Junta de Andalucía – the Spanish education authority

Through its department of education (Consejería de Desarrollo Educativo y Formación Profesional), Junta de Andalucía works to ensure that all children and young people in Andalusia have access to a high-quality, inclusive education – and that every school in the region meets the requirements set by law.

Does this apply to all schools in Spain?

Yes. Education is regulated nationally but administered by Spain's 17 autonomous regions. Every school – public, semi-public (concertado) and fully private – needs administrative authorisation from its regional education authority before it may open and operate, and all of them are subject to the Spanish education inspectorate, Inspección Educativa. In Andalusia that authority is Junta de Andalucía. Schools teaching another country's curriculum, like ours, are additionally covered by the specific regulation for foreign schools in Spain (Real Decreto 806/1993).

What supervision means in practice

Before a school may open. Authorisation is granted only when the school meets the national minimum requirements in Real Decreto 132/2010, covering the layout and floor area per pupil, the size of classrooms and playground, hygiene and safety, accessibility, the maximum number of pupils per group and staff qualifications. Any change to premises, year groups or places requires a new decision from the authority.

Ongoing inspection. After authorisation the school is subject to Inspección Educativa. The remit is set out in the Spanish education act (LOE, article 151): to supervise and monitor the school's teaching and organisation, follow up the work of teachers and school leadership, check that laws and regulations are complied with, and take part in evaluating the education system. Inspectors have the right to visit the school, access documentation and speak with staff.

How the work is planned. In Andalusia the inspectorate works from a multi-year plan – Plan General de Actuación 2023–2027 – broken down into annual plans per province. Every school has an assigned inspector who is its permanent contact at the authority.

Requirements that apply to us. Beyond premises and safety, the authority sets requirements on Spanish language and culture in the teaching, which is why we have teachers holding a Spanish teaching licence qualified in Spanish. All our teachers hold a Swedish teaching licence.

What supervision does not cover. Junta de Andalucía does not review the content of the Swedish curriculum. That part rests on Swedish governing documents and on our approval from Skolverket for supplementary Swedish – we are not a state-funded Swedish school abroad.

Sources: Real Decreto 132/2010 (BOE), Plan General de Actuación 2023–2027 (BOJA) and the remit of Inspección Educativa.

Education initiatives and programmes

• Primary and secondary education: Junta de Andalucía oversees and administers primary and secondary schools in the region and ensures schools follow national and regional curricula.
• Preschool education: The region offers extensive preschool programmes for children aged 0–6 that promote early childhood development.
• Special needs education: Support and resources for pupils with special educational needs, including adapted teaching methods.
• Digitalisation and innovation: Digital tools and resources for schools, interactive classrooms, learning platforms and training for teachers in digital pedagogy.
• Teacher training: Ongoing training and professional development for teachers and school leaders.
• Cultural and linguistic diversity: Programmes that support pupils from different backgrounds and teaching in several languages.
• Health and wellbeing: Health education, physical activity programmes and initiatives for a safe and supportive school environment.

Collaboration and partnerships

Junta de Andalucía works closely with schools, municipalities and other educational institutions to create a coherent and effective education structure. Swedish International School holds a permit and is supervised by Junta de Andalucía.

Read more about Junta de Andalucía here

What this means for Swedish families

For families moving here it is useful to know that education in Spain is largely handled at regional level. Compulsory schooling, the structure of the school year and local public holidays follow Andalusian rules, which affects when schools have breaks and how contact with the municipality works.

Our teaching follows the Swedish curriculum, but we live in the local context: Spanish is on the timetable from preschool, and the school calendar takes both Swedish and Andalusian holidays into account. That makes the transition easier whether the family stays for years or just a period.

Practical matters when you move

Moving to Spain involves several administrative steps such as an NIE number, empadronamiento and in some cases healthcare registration. We cover what we can in our guide to NIE and registration and in the guide to moving to Spain with children. For official decisions we always refer to Junta de Andalucía and your municipality.