Education and Schools in Madrid
State schools in Madrid are mostly attended by locals. These institutions can be good options for young expat children learning
to adjust to life in Spain, but it can prove a challenging option for older students, as classes are taught in Spanish.
Apart from state schools, many Madrileños will send their students to private Catholic schools, which are subsidised by the government. Tuition is much less expensive for these entities than for European private schools. However, subsidised schools also teach Spanish curricula in the Spanish language, and can be similarly difficult for newly arrived expat children.
Only independent and international schools teach in English, and both tend to be on the expensive side.
Independent schools in Madrid can cost more than € 8,000 a year. Do be wary that some independent schools in Spain refer to themselves as international schools; although, they teach Spanish curricula in a foreign language. These tend to be more popular with the locals than the expat community.
Still, there are plenty of international schools that uphold the teaching language and curriculum of a foreign country (i.e. American, British, German, etc.).
All of these institutions are registered with their nation's embassy. Many international schools have waiting lists, and expat families are encouraged to enrol their children well before the school calendar begins.
International schools are more experienced in accommodating students who have previously studied different curricula.
