-forum-expats-living-spain/4366-homeschooling-spain.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/spain-expat-forum-expats-living-spain/58314-moving-costa-blanca-desperate-find-good-state-school-13-year-old.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/spain-expat-forum-expats-living-spain/42708-international-schools-malaga-marbella-area.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/spain-expat-forum-expats-living-spain/57285-back-school.html
Possibly the most often asked question is about what age children start school here, & will they be held back?
some schools will hold your child back for the first year to help them pick up the language, some will see how it goes & maybe hold back later
the biggest difference in Spanish schools is that the year they are in depends upon the year they were born, regardless of the month
the following is what year your child would be age-appropriate for when the school year starts in September 2012 - going by year of birth
1997 - 4th YEAR SECONDARY
1998 - 3rdYEAR SECONDARY
1999 - 2nd YEAR SECONDARY
2000 - 1st YEAR SECONDARY
2001 - 6th/last YEAR PRIMARY
2002 - 5th YEAR PRIMARY
2003 - 4th YEAR PRIMARY
2004 - 3rdYEAR PRIMARY
2005 - 2nd YEAR PRIMARY
2006 - 1st YEAR PRIMARY
2007 - 3rd/last YEAR INFANTS
2008 - 2nd YEAR INFANTS
2009 - 1st YEAR INFANTS
interesting website with calendario escolar by region, amongst other things
http://www.cyberpadres.com/irescuela/calendarios/home.htm