How to Choose a School For Your Kids in Spain
$29
Choosing a school for your kids in a country you've never lived in, in a language you don't yet speak, is one of the scariest parts of moving abroad.
You're Googling at midnight. You're second-guessing every option. And underneath all the logistics is the question that won't leave you alone: Will my kids be okay?
I've been exactly where you are.
My family moved from the U.S. to Spain in 2025—with two boys (ages 6 and 9 at the time), no visits, no local contacts, and a list of school options we'd never heard of. We made the decision from thousands of miles away, without speaking the language, knowing it would shape our kids' entire first year.
This guide is everything I wish someone had handed me before we started.
This isn't just a reading guide. It comes with a complete set of tools you can use right now:
✅ School Comparison Scorecard — evaluate up to 3 schools side by side
✅ Full Cost Estimator — because tuition is only part of the real number
✅ 26 Questions to Ask Every School — organized by emotional support, language, daily life, and practical matters
✅ 10 Bonus Questions schools rarely volunteer answers to
✅ Email Templates to contact schools — even before you've chosen a city
✅ Documents Checklist for enrollment (including the one that caught us completely off guard)
✅ Quick-Start Checklist — the entire process distilled onto one page
Plus everything you need to actually understand your options:
A clear breakdown of every school type in Spain—public, concertado, and private/international—with real costs, enrollment timelines, and what each is actually like
Madrid-area tuition ranges so you know what to budget before you fall in love with a school you can't afford
The critical difference between SSL and Lengua—and why asking the wrong question could cost your child a year of progress
5 questions to ask yourself before you research a single school—including the one about food and sensory needs that most guides skip entirely
Red flags to watch for, and what they actually signal
Our exact 6-step process for finding and choosing a school from the U.S.
Our honest story: why we chose an international American school, what exceeded our expectations, what surprised us, and where our boys are now
This guide is for you if:
You're planning a move to Spain with kids and don't know where to start with schools
You're overwhelmed by options and need a clear framework, not a textbook
You want real insight from a family who's been through it—not a relocation company
Families pay relocation consultants thousands of dollars to navigate exactly this. This guide—tools, templates, checklists, and all—is $19.
The school decision shapes where you live, your kids' transition, and your entire first year in Spain. This is the most important $19 you'll spend on this move.
Your kids are going to be okay. And you're going to figure this out. ❤️
