The modern world is rapidly changing: financial crises and epidemics occur, the real estate market falls and rises, but one of the factors does not hand over positions and never loses its value for centuries, this is obtaining a quality education.
Today we will talk about English education – a recognized standard in the society of any developed country. We will consider how to combine the pleasant with the useful: to live in cheerful and sunny Spain on the coast of the warm sea and get a prestigious education in the best traditions of Foggy Albion.
What are the benefits of English education in Spain?
Let’s start with the fact that English or British education has an impeccable reputation all over the world. In addition, according to information received from the Council of British International Schools (COBIS), the main advantages of education in the British style are the following:
- Extensive and clearly structured curriculum.
- High educational standards and quality of teaching/learning.
- A wide range of additional classes and extracurricular activities.
- Developed system of social assistance and consulting services at every stage.
- Harmonious and comprehensive development of students with a focus on developing critical thinking, self-confidence, moral and physical resilience, tolerance and cosmopolitan thinking.
- Gaining knowledge about the structure of contemporary British society.
- Integration into the British education system, which allows to continue your education to the desired level, both in colleges and universities in the UK.
Whether British Colleges Should be Accredited in Spain?
Yes, in accordance with the Royal Decree 806/93, all foreign schools in Spain need be accredited by their embassies. In the case of the UK, this function is entrusted to the British Council. An educational institution can get an appropriate accreditation only if there is a favourable result from the Inspection Body authorized by the UK Department of Education.
The British Council ensures that all English schools in Spain were inspected in accordance with the founding principles of the UK Government’s Department of Education. Thanks to this, parents can be sure that their child, being a student of an English school, will get an education in full compliance with British quality standards.
It is important to note here that British Council’s accreditation does not automatically give an educational institution permission to conduct educational activities in Spain. Only the Spanish authorities are empowered to issue educational licenses to foreign educational institutions in this country.
The International School Consultancy (ISC Research) of Britain reports that more than 3,700 British colleges are successfully operating worldwide: they can either be strictly focused on the British national education system, or partially use elements of the English curriculum.
Also, the National Association of British Schools in Spain reports a steady increase in the number of its students since its founding in 1978, when it was just 78 colleges. Today, in Spain, the number of colleges with an English curriculum or its elements is about 120 and, thanks to strong demand in society, may continue to grow.
What are the Features of the British Education System?
Before talking about the most important distinguishing features of English schools, it is important to emphasize that this is not the same educational model that is used in bilingual English-Spanish colleges.
As for the latter, their curriculum is based on subjects in Spanish, and the number of hours taught in English is approximately 50%. While British schools are required to strictly follow the curriculum of the UK, and only directly the lessons of Spanish language and literature are among the academic disciplines taught in Spanish.
And now let’s turn to the features of the British education system, which include:
- Encouragement of creativity, independent thinking, critical perception, personal responsibility, public speaking, etc.
- Individual targets that should be reached by each student at the end of the course – they shall be entered into his notebook at the start of each academic year. Also, in the first days of classes, the teacher voices and writes on the whiteboard the common learning objectives that all students must achieve.
- Priority of teaching materials and classroom equipment over personal textbooks. All classrooms in English schools are equipped by modern learning resources such as computers, tablets and large interactive whiteboards. Often, students do not have their own books: educational material is given to them only in classes, including copies from common textbooks. It is accepted that the classrooms are designed by the students themselves, depending on the specifics of the subject or topic taught in this class.
- Weekly planning and continuous education for teachers. In British schools, there is a mandatory weekly scheduling for teachers, provided to the director of the educational institution. In addition, there is also an annual curriculum, just like in Spain.
- Teachers receive a week off each school quarter, which they can use to plan more carefully. Continuing Teacher Training is mandatory, and there are even certain weeks when students may not attend school as teachers receive self-improvement training.
- Teamwork between the teacher and his class (course) is highly valued in English schools. Often, special meetings are arranged if some of the students develop new goals or special needs are discovered. Teachers themselves prefer absolute transparency in their activities: many conduct their classes with open doors so that other teachers can, if desired, observe how they conduct their lessons.
In general, the English education system is divided into key stages and broken down by years, which is equivalent to Spanish study cycles and courses. When children go to a British school, the school year, not the calendar year, is taken as the basis for choosing a class.
What are the Benefits of Bilingual Colleges?
- Flexibility of thinking. When a child learns a new language, in addition to getting to know new sounds and their designations, he also learns new verbal constructions. Switching between two different languages stimulates the areas of the brain that control mental activity. This allows bilingual students to go beyond the obvious and well-established by society.
- Increased concentration and perception. A positive aspect of getting bilingual education at an early age is a marked expansion of the cognitive abilities of younger students. Experts say that the ability to concentrate increases significantly, and, in addition, both schoolboys and schoolgirls react less to distractions. A number of scientific studies have shown that people who are fluent in two or more languages are able to better focus on important tasks, putting all kinds of distractions out of sight.
- Wide opportunities for managing and resolving conflicts. Boys and girls in bilingual schools show a greater willingness to manage and resolve conflicts. Many studies show that bilingual education is useful in preventing or slowing down dangerous diseases such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other neurological conditions that can be diagnosed in old age.
- Greater creativity and better memory. In addition to the prevention of diseases listed above, it has also been found that education obtained simultaneously in two different languages contributes to the stimulation of memory and the development of creative abilities.
- Expanding horizons and deep immersion in another culture. The world is striving for globalization and a child who is educated in two languages receives undeniable advantages: the acceptance of several social realities, since there is close contact with a culture other than his own one. This helps the child become more open, enriches his horizons and teaches empathy for people from other countries and cultures.
- The best career opportunities. Fluency in English, along with a few other languages, provides a notable career advantage. If an employee is able to easily cope with several languages, then his level of knowledge in other fields will be higher, and the horizons necessary for finding non-standard solutions will be wider. Not surprisingly that many prestigious international companies opt for an applicant who graduated from a prestigious educational institution, which assumes a steady knowledge of several languages.
We think that we have given enough arguments in favor of British schools and bilingual colleges in Spain. As for higher education institutions, there are no English universities in the full sense of the word, but there are no less prestigious Spanish universities that offer a number of programs both entirely in English and in a ratio of 50/50 with Spanish.
Below you can find a list of educational institutions with a high rating and an excellent reputation.
British Schools and Bilingual Colleges in Spain
British School of Valencia
- Address: Carrer de les Filipines, 37, 46006 València, Valencia
- Website: bsvalencia.com
British School Xàtiva
- Address: Rotonda puente de la Beata Inés s/n (Ronda Norte), 46800 Xàtiva, Valencia
- Website: colegiosbritanicos.com/british-school-xativa
British School Alzira
- Address: CTRA. ALZIRA-TAVERNES KM 11, 46792 la Barraca d’Aigües Vives, Valencia
- Website: colegiosbritanicos.com/british-school-alzira
British College La Cañada
- Address: Carrer 232, 110, 46182 La Canyada, Valencia
- Website: britishcollegelacanyada.es
Аmerican School of Valencia
- Address: Urbanización Los Monasterios, Av. Sierra Calderona, 29, 46530 Puzol, Valencia
- Website: asvalencia.org
Iale International School
- Address: C. Campoamor, 24, 46183 L’Eliana, Valencia
- Website: ialeschool.com
Caxton College
- Address: Carrer Mas del Leon, 5, 46530 Puçol, Valencia
- Website: caxtoncollege.com
British Council School
- Address: C. de Alfonso Rodríguez Santamaría, 23-25, 28002 Madrid
- Website: britishcouncilschool.es
The British School of Barcelona
- Address: Carrer de la Ginesta, 26, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona
- Website: britishschoolbarcelona.com
Above in our article, we have detailed the best British schools on the Costa Blanca, and now we list several universities in Spain that offer educational programs in English.
Higher Education in Spain in English
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
- Address: Av. de la Universidad, 30, 28911 Leganés, Madrid
- Information on programmes: uc3m.es/ss/Satellite/
Universidad Internacional de Menéndez Pelayo
- Address: C. de Isaac Peral, 23, 28040 Madrid
- Information on programmes: uimp.es/actividades-academicas/
Universidad de Oviedo
- Address: C. San Francisco, 3, 33003 Oviedo, Asturias
- Information on programmes: uniovi.es/estudios/doctorado
Universitat Pompeu Fabra de Barcelona
- Address: Plaça de la Mercè, 10-12, 08002 Barcelona
- Information on programmes: upf.edu/doctorats
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
- Address: Campus de la UAB, Plaça Cívica, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona
- Information on programmes: uab.cat/web/
Universitat Politècnica de València
- Address: Camí de Vera, s/n, 46022 València, Valencia
- Information on programmes: upv.es/entidades
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
- Address: Campus Nord, Carrer de Jordi Girona, 1, 3, 08034 Barcelona
- Information on programmes: doctorat.upc.edu/programas/
Universidad de Cádiz – Gestión Marina y Costera
- Address: P.º de Carlos III, 28, 11003 Cádiz
- Information on programmes: posgrado.uca.es
If you are interested in getting education in English for you or your children in Spain, you plan to apply for a student visa to Spain or homologate your diploma (certificate), we will be happy to help you. Please contact our experts on education in Spain for a consultation.
