Primary and secondary schools in Seville, Spain

Seville (Sevilla), the capital of Andalusia, had 689,423 registered residents on 1 January 2025, according to the Spanish statistics institute (INE). For families moving to the city, the choice of school ranges from long-established Catholic schools with state funding to private international schools that teach in English or French.

The main decision is usually between the Spanish system, taught mostly in Spanish, and an international school that follows another country's curriculum or teaches largely in a foreign language. The examples below show both options.

What the schools in Seville offer

Several schools in our directory follow the Spanish curriculum from early childhood education to Bachillerato, the two-year course that prepares for university:

• Colegio San Antonio María Claret: a Catholic school where the Claretian Fathers started classes on 2 March 1940. It is authorised to teach infant, primary and secondary education, Bachillerato and some vocational training (FP) courses
• Colegio Santa Joaquina de Vedruna: its history goes back to the arrival of the Carmelite Sisters in Seville on 1 March 1880, and it has been on Calle Espinosa y Cárcel since 10 October 1967. It offers all stages up to Bachillerato, special education, FP and Erasmus+

Vedruna also runs the Diploma Dual programme from the second year of secondary school (ESO): students take a US high school diploma online alongside their Spanish studies, completing 6 US credits during ESO and Bachillerato.

The international schools are registered as private foreign schools (centros docentes privados extranjeros) homologated by the Junta de Andalucía:

• Sevilla Montessori School: an international Montessori school in the Nervión district, active since 2015, which states that it is in the accreditation process with the Middle States Association (MSA)
• Sevilla Reggio Emilia School: infant, primary and secondary education, with the aim that students finish secondary school with a B2 certificate in English (Trinity ISE exams)
• Lycée Français International de Séville: a private trilingual international school following the French programmes

Costs

Spanish schools are public, state-funded private (concertado) or fully private. At a concertado school, the state-funded stages are covered by an agreement (concierto) with the Junta de Andalucía. The Colegio Claret, for example, has such an agreement for infant, primary and ESO and states that it covers about 70% of the real cost of a place; its Bachillerato is not state-funded and is paid for with fees from families. International schools are private and set their own fees, so ask each school for its current fee list.

Practical tips

• Apply early: at the Colegio Claret, applications for the state-funded stages run from 1 to 31 March and follow the rules set by the education authorities, while Bachillerato applications open on 2 February
• Places in state-funded stages are limited, especially in the higher years, so check how many places a school offers for your child's year
• For children who do not speak Spanish yet, ask about language support: Sevilla Reggio Emilia School provides materials in English and simultaneous translation in subjects taught in Spanish until the student is ready, with support classes at an extra cost
• Think about the next step: the Spanish Bachillerato gives access to Spanish universities, while international schools lead to their own diplomas

Frequently asked questions

Are there international schools in Seville?

Yes. Examples include Sevilla Montessori School, Sevilla Reggio Emilia School and the Lycée Français International de Séville, which are private foreign schools homologated by the Junta de Andalucía.

What is a concertado school?

A private school that receives public funding through an agreement with the regional government for certain stages. Admission to those stages follows the official rules, and stages outside the agreement are paid for by families.

When do I apply for a school place in Seville?

For state-funded places, applications are usually made in March; at the Colegio Claret the period runs from 1 to 31 March. Private and international schools have their own admission calendars.