Elementary Education Schools and Programs in Spain

Elementary Education Studies in Spain

Elementary education in Spain means two different things for readers of this page. For families, it is the six years of Educación Primaria, the first stage of compulsory schooling, which children can follow in a Spanish school or in one of the many international schools on the coasts and around the big cities. For students, it is the university degree that trains primary school teachers, the Grado en Educación Primaria. This page covers both.

Primary education in the Spanish system

According to the Ministry of Education, Educación Primaria has six school years, normally taken between the ages of six and twelve. It focuses on speaking and understanding, reading, writing, arithmetic and logical and mathematical skills, together with basic culture, study habits, creativity and life with others, and it prepares children for compulsory secondary education (ESO). The regional governments organise schooling in their territory, so calendars, languages of instruction and admission rules differ between regions.

International schools

Most schools listed for this subject in our directory are international schools, many of them British, in places such as Marbella, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and the Canary Islands. They follow a foreign curriculum, which changes the age bands. The King's College schools, which have taught in Spain since 1969, follow the English National Curriculum, and at Aloha College in Marbella primary school covers Key Stages 1 and 2, for ages 5 to 10. Many of these schools continue up to the IB Diploma or A levels at 16 to 18. Other examples in our directory include Oakley College in Gran Canaria, Newton College in Elche, Laude San Pedro International College near Marbella, which offers the British and the Spanish curriculum on one campus, and the American School of Valencia, which teaches from Nursery to Grade 12.

When choosing a school, families usually compare the curriculum (Spanish, British, American, IB), the language of instruction, the age at which each stage starts, transport and fees, which each school sets itself.

Training as a primary school teacher

The teacher training degree is a four-year bachelor's degree (grado) of 240 ECTS credits. At the Universidad de Murcia, for example, the Grado en Educación Primaria trains teachers for the 6 to 12 age group, is taught on campus in Spanish, offers 280 first-year places and had a cut-off mark of 9.77 for 2025-26 admission. Students can choose a specialisation (mención) such as:

• music education
• foreign language: English or French
• special educational needs (pedagogía terapéutica)
• hearing and speech (audición y lenguaje)

Murcia also runs a bilingual group. A search of the ministry's Register of Universities, Centres and Degrees (RUCT) for "educación primaria" returns 89 bachelor's degree records, including the degree at the Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera in the province of Valencia, the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona and the Universidad de Cádiz. The Universidad Rey Juan Carlos registers its degree with a bilingual title, Bachelor in Primary Education.

Students who completed secondary school outside Spain usually apply through UNEDasiss, the UNED service that assesses international students' records and runs the tests needed to enter a Spanish bachelor's degree; documents must be legalised and translated.

Recognition and careers

Primary school teaching (Maestro/a en Educación Primaria) is a regulated profession in Spain. A teacher trained abroad must have the degree homologated by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, which checks it against the competences and modules of Order ECI/3857/2007. Applicants need Spanish at level C1 unless they are nationals of a Spanish-speaking country, and a foreign language at level B1. Degree certificates need an official Spanish translation and must be legalised and apostilled, except for degrees from the EU, the EEA and Switzerland. Teachers with a qualification from the EEA can instead ask for professional recognition under Directive 2005/36/EC, which is free.

The degree leads to work as a primary school teacher; the specialisations above prepare for posts as a music, foreign language or special needs teacher.

Frequently asked questions

At what age do children start primary school in Spain?

Educación Primaria normally runs from age six to twelve, over six school years. Schools that follow the British curriculum start primary earlier, at about age five.

How long does it take to become a primary school teacher in Spain?

The Grado en Educación Primaria takes four years and has 240 ECTS credits.

Can I teach primary school in Spain with a foreign teaching degree?

Yes, after homologation by the ministry, or professional recognition for EEA qualifications. Unless you are a national of a country where Spanish is an official language, you also need Spanish at level C1.

Are there primary schools in Spain that teach in English?

Yes. Many international schools, especially British ones, teach in English and follow a foreign curriculum; our directory lists examples in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Marbella and the Canary Islands.