Are you considering matriculating your child in a British school? Studying in this type of centre is an excellent choice not only to make your child bilingual but also to enjoy many other benefits from an academic point of view that are very attractive in today’s labour market.

 

But, do you know what it is and which are the differences between the British and the Spanish educational systems?

 

What are the differences between the British and the Spanish educational system? 

 

The differences between the British and the Spanish educational system are obvious.We can indeed find some common points to all the European educational systems, but there are also differences in the educational methodology, the curriculum, and the structure of the stages that make the academic processes very different.

 

Educational stages in the United Kingdom vs Spain

Currently, the Spanish educational system is divided into four stages: Early childhood education, Primary education, Compulsory secondary education, and Upper secondary education. We must bear in mind that, in the British system, we have to count one more year, so, for example, the third year of Primary education in the Spanish system would not correspond to the third year in the British system, it would be equivalent to the fourth year and so on.  

 

In the British system, the structure of the school years would be this:

 

  • Early Years Foundation Stage (2-5 years): includes the first three years, Pre-Nursery, Nursery, and Reception.
  • Primary Education Key Stage 1 (5-7 years):  here we find Year 1 and Year 2.
  • Primary Education Key Stage 2 (7-11 years): here we find Year 3 to Year 6. 
  • Secondary Education Key Stage 3 (11-14 years): includes three years, Year 7, Year 8, and Year 9, which mark the beginning of the secondary stage.
  • Secondary Education Key Stage 4 (14-16 years): includes two years, Year 10 and Year 11, when students are prepared for the official IGCSE – International General Certificate of Secondary Education.
  • Sixth Form Key Stage 5 (16-18 years): these are the pre-university courses, Year 12 and Year 13, the equivalent of the Spanish “Bachillerato”. Here students are prepared for the official Cambridge AS and A-Level examinations.

 

In addition, classes are generally not organised according to the year of birth but are made up of students who were born within the same academic year. This means that there are not such big differences between students, who in some cases are almost a year apart.

Teaching methodology 

 

One of the biggest differences between the British and the Spanish education system is that methodology in British schools gives more importance to the practice of acquired knowledge over theory. Personal learning is encouraged from a practical point of view so that the student completely understands the subject explained by the teacher and can put it into practice.

 

The aim is for students to be able to make decisions when solving different problems, which will bring them more success as adults.

 

Quite the opposite of what is done in Spanish schools, where the learning of many subjects consists fundamentally in the memorisation of concepts that end up being forgotten over time. 

 

In addition, the British methodology makes students the protagonist of their own learning, encouraging their autonomy at all times and encouraging them to be creative and achieve their own goals while offering them the necessary support to exploit their skills and talents.

 

In this sense, the teacher assistant is a key figure, as they help both teachers and students, personalising support lessons according to the individual needs of each student.

 

However, even though autonomous work is essential, great importance is also given to teamwork in order to develop skills of companionship, communication, coordination, and social relations.

 

Exams and Certifications 

 

Perseverance and effort are two of the pillars on which British education is based. Students’ grades depend on their daily work and not on an exam or a final paper, as the aim is to avoid students putting in effort only at specific moments. What is rewarded is the student’s constant work throughout the course, which is much more motivating.

 

Unlike Spanish schools, British schools set both long and short-term objectives so that the students themselves can monitor their progress. These objectives are different for each student, depending on their level and their strengths and weaknesses. In this way, motivation and the ability to improve are encouraged, which is very beneficial.

 

A Levels vs “Bachillerato” and “Selectividad”

 

At A-Levels, students focus their work primarily on research and subject development on an ongoing basis. Generally, students work on 3-4 subjects in a specialised way, which will help them to focus on their future and foster their own individual skills and talents.

 

In this sense, the main difference between the British and Spanish education system is that A-Levels offer a much more international approach that allows access to universities all over the world, so it would not be necessary to take the “Selectividad”, as they can be homologated.

 

In the case of students who want to access a Spanish university and have studied a foreign Baccalaureate, they will have to take the “Pruebas de Competencias Específicas” (PCE) tests. which will also allow them to obtain a higher qualification.

 

Differences in the curriculum and language teaching 

 

In British schools, students are in contact with Spanish and British cultures from the very beginning. But they also have a wider range of other languages on offer, allowing children to learn about other cultures, and to learn to respect other opinions and ways of life. As a result, students usually enjoy linguistic immersion in at least three languages in a natural and simple way.

 

In addition, the learning of curricular and extracurricular subjects is complemented by artistic and sporting development, through activities such as funky, ballet, robotics, skating, chess or even cooking.

In short, the main difference between the British and Spanish education systems is that the British system offers students the opportunity to develop an intense and balanced academic programme that not only prepares them to successfully pursue a university career anywhere in the world and to opt for better professional opportunities but also to be trained as people with the ability to deal with the problems that may arise throughout their adult life.