Steps into Spain

Three things about Spain's PISA results that surprised me, and none of them are what's trending.

🏫 It's not a public school problem, private and concertado schools fell just as much.

🏫 The gap between rich and poor students is narrowing, but only because the richest fell twice as fast as the poorest.

🏫 And Madrid's top ranking in maths and science? True, but Madrid still lost 27 points in reading. We're only first because everyone else fell further.

Full video on You Tube has the rest, including what's actually behind the decline.

It's back!

Infants and Primary back at school this morning, Secondary tomorrow. Summer holidays well and truly done.

There's always that mix on the first day, some children can't wait to get back into it, others need a bit more coaxing out the door (this could apply to parents too, let's be honest).

How did you get on?

Schools are starting back up across Madrid very soon. Good moment to get the 2026/27 calendar saved before you need it.

Screenshot this now so you're not hunting for term dates in September when it actually matters.

One to flag: 9 November is a holiday in Madrid Capital only, not the wider region. (Catches families out every year)

Any questions about schools in Madrid, do get in touch.

A question for parents who've already done it. What do you wish you'd known before your child's first week of school in Madrid?

Families arriving this September are about to go through exactly what you went through. The thing nobody warned you about, the tip that saved you, the mistake you'd avoid next time, all of it is genuinely useful to someone reading this right now.

Share what you've learned below, it'll mean a lot to the families starting in September.

If you're one of the families starting in September and want to ask something specific, send me a message.

If you're new to Madrid, concertado schools are probably the option you understand least. They're not public, not private, they sit in between, and most families arriving from abroad have never come across the model before.

In short, they're semi-private. Run and staffed independently but funded largely by the state, with families paying a modest monthly fee.

The model dates back to the 1980s, when Spain needed to expand access to education quickly and partnered with private providers to do it. In Madrid there are 467 of them, majority Catholic, very few secular secular.

Applications go through the same local process as public schools, and you can list concertado options alongside public ones on the same form. Worth knowing before you rule anything in or out.

I've written a more detailed on the blog if you want to find out more.

https://www.stepsintospain.es/placing-a-spotlight-on-concertado-education-in-spain/

Madrid in August can be brilliant. About half the population heads off on holiday, and the city empties out in the best way.

The flip side is that plenty of restaurants and shops close, either for a few weeks or the whole month. Nothing worse than a sweaty walk across town only to find the shutters down, so call ahead before you go anywhere specific.

If you've questions about anything school related while things are quiet, send me a message. ¡Feliz verano!

Schools or housing first?

It sounds like a simple question, but for families considering public or concertado schools in Madrid, it's actually a critical one. Your address — specifically your padrón — determines your catchment area and your admissions points.

Choose the wrong neighbourhood and your school options narrow considerably.

Private schools are more straightforward in this respect; you can sort the school from overseas and then find housing close by or near the bus route.

But public and concertado require both decisions to move in parallel.

I did a YouTube Live on this recently with Angélica Lima Miller, a relocation specialist I've collaborated with for years.

We covered the padrón, the rental market (which moves very fast here — faster than most people expect), popular family neighbourhoods, and the timing families consistently underestimate.

The blog post is here, with the full video inside:

https://www.stepsintospain.es/moving-to-madrid-with-children-schools-or-housing/

If any of this raises questions specific to your situation, get in touch— always happy to help.

Arriving in Madrid this summer and don't have a school place yet?

The current late application window (proceso extraordinario) for public and concertado schools closes on 10 July.

It reopens on 1 September and stays open, it isn't a short second window that shuts again.

The tricky bit is timing. School starts about a week after the process opens, and most parents want their child there from day one.

That first week is chaos if you're starting from scratch.

Get your padrón and paperwork ready in July or August so you're not doing it all in the same week your child should be starting school.

If you're arriving without a place, send me a message.

Spain's Education Ministry rently published a major proposal — class sizes cut across every stage, with the biggest changes for under-3s.

Down to 4 per educator for babies, 6 for one-year-olds, 8 for two-year-olds.

Second cycle Infantil drops from 25 to 20.

Primaria from 25 to 22, though Madrid public schools already cap 1º and 2º there — this change will be more noticeable in 3º-6º primaria.

Proposal stage, not law yet. Royal Decree route, unions in July, implementation from 2027/28.

From what I've seen: not every private school sticks to ratios even when they're supposed to. Worth checking.

If you're moving to Madrid this summer and hoping to get your child into a public or concertado school, the late application process — el proceso extraordinario — is what you need to know about.

The main enrolment window closes in March/April each year. If you've missed that, the proceso extraordinario opens tomorrow (26th June) and runs for two weeks. It then closes for August — all local education offices shut from mid-July through to the end of August, so no progress can be made during that period.

The process reopens on 1st September for families arriving at the end of summer.

Before you apply, you'll need to be empadronado in Madrid, and it's worth having a shortlist of preferred schools ready before the window opens. Places at this stage are whatever's left after the main round, so being prepared matters.

More details in the link below. Any questions, send me a message.

Late Applications to Schools in Madrid: How Steps into Spain Can Help You Secure a Place - Steps into Spain Get advice on late applications to schools in Madrid with Steps into Spain — find school places even after the main admission period.