According to the Organic Law of Education of 2006, the Bachilerato in Spain, is the last stage of schooling, from 16 to 18 years. This stage is not mandatory to obtain a certificate of secondary education in Spain, because students receive a certificate after completing the fourth grade of secondary school (4 ESO). Graduation from secondary school in Spain is only necessary if the student plans to study at a higher education institution in Spain. In other words, the Bachillerato in Spain is a kind of analogue of the Sixth form in the British education system (stage A-Level) and the analogue of the last two years of Bachilerato in the American education system.
In public schools in Spain, secondary school is generally separated from children and primary school. Children from 3 to 12 years old study in schools where education is taught only until the age of 12, and then they are transferred to secondary school, but they study in another building, in Spain it is usually called institute. The secondary course in Spain, students take place within the walls of the secondary school.
Many semi-public schools in Spain do not offer the Bachillerato stage or only offer it on a paid basis, so you have to pay the tuition as in a private school. If you have chosen a semi-public school in Spain, you have to check the availability of the Bachilerato course and its cost.
The Education Law establishes that education in the Bachillerato in Spain is carried out in three areas at the student's choice:
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scientific;
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humanitarian;
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art.
The bachilerato learning process in schools with a foreign education system, in English and American schools, is built in strict adherence to the foreign education system, which also involves passing all the necessary exams. Recently, the International bachillerato Diploma has become very popular. Most international schools offer this program, but the teaching is not only in English, some of the subjects are studied in Spanish. If you are looking for an International baccalaureate program in English only, then you should choose American schools in Spain that provide that opportunity.
How can you go to secondary school in Spain?
If you decide to send your child to study at a high school in Spain, you must keep in mind that to be able to enter even a private school, you must first homologate a bachillerato diploma.
There are special tables of correspondence between different educational systems. Therefore, simultaneously with the choice of school and the organization of admission, it is necessary to go through the procedure of homologation of the certificate of secondary education received in your country of residence. Please note: the presence of a certificate of completion of the ninth grade of a foreign school is not enough for admission to the bachilerato stage. Spain requires completion of 10 grades and only then is it allowed to enter high school. Keep in mind that many schools are not always very aware of these nuances and accept children for High school after the ninth grade, and in the future there is a problem with passing the final exams at the end of the senior year, simply children are not allowed.
The homologation of a foreign school certificate or diploma may occur in parallel with the admission registration process. It is often sufficient for schools to confirm that documents have been submitted for homologation, but this issue should be clarified in advance, as the school may insist on the need to have a certificate already homologated at the time of admission.
If talking about schools with a foreign education system, then the process of entering a high school necessarily goes through entrance exams in a language, mathematics, physics or chemistry profile.
Some English and American schools offer a dual degree option. This means that in addition to an English or American diploma, students have the opportunity to obtain a Bachillerato diploma in Spanish. To do this, they must pass additional exams at the school itself or at an international distance education university.
Thus, the process of entering a bachilerato in Spain can be divided into 3 stages:
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choice of school;
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pass entrance exams;
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admission registration.