Lately, I’ve seen more and more posts on the forum about schooling for children, especially for the middle school years. My child just went through the process last year, and we made a few mistakes but also learned a lot. I decided to write a post to share our experience, hoping it can help other parents struggling with the school selection process.
The Dilemma Before Choosing
It was really overwhelming at first. Valencia has so many private schools: British, American, French, and local concertados (semi-private). Our main consideration was whether our child would eventually return to our home country for university entrance exams or follow an international path, as this choice determines the school’s curriculum. Another key factor was our budget. The tuition fees vary significantly between schools, ranging from a few hundred to over a thousand euros per month.
Personal Thoughts on a Few Popular Schools
We focused on a few schools. The information here is based on our own visits and conversations with friends, so there might be some inaccuracies. Please use it as a reference:
- Caxton College: A very well-known British school with top-notch facilities and a strong academic focus. It offers both the IB and A-Level systems. The downsides are the high tuition fees and its location in Puzol, which can be a major commuting challenge if you live in the city center. We also heard there’s a waiting list and places are highly sought after.
- American School of Valencia: A standard American school, also located in Puzol and far from the city. The learning atmosphere is more relaxed and dynamic, focusing on developing well-rounded students. It’s an excellent choice if you want your child to attend university in the United States later on. The tuition is in a similar range to Caxton’s.
- Liceo Francés de Valencia: This school follows the French education system, known for its high academic standards and strict management. It’s a perfect fit if your family has a French background or plans to move to France. However, the language requirements for students are quite high, which is a common consideration for many specialized Spanish private schools.
- Colegio Alemán de Valencia: A German school, another top choice for a non-mainstream language path. Many of its graduates go on to attend top universities in Germany.
A Brief School Information Comparison
To make it more straightforward, I’ve created a simple table. You can take a look at these Spanish private schools for more details. The tuition fees are just an approximation; they change annually and don’t include miscellaneous costs like registration, lunch, or the school bus.
| School Name | Main Curriculum | Language | Approx. Monthly Tuition |
|---|
| Caxton College | British | English, Spanish | €900 - €1200 |
| American School | American | English, Spanish | €900 - €1200 |
| Liceo Francés | French | French, Spanish | €600 - €800 |
| Colegio Iale | Spanish National + International | Spanish, English | €700 - €900 |
One more piece of advice: Always visit the school’s open day with your child to get a feel for the atmosphere and the teachers. Sometimes, what you see on the website doesn’t compare to the firsthand experience. We ultimately chose a local private school that was close to home, had reasonable tuition, and wasn’t overwhelmingly populated by children from our own expatriate community. So far, it’s been a good fit. I hope this provides some ideas for those considering Spanish semi-private schools, and I welcome everyone to join the discussion!
