School supply lists and shared-material payments (material colectivo)

Terms used

• Material colectivo — The material colectivo is a lump sum families pay the school for shared classroom consumables such as paper, paint and glue.
• AMPA — The AMPA is the school's parents' association, which often runs book schemes and collects shared payments.
• Forrar — Forrar means covering schoolbooks with plastic or adhesive film, usually with a name label.
• Concertada — A concertada is a privately run school that receives public funding.

Key rules

• Material colectivo: In public schools the shared-materials payment must be voluntary, and typically runs about 20–60 euros per child per year.
• Supply list: Each school sets its own list every year, usually published in June or early July.
• Textbooks: Textbooks are free or loaned only where your region runs a scheme; otherwise you buy them.

What you buy and what the school provides

In public and concertada schools (publicly funded private schools), the school provides the building, teachers, furniture and shared classroom materials. You buy your child's personal items: backpack, pencil case, notebooks, pens, pencils, scissors, glue, folders, sports kit and a uniform where the school uses one.

What changes by stage:

• Infant (ages 3–6): you usually also send a spare change of clothes, a water bottle or snack box, and sometimes towels or wipes.
• Primary: you buy textbooks unless your region runs a free textbook or loan scheme.
• Secondary (ESO): you buy textbooks or use the regional scheme. You also buy a calculator and a dictionary, and sometimes a device.

Each school sets its exact list every year, so follow the list your school gives you.

When the list arrives

Most schools publish the list in June or early July, on the website, app or noticeboard. Some publish in late July, or only in September once the new teachers are confirmed. If you see nothing, ask the school office. Applications for public book schemes run around the same time, and deadlines differ by region.

What the material colectivo is

The material colectivo (sometimes called "material común") is a lump sum you pay the school or class teacher at the start of the year, or by term. It pays for shared consumables: paper, card, paint, glue, modelling clay, photocopies and craft supplies. Teachers ask for it because buying in bulk is cheaper and every child ends up with the same materials. It is most common in infant and early primary.

Typical amounts are 20–60 euros per child per year, and it varies widely by school. Ask the school what it covers, so you do not buy the same items twice.

Can the school force you to pay?

In a public school, no. The payment must be voluntary. A school cannot make it a condition of enrolment or of attending class, and it cannot charge for activities that are part of the curriculum. Voluntary extras such as outings or services can be charged.

Concertada schools can ask for voluntary contributions only for complementary activities and services. Many schools collect the money through the AMPA (parents' association) or a school cooperative.

If you are pressured to pay, ask the school for a written explanation. You can then contact your regional education department, whose inspection service can step in. Rules differ by region and are clearest for compulsory stages.

What it costs overall

Excluding textbooks, supplies usually come to 50–150 euros per child per year in infant and primary, and a little more in secondary. With textbooks, where no free scheme applies, expect 200–400 euros per child in primary and 300–500 euros in secondary. Regions with free textbook schemes cost less.

Covering books (forrar)

"Forrar" means covering books with plastic or adhesive film, often with a name label. Where books are loaned and reused, schools usually ask for careful treatment, and in some regions the books must come back in good condition. Where you buy books yourself, covering is optional but common. Follow your school's instructions.

The timeline, checklist and questions below help you plan the summer purchases.

Timeline and deadlines

• Look for the book and supply list on the school's website, app or noticeboard: at the end of the school year, in June or early July

• Apply for your region's public book scheme if there is one: around June and July, with deadlines that vary by region

• Buy supplies or use the book bank over the summer: during the summer, once the list is out

• Check again for a late list: in late July or September, if your school waits until the new teachers are confirmed

Back-to-school shopping checklist for a Spanish school

Back-to-school shopping, in order

• Look for the book and supply list on the school's website, app or noticeboard in June or early July.

• Ask the school or the AMPA (parents' association) about a book scheme, loan or exchange before you buy any textbooks.

• Order textbooks and set-list materials as soon as the list is out, or reserve them through the school's or AMPA's book scheme.

• Order the school uniform in June or July, because made-to-order items sell out.

• Check what the school already provides, so you do not buy shared classroom materials twice.

• Buy backpack, pencil case, notebooks, pens, scissors, glue and folders in the July sales, before mid-August.

• Pack a spare change of clothes, a water bottle or snack box, and wipes or towels if your child is in infant education (ages 3 to 6).

• Buy a calculator, a dictionary and any device the school asks for if your child is in secondary school (ESO).

• Write your child's name on clothes, coat, babi smock, lunch box, water bottle, backpack, pencils, folders and books, using adhesive or iron-on labels.

• Buy shoes and clothing in the July sales rather than in September.

• Hold off on sports kit and extra notebooks until the autumn offers.

Frequently asked questions

Can the school make me pay the material colectivo in a public school?

No, in a public school the shared-materials payment must be voluntary and cannot be a condition for enrolling or attending class. Schools cannot charge for activities that are part of the curriculum. If you are pressed to pay, ask the school for the request in writing and contact the regional education inspection.

What does forrar mean, and do I have to cover the books?

Forrar means covering a book with plastic or adhesive film, often with a name label, and it is required mainly where books are reused. In regions with free textbook loan schemes, books must come back in good condition, so schools often ask you to cover them.

How much do school supplies cost per child each year?

Supplies without textbooks usually cost about 50–150 euros per child per year in infant and primary, and a little more in secondary. With textbooks where no free scheme applies, expect about 200–400 euros in primary and 300–500 euros in secondary. Regional textbook schemes bring this down.

What if my school has not published the supply list by September?

Some schools only publish lists in late July or September, once the new teachers are confirmed. Ask the school office or the class teacher when it will be ready, and wait for it before buying class-specific items.