Information

The education system in Mallorca is fantastic and you will have three types of schools to choose from.

Choosing a school for your child can be the most daunting task when you relocate, however the decision rests on the parents who understand the needs of their children.

Over 80% of expats register their children at the local state schools, where the education is free and your child will integrate directly with all the local Spanish children, enabling them to become fluent in Catalan and Spanish.

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The younger the child the integration process is more simple, however even older children soon adapt to their new lifestyle, and you will be amazed at how quick they pick up their new language. This ensures the parents are forced to try and learn the local language.... there is nothing worse than your children having a conversation with their friends and you do not understand a word!

There are also various International schools who welcome a mixture of foreign and Spanish pupils. These schools follow a bilingual curriculum in Spanish and English, this enables the student to learn lessons in both languages, however they are no where near as popular as the state schools.

Finally there are private schools which are fee paying establishments, these schools are split into two..the Spanish private which will follow the Spanish curriculum as used in the state schools. And then there is the standard private schools which are normally co-educational. As in private schools in the UK you will find the classes are smaller however there is a major disadvantage due to Spanish being the second language.. this means your child will have all the lessons in English and only learn Spanish as a subject, just as in an English school in the UK.

Before your children take the big step into education there is also the opportunity to enrole your infant in the nursery schemes on the island. Again these schemes are broken into two sections.

The first one being the state nursery which is free and the second being private nursery's which have a charge. The nurseries are of a very high standard and help integrate your child into the spanish lifestyle before they enrol in full time education.

The state nurseries are very popular and it is advisable to enrol your child as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Wherever you go on the Island you can collect a list from the local government office which will show you where all the registered nursery's are. Should you wish to enrol in a private nursery there are a wide selection on the island and again the standard is very high. It is well worth looking around and arranging short visits to see how professional the establishments are run.

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