Schools in Málaga: British schools, Spanish state schools and UK university

Between Málaga and Marbella you can follow the National Curriculum for England from nursery to A levels, or go fully local in a free Spanish state school.

The short version

• School is compulsory in Spain from 6 to 16, and state schools are free [1][2].
• The National Association of British Schools in Spain (NABSS) lists more than ten member schools in Málaga province, from Málaga city and Torremolinos to Marbella and Estepona [3].
• Fees are well below UK private school fees. The British School of Málaga, for example, charges EUR 8,780 to EUR 12,050 a year (about £7,315 to £10,040) in tuition for 2026/27, plus enrolment fees [4].
• UK home fee status for university depends on when you moved. The Withdrawal Agreement protection for UK nationals in the EEA covers courses starting before 1 January 2028 [5].

Pound conversions use the Bank of England spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = EUR 1.20).

How Spanish schooling works

Spain's system looks different on paper from the UK's, but the ages line up well enough [2]:

The FCDO's Living in Spain guide confirms that all children aged 6 to 16 must attend school, and that schooling is run by each autonomous community, which here means the Junta de Andalucía [1]. Nurseries and preschools are also the region's job.

Three kinds of school

• Public schools (colegios públicos) are free and teach in Spanish. Primary children usually go to a CEIP; secondary pupils go to an IES.
• Concertados are privately run but publicly funded, often religious, and much cheaper than fully private schools.
• Private international schools charge full fees. On the Costa del Sol most of them follow the National Curriculum for England.

Younger children usually pick up Spanish astonishingly fast in a local school, and plenty of British families in Málaga swear by it. It's a bigger leap for a teenager starting ESO with no Spanish, which is why many families with older children go private, at least at first.

British-curriculum schools from Málaga to Marbella

These are the Málaga province members of NABSS when we checked its directory on 7 November 2026 [3]. NABSS membership means the school is inspected against British standards.

Most take children from 2 or 3 up to 18 and offer GCSEs or IGCSEs and A levels. Sunny View, for example, teaches the National Curriculum for England from age 2 to 18 [6]. Many British schools here also teach Spanish language and culture, which helps if your child might stay in the Spanish system later.

Geography matters as much as Ofsted-style reputation. The school run between Málaga and Marbella is long on the A-7 or the AP-7 toll road, so most families pick a school first and then look for a flat nearby. Several schools run their own buses.

Fees and admissions

Fees vary by school and by year group, and most publish them on their websites each spring. To give you a real benchmark, here are the 2026/27 fees at The British School of Málaga [4]:

On top of that, the school charges a one-off registration fee of EUR 1,100 (about £915) for new pupils and an annual enrolment fee of EUR 1,100 [4]. Tuition can be paid once a year or in ten monthly instalments. Transport, uniform, trips, after-school clubs, Chromebooks and exam fees are extra [4]. Other schools publish their own figures, often as PDFs on their admissions pages, so compare like with like: what's included varies.

Aloha College, a not-for-profit school, says its fees include textbooks, materials, accident insurance and compulsory day trips [7].

How to apply

1. Shortlist by location, then book visits or virtual open days. Most schools run them through the autumn.
2. Ask about waiting lists in popular year groups, especially in Marbella.
3. Send your child's last two UK school reports and any SEN reports; expect an assessment or interview.
4. Check how year groups are set. Make sure you know which year your child will go into, especially if their birthday is near the cut-off.
5. For a state school, register on the padrón first and apply to the Junta de Andalucía during the annual admissions window in spring; outside that, ask the school or the local education office about places mid-year. See the padrón.

UK university from Málaga

This is where timing matters. To be charged home fees (and get student finance) in England, you normally need to have lived in the UK for three years before your course. There's a Brexit exception for families who were already in the EEA [5]:

• you were living in the EEA or Switzerland on 31 December 2020
• you've lived in the EEA, Switzerland, the UK or Gibraltar for at least three years before your course, and continuously since 31 December 2020
• the course starts before 1 January 2028

Your children can qualify on the same terms, as long as both of you meet the conditions [5]. Families who moved to Málaga in 2021 or later usually don't fit, so a child applying from Spain may be classed as an international student, which costs a great deal more. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own rules [5]. Our guide to UK student loans while living abroad covers what happens after graduation.

Applying itself works the same: through UCAS, with the school's sixth-form team writing the reference. Pupils who want a Spanish university take the Spanish university entrance exams; The British School of Málaga, for example, prepares its sixth form for both A levels and Spanish university access [4].

If you're weighing up schools, our community group for Brits in Spain is full of parents who've done the school run along the coast.

Sources

1. GOV.UK (FCDO): Living in Spain – schools and education (last updated 3 July 2026)
2. European Commission, Eurydice: Spain – overview of the education system (updated 3 September 2026)
3. NABSS: British schools in Andalucía
4. The British School of Málaga: Tarifas 2026/27
5. GOV.UK (DfE): UK nationals in the EEA and Switzerland – access to higher education
6. Sunny View School, Torremolinos
7. Aloha College Marbella: School fees

Keep reading

• Moving to Málaga as a Brit: visa and residence routes
• Renting in Málaga
• Registering a child born abroad and British citizenship by descent
• UK student loans while living abroad