What parents should know about the return to school in Spain

The summer holidays in Spain are coming to an end and within a few weeks, kids will be returning to school, what Spaniards call la vuelta al cole.

Return dates

The exact school return date will depend on where you live in Spain. It could be anywhere from September 5th to September 11th, with most regions choosing either the 8th, 9th or 10th.

The earliest to go back will be those in the Basque Country on September 5th, and the latest to go back will be Andalusia and the Balearics on September 10th and Extremadura on the 11th. Dates may change slightly for specific schools, particularly if they are international or private or different ages - eg. primary or secondary.

In Catalonia for example, primary and high schools return on September 8th, while Bachillerato (equivalent of A-levels in the UK or AP courses in the US) return on the 12th.

READ ALSO: How to enrol a foreign child at school in Spain

Costs of materials

The start of the school year this September is set to cost families an average of around €400 per child as costs of materials rise.

The cost varies by region with Valencia, Catalonia, and Navarre leading the ranking of highest prices, compared to Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha, which are among the cheapest.

Books and uniforms account for the largest increase - up to €229.79 on average per uniform and €192.26 on average per book. The largest increase is for those in primary are also books, where average price has increased by 4.55 percent on average. And in secondary schools they have increased by 1.52 percent.

Textbooks and stationery have seen increases of around 2.4 - 2.8 percent year-on-year, according to consumer research.

More and more families this year are turning to second-hand items due to rising costs, and 54 percent of them have already done so or are considering doing so.

In fact, 89 percent of families are concerned about rising prices, and 77 percent admit that going back to school is a financial challenge, according to a study by the buying and selling website Milanuncios.

KEY POINTS: What changes about life in Spain in September 2025

Financial help

Catalonia is once again giving a €60 voucher for primary and secondary school students for school supplies, with two €30 vouchers per student, redeemable until the end of November.

Madrid has launched its book lending programme once again in publicly funded centres.

Valencia also has a book bank - Xarxa Llibres which can help keep costs down.

New for the 2025-2026 school year

One of the overall aims for the new school year is to reduce the ratio of students to teachers in schools across the country, but without a clear-cut plan from the Ministry of Education and more staff recruited, this is unlikely to happen. There are also demands for more guidance for teachers in terms of how to best manage increasingly multicultural classrooms.

Castilla-La Mancha has signed an agreement with the unions to progressively reduce ratios of teachers to students, as well as teaching hours. Starting in 2025-2026, it will be 23 hours in preschool and primary education and 18 in secondary and high school.

The Canary Islands maintains its plan to move toward classrooms of 20 students in early childhood education, especially in areas with overcrowding.

Catalonia is launching a mobile phone ban in secondary schools as part of its Responsible Digitalisation Plan, which also restricts screens in preschool. Madrid will also start to remove digital devices from classrooms, especially at concertado schools.

In the Valencia region, the main change is the creation of student groups which take into account the base language chosen by the families (Spanish or Valencian).

READ ALSO: The differences between Spain's public, private and 'concertado' schools

Heatwave plans

Many regions have put heatwave plans in place for the new school year.

Madrid has activated its high-temperature plan with protocols in for adapting school hours, suspending physical activities during peak hours, and other preventive measures.

In Andalusia, the regional government is accelerating its bioclimatic adaptation plan with initiatives in more than 1,300 schools.

Barcelona is promoting a municipal climate control plan in 170 schools until 2029.