Is international or boarding school solving your teenager's problem or yours?

Terms used

• Orientador — The orientador is the school counsellor who advises students and families on learning, behaviour and study choices.
• UNEDasiss — UNEDasiss is the service that accredits foreign school qualifications and issues the entry grade for Spanish universities.
• PAU — The PAU is Spain's university entrance exam, which foreign-curriculum students may take in optional subjects to raise their grade.
• Bachillerato — Bachillerato is the two-year Spanish upper secondary course for ages 16 to 18 that leads to university.

Key rules

• Diagnose first: Find the cause of the problem before you pay for a new school.
• What a move fixes: A change of school helps with language, curriculum, bullying or learning fit, not with anxiety, grief or family conflict.
• Boarding: Boarding school is generally a poor answer to distress or homesickness.
• Extra costs: Registration, uniforms, meals, transport and exam fees usually come on top of the fees.

Fees and university entry rules change, so confirm current figures with each school and the university entry steps with the university.

Diagnose the problem before you pay for a new school

A new school fixes school-specific problems. It does not fix family-level adjustment. International and boarding schools are costly, so work out the cause first, then choose the school.

When a change of school can help

A move is likely to help when the cause sits inside the school:

• The language of teaching is too hard for your teen.
• The curriculum does not match what they studied before.
• They are being bullied.
• The school does not fit their learning needs.

When it probably will not help

If the cause is depression, anxiety, grief over the move or conflict at home, it follows your teen to any school. A new uniform and a new campus will not change it. Those problems need support first.

Boarding school is a major step. It is generally a poor response to distress or homesickness, and it can make both worse.

How to find the real cause

1. Ask your teen directly, and listen without offering solutions.
2. Talk with their tutor and the school's orientador (the school counsellor). They see your teen every day.
3. Consider a professional assessment if the signs point to anxiety, low mood or a learning difficulty.
4. If a new school still looks right, visit it with your teen and consider a trial period before you commit.

Check whose worry it is

Ask yourself whether the move is mainly about your worry. If it is, deal with that worry through support, such as talking to the school, a counsellor or other parents, rather than a move your teen may not need.

What an international school involves

Fees vary widely by city and school. Mid-priced day schools usually charge several thousand euros a year. Top British, American and IB schools in Madrid, Barcelona and the Costa del Sol charge well above that. Boarding schools are few in Spain and cost substantially more than day fees. Registration fees, deposits, uniforms, meals, transport and exam fees are usually extra, and fees rise every year. Public schools are free. Ask each school for its current figures in writing.

International schools teach the British curriculum (IGCSE and A-levels), the IB, the American High School Diploma and AP, or French, German, Italian and other national systems. Some also run the Spanish ESO and Bachillerato, often as bilingual programmes.

Your teen can still go to university in Spain. IB Diploma and A-level holders apply through UNEDasiss, which accredits the credential and gives an entry grade. They may sit the optional PAU subject exams to raise it. Routes to universities in your home country, such as UCAS or US applications, stay open with these curricula. The questions and answers below cover more.

Frequently asked questions

Are international school fees in Spain much higher than public school?

Yes, public schools are free, while international schools charge several thousand euros a year at mid-priced day schools and well above that at top British, American and IB schools in Madrid, Barcelona and the Costa del Sol. Boarding schools are few in Spain and cost substantially more than day fees.

Can my teenager still go to university in Spain after an international school?

Yes, IB Diploma and A-level holders can enter Spanish universities through UNEDasiss, which accredits the credential and issues an entry grade. Your teen can also sit the optional PAU subject exams to raise that grade. Spanish-curriculum students take the normal PAU instead.

Does an international curriculum close the door on university in our home country?

No, home-country routes such as UCAS or US applications stay open with British, IB and American curricula. Choose the curriculum that matches where your teen is most likely to study.

What should we do before paying for a new school?

Visit the school with your teen and ask whether a trial period is possible. Talk with the current tutor and orientador (school counsellor), and consider a professional assessment. A move helps when the cause is school-specific, like language, curriculum or bullying, but it will not fix depression, anxiety or family conflict, which follow your teen.