What Is the Best School in Javea for My Children?
When you are moving to Javea with children, there is another important thing to take into consideration: What school do I pick for my children? And which suits the values we have as a family and what I want for the future of my child best?
In Javea and the rest of Spain, schools are divided into three categories: Public, Concerted, and Private. You might be wondering what the main differences are and what schools fall under each of the categories. In this blog, we will give you the answers to these common questions.
Public schools in Javea
Public schools in Javea are schools regulated by the Spanish government and free. For the little ones, there is the ‘Primaria’. The primaria is for children from 6 to 12 years old and the schools are called the ‘Centro de Educacion infantile y primaria (CEIP)’, ‘colloqually, Colegio or cole. Public secondary schools are for children of the ages 12 to 16 years old and are called ‘Instituto de enseñanza secundaria’ (IES) or ‘colloquially instituto'.
In Javea there are 5 different Primaria:
CEIP Mediterrania
The CEIP Mediterrania is located in the old town of Javea and is the oldest primary school in the town. The name has recently changed to CEIP Mediterrania as the school used to be called Vicente Tena. This school serves children from the 1st grade to the 6th grade. Hours of classes are from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 2 pm, but activities are offered until 5 pm.
Port de Xàbia School
The Port de Xàbia School is located, as the name says, in the port of Javea. This school has been the second public school established in Jávea and used to be called José Font. The school teaches children from the first kindergarten to the sixth grade. The school schedule is every weekday from 9 am to 5 pm.
L’Arenal School
The L’Arenal School is located in the Arenal, close to the beach. This school is the most international public school in Jávea with about 60% of its students not being Spanish. Because of this reason, this school is perfect for people who want to let their children grow up in an international environment, have friends from different cultures and grow up surrounded by different languages.
The L’Arenal School teaches children from the ages 6 to 16 years old and has the following schedule:
September and June: teaching hours from 9 am to 1 pm and dining room service from 1 pm to 3 pm.
From October to May: teaching hours from 9 am to 2 pm Dining room from 2 pm to 3.30 pm and voluntary extracurricular activities from 3.30 pm to 5.00 pm.
College Trenc d'Alba
The Trenc d’Alba College is also located in the old town of Javea, behind the McDonalds. This college had various famous students such as the tennis player David Ferrer. The school gives a lot of attention to multilingualism and has a broad program of extra-curricular activities. The school teaches kids from the age of 6 to 11 years old and is open every day.
CEIP Graüll
CEIP Graüll is located in the old town and is just a few meters away from CEIP Mediterrania. The school was founded in 1997 and currently, the number of students is close to 700. The building in which the CEIP Graüll is housed has been the first official school building in Javea and currently has a big remodeling pending.
Concerted Schools in Javea
Concerted schools are schools that are not public and not private. As a parent, you contribute, but this isn’t as expensive as a private school, as the government partly subsidizes concerted schools. The benefits of signing your child up for a concerted school in Javea are:
- Own Ideology: Private schools are known for having specific ideologies, making it possible for parents to pick a school for their children where the education is in line with how it is done at home. However, private schools are often expensive. Concerted schools give the possibility to have this same advantage, but for a lower cost as the government subsidizes the school.
- Extracurricular activities: Concerted schools receive subsidies from the government and student fees. This gives the possibility to offer a wide range of extracurricular activities. These activities are perfect for children as they help them discover and develop their talents and passions, like sports, art, music, etc.
There is only one concerted school in Javea: The María Inmaculada School. This school was founded in 1957 and initially, only girls would be accepted. Later, in 1986, also boys were allowed, making the education equal. The school is Christian/Catholic and uses the VESS learning model. This model has been installed in the school as it centers the education around the person, to train them and make them grow. The model has always coexisted with the classic concept of education where order, discipline, the formation of Christian values, respect, and academic demands are considered important.
Private Schools in Javea
Private schools are the most expensive but exclusive option when it comes to your child's education. The benefits of a private school are:
- Significantly smaller class sizes: Private schools in Spain usually have smaller class sizes than their public counterparts, because of the fees parents have to pay to let their child(ren) enroll in the school. The benefit of this is that there is more individual attention to the needs of each child.
- Wider choice of subjects: Private schools often offer a wider choice of subjects, such as French, German, Economics, Philosophy, Art, etc. as long as it meets the Spanish education standards.
There are two different private schools in Javea:
XIC (Xabia International College)
Xabia International College is a private school, offering education to children between the ages of 6 to 18 years old. It has primary and secondary education and the first language is English. Other languages such as German, French, Spanish, and Valenciano are taught as well.
The XIC fees start at about 4000 euros a year and go up to 11.000 euros, depending on the year your child is in. The XIC school follows the guidelines of the English school system, so in the end, your child can do the A levels exams and can enroll in any European university.
El Montgo Waldorf International School
El Montgo Waldorf International School is the only school in Javea that has a pedagogic approach. This school looks at the child's phase of development and adjusts the education to this, instead of following the standard school system. The school finds nature important and motivates children to get in touch with nature and learn about the earth. Fees for this school lay between 4000 and 5000 euros per year.
Lady Elizabeth School
Even though this school is located in Benitatchell and not in Javea, a lot of children from Javea go to this school.
The Lady Elizabeth School is one of the most prestigious schools in the area, and like XIC they follow the English school system. They have a very modern campus on the bottom of the Cumbre del Sol mountain and buses from Javea go there every day to bring the children.
Fees for the Lady Elizabeth School start at about 4000 euros a year and go up to 11.000 euros for the last year.
Conclusion
There are a lot of different schools in the area you can enroll your child in, and which one you choose depends on where you live and your personal preferences. If you would like to have more information on moving to Javea with your children and what school would be best for them, don't hesitate to contact us! We are more than 25 years active in the area and have the contacts in place to help you make the right decision.