Kindergarten and School on Mallorca - A Parents Guide

As an expat family on Mallorca, sooner or later you face an important decision: which school on Mallorca is the right one for your child? The Spanish education system differs noticeably from what many newcomers know, and the choice on the island is surprisingly varied. From the free state school and English-language international institutions to schools that follow a foreign curriculum, the options are plentiful. In this guide you will learn what you need to know as a parent to make the best decision for your family.

The Spanish school system at a glance

The Spanish education system differs in structure and compulsory schooling from what many families are used to. Compulsory schooling in Spain officially begins at age six and ends at sixteen. The structure looks like this:

• Educación Infantil (ages 0-6): voluntary, split into two stages (0-3 and 3-6)
• Educación Primaria (ages 6-12): six years of primary school, compulsory
• Educación Secundaria Obligatoria - ESO (ages 12-16): four years of secondary school, compulsory
• Bachillerato (ages 16-18): voluntary, preparation for university
• Formación Profesional: vocational training as an equivalent alternative

All public schools are free. The language of instruction is Spanish (Castellano), and on the Balearic Islands Catalan is taught as well. That can be a challenge at first for children who do not speak either language, but most schools have experience with children from other language backgrounds.

Public schools on Mallorca - free and inclusive

State schools are the most common choice for families staying on Mallorca for the long term. The biggest advantage: your child learns Spanish and Catalan through immersion, and surprisingly quickly. To enroll at a public school on Mallorca you need the following documents:

• Empadronamiento (proof of registration) - more on this in our guide to registering on Mallorca
• the child's passport or national ID card
• a birth certificate translated into Spanish (with an apostille)
• the vaccination record

Enrollment goes through the Balearic education authority (Conselleria d'Educació). You can also ask directly at the school you have in mind. If your child changes schools in the middle of the year, admission is usually possible outside the regular enrollment periods too.

Public school or private school - what fits you?

Alongside the state schools, Mallorca also has "colegios concertados", that is, state-subsidized private schools. These charge small fees (usually 50 to 150 euros a month) but often offer smaller classes and religious or alternative educational approaches.

Purely private schools without state funding cost considerably more, but in return often offer special concepts or bilingual programs. For a first orientation, our guide to schools and childcare on Mallorca can help.

German and other national schools - a familiar system abroad

For some expat families, a school that follows the curriculum of their home country is the most appealing option. Mallorca has the German School Palma (Colegio Alemán), which teaches the German curriculum and leads to the German Abitur, fully recognized in Germany. This matters especially if a move back home is planned in the medium term.

The German School Palma is a state-recognized school abroad, supported by the German foreign-schools network. It offers classes from primary school through to the Abitur.

Advantages of a national-curriculum school:

• instruction in the home-country language with a home-country qualification
• a smooth transition back into the home-country school system
• language lessons in Spanish and Catalan included
• small classes and personal attention

Disadvantages of a national-curriculum school:

• tuition of roughly 300 to 700 euros a month, depending on the grade level
• limited places, so enroll early
• less contact with Spanish peers during the school day

International schools on Mallorca

Besides national-curriculum schools, Mallorca has several international schools with English as the main language of instruction. They offer international qualifications such as the International Baccalaureate (IB), the British GCSE, or the American curriculum. These schools are especially suited to families focused on global mobility or studying abroad.

Well-known international schools on Mallorca:

• Baleares International College (BIC): British curriculum, GCSE and A-Levels
• Agora Portals International School: IB program, multilingual approach
• QSI International School of Mallorca: American curriculum

Costs at international schools are comparatively high, ranging from 8,000 to 20,000 euros a year depending on the institution. In return, children benefit from small classes, modern facilities, and an international environment with peers from all over the world.

Kindergarten on Mallorca - from nursery to pre-school

The topic of kindergarten on Mallorca affects families with children under six. The system has two stages: for the youngest, from 0 to 3 years, there are "escoles bressol" or "guarderías" (nurseries), and for ages 3 to 6 the "escola infantil", which corresponds to pre-school.

Public nursery places for children under three are scarce, and the waiting lists are often long. Private nurseries are readily available in Palma but usually cost 400 to 800 euros a month. From the age of three there are far more places, and the escola infantil is free at state schools.

For nursery enrollment you need:

• the parents' NIE number (everything about it in our NIE guide)
• the family's empadronamiento
• the child's vaccination record
• for public places: proof of income for calculating the fees

Private kindergartens are more flexible about admission and often have their own application forms on their websites. It pays to look around the neighborhoods: Palma has many small, well-run private kindergarten groups.

Conclusion

Choosing the right school on Mallorca depends heavily on your plans. If you are staying long term, the public Spanish school is often the best solution for real integration into local life. If you are planning a return home, a national-curriculum school like the German School Palma offers the continuity you need. International families, or those focused on global mobility, will find a high-quality alternative in the English-language schools.

Whatever you decide, one thing is key: start early. Waiting lists, enrollment deadlines, and bureaucratic hurdles all take lead time. And invest in your own Spanish skills - the better you speak the language, the easier it is to communicate with teachers and support your child at the start of school. You will find all our other tips for families on Mallorca in our guide to schools and childcare.