Schools and study on the Costa Blanca: which school your child will go to and where adults can learn Spanish

State school: free and close to home

In Spain school is compulsory from 6 to 16, and pre-school from age 3 at a state school is free as well. Primary school is called CEIP, secondary IES. There is one in each of our towns: Benidorm, Finestrat, Villajoyosa, La Nucía, Polop, l'Alfàs, Altea. Children learn Spanish and Valencian, both official languages in the region, and English.

For a young child who arrives without Spanish, a state school means being among Spanish-speaking classmates every day, and the language comes by itself. A teenager finds the switch harder, so for them it is worth looking at international schools too.

There are more and more state schools. La Nucía is building its third state school: 2 classes for two-year-olds, 6 pre-school and 12 primary classes, 490 children in all. The Generalitat is investing almost 9 million euros, and the works are expected to finish in the last quarter of 2026 (data as of March 2026).

Secondary school: the institutes in our towns

At 12 a child moves to the institute (IES). There they do four years of compulsory secondary school (ESO), then two years of bachillerato (16 to 18, the route to university) or vocational courses. Every primary school is assigned to a specific institute, so when you choose a primary school near home you often choose the institute as well.

Benidorm. Five state institutes, and the largest is being rebuilt. At Pere Mª Orts i Bosch the old 1970s building is being demolished and a new one of 8,040 m² built: over 1,360 pupils, 20 ESO classes, 8 bachillerato classes and 18 for vocational courses, an investment of about 12.9 million euros (data as of April 2025). Besides the state schools, the town has a state-funded private school, Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, and the private Lope de Vega, more on it below.

Villajoyosa. Three institutes. Marcos Zaragoza offers ESO, bachillerato and vocational courses in construction, electrics and IT; La Malladeta's courses include tourism, care and textiles.

Finestrat. The town has no institute of its own yet, and teenagers travel to neighbouring towns. The first is being built between La Cala de Finestrat and the old town, next to the Balçó de Finestrat school: 560 places, 12 ESO classes, 4 bachillerato classes and 2 for vocational courses, about 14 million euros. In May 2026 the town hall promised to finish the works by the end of 2026; the date of the first intake has not been announced yet.

The towns around. La Nucía, l'Alfàs and Altea each have an institute, children from Polop travel to neighbouring towns. Which bachillerato tracks (sciences, humanities, arts) a given institute offers is listed on its page on the Conselleria portal: I can help you check it for your address.

How to enrol a foreign child

Applications are made online only, through the Conselleria portal. For the 2026-2027 school year the deadlines were:

To log into the portal you need an NIE with its document number or a Spanish electronic signature. If the parents only have passports for now, the school you put first accepts the application in person. To enrol during the year, the school asks for the registration certificate (padrón), a health card or private insurance, a translated birth certificate and the passports of the parents and the child.

The practical takeaway for a buyer: if your child is to start school in September, it is better to close the purchase and register at the town hall before May. Then you apply with everyone else instead of waiting for a free place.

International schools near Benidorm

Elian's British School, La Nucía. Open since 2002, it takes children from 1 to 18. From day one teaching is in English and Spanish; primary has a dual programme, secondary prepares for the IGCSE alongside Spanish subjects. In the final years pupils choose between the IB diploma and A-levels, plus the Spanish university entrance exams. The campus has an outdoor pool, an artificial-turf pitch, courts, laboratories and music and dance studios. The fee includes a hot lunch; the bus, uniform and trips are paid separately. From central Benidorm the school is about 14 minutes by car without traffic, from Altea about 16.

Sierra Bernia School, l'Alfàs del Pi. A British school since 1973, children from 3 to 18. A classic British curriculum to GCSE and IGCSE, then A-levels; Spanish and the compulsory subjects of the Spanish curriculum are on the timetable too.

Den Norske Skole Costa Blanca, l'Alfàs del Pi. A Norwegian school opened in the early 1970s: in 2013 it celebrated 41 years. It is the oldest of the Norwegian schools opened outside Norway. It is backed by Norway's state education system.

Lope de Vega International School, Benidorm. A private school in the town itself, at Av. Dr. Severo Ochoa, 9. It takes children from age 2 and leads them through primary and secondary to the Spanish bachillerato, plus vocational courses. In parallel pupils can earn an American high school diploma through the dual programme, and the school prepares for Cambridge exams. A 25,000 m² campus a kilometre and a half from the sea: pool, tennis and padel courts, five-a-side pitch, gym, dining hall. There is a boarding house for pupils from other towns. It is the choice for a family that wants a Spanish school certificate and a Spanish university, but with strong English.

Vallemar, La Nucía. A new private school next to the Ciutat Esportiva Camilo Cano sports complex, opened in September 2025. Teaching is in English and Spanish. In its first year it took pre-school children from age 3, primary pupils and all four ESO years; bachillerato, a nursery from age 0 and vocational sports courses the school promises to add later. It has applied for the International Baccalaureate IB programme from the 2026-2027 school year. A 4,184 m² teaching building on a 14,500 m² plot, 50 m² classrooms and about 4,000 m² of outdoor areas. For children who take sport seriously the school promises to fit studies around training: a direct continuation of what La Nucía lives for.

The Lady Elizabeth School, Cumbre del Sol (Benitachell). A British school opened in 1987; since 2007 it has been run by an education group. Children from 3 to 18 study in English, and the school certificate is recognised in the Spanish system. In 2025 there were about 1,300 pupils of over 50 nationalities. The campus has a theatre, a recording studio, a photo studio, libraries, laboratories and pools. The school sits on the Cumbre del Sol hill between Moraira and Jávea, already the Costa Blanca North beyond Calpe: it suits families choosing a home in Benitachell, Moraira or Jávea rather than Benidorm.

International schools do not publish their fees as a single figure on their websites: they send a table by year group on request. I can help you request it together with an open day when you are here.

Spanish for adults

Aula d'Idiomes of Benidorm town hall. Spanish courses at A1 and A2, DELE B1 exam preparation and B2, from age 14. Two-hour classes every other day from Monday to Thursday; the course runs from 21 September 2026 to 28 May 2027. Registration from 1 to 16 September, then for free places. The course costs 368.64 euros a year, 331.78 euros for pensioners registered in Benidorm and 184.32 euros for large families.

Official School of Languages (EOI) of Benidorm. A state school; its languages include Spanish for foreigners. Applications for 2026-2027 were accepted online from 18 June to 3 July, the second round from 4 to 10 September, and last free places until 31 January 2027. You can study from age 16. The EOI certificate is officially recognised, which helps when you need a certified language level.

What is where and how long it takes

Minutes by car without traffic from the town centre to the school, rounded:

And to three schools people often ask about separately:

From La Nucía, l'Alfàs and Benidorm both British schools are under 15 minutes away; from Altea only Sierra Bernia is that close. From Finestrat and Villajoyosa the morning school run is already 16-20 minutes. Lope de Vega is closest from Benidorm itself, about 8 minutes, and from l'Alfàs, about 11; from the other towns 16-20. Vallemar is 5-6 minutes from La Nucía and l'Alfàs, about 15 from Benidorm. The Lady Elizabeth is 37 minutes or more from any of our towns: it is a school for living in Benitachell, Moraira or Jávea, not for a daily drive from Benidorm. The university's main campus is 29 to 45 minutes from any of our towns, closest from Villajoyosa.

A university nearby

The University of Alicante (UA) has had a branch in La Nucía since 2001, in the building of the former San Rafael school. It hosts summer courses, professional training and conferences, and the university language service's Valencian courses can be taken remotely. The main campus with full bachelor's and master's programmes is in San Vicente del Raspeig near Alicante.

Where to live if the school matters

Near Elian's, have a look at La Nucía Pines and the villas at Amiral; near the l'Alfàs schools, White Villas; for Lope de Vega, Benidorm Hills; for The Lady Elizabeth, Montecala Gardens. In Cumbre del Sol, next to The Lady Elizabeth, there are villas too: Magnolias from 1,590,000 euros excl. VAT, Lirios, Jazmines and Kalmias cost more (lists of 03.11.2026).

For a family with children La Nucía is also the city of sport: more on that in the article "La Nucía, the city of sport". On doctors and hospitals in the region, the previous issue of the series: where to get medical care on the Costa Blanca North.

What this means for a buyer

The school decides where to look for a home. If your child will go to the British school in La Nucía, look for a home in La Nucía, Polop or l'Alfàs: the morning school run will be short. If you need the Spanish bachillerato with an American diploma, that is Lope de Vega, and living in Benidorm or Finestrat is more convenient. A sporty child will do well at Vallemar next to La Nucía's sports city. If your heart is set on Moraira and Jávea, The Lady Elizabeth School is nearby. If it is a state school, see which school is closest to home and get registered at the town hall before May.

The price of the flat or house for you is the same as at the sales office. My job is to help you choose a home for your life, including the school run: why buying with me pays off. Tell me how old your children are and which school you are considering, and I will send you homes near it.

How I calculated

Admission deadlines for state schools from the Conselleria calendar for the 2026-2027 school year; they repeat every year in May. Course prices and dates from Benidorm town hall's official rules for 2026-2027. School data from the schools' official websites. Travel times were calculated by road by car without traffic, from the town hall or town centre to the school address on its website; at rush hour it takes longer. Vallemar is not yet on the OpenStreetMap map, so the time to it was calculated to the Ciutat Esportiva Camilo Cano next door, a difference of up to a minute. Project prices from the developers' latest price lists, excl. VAT.

Author: Vitalii Kotenko, new build agent on the Costa Blanca. Data as of 06.11.2026.