Below you'll find insider tips on getting the best from Barcelona, from hints on finding a home to reviews of the hottest restaurants in town.
Not registered yet? Sign up now for special offers, community updates and an exclusive 15% discount off all products in our e-shop.
Nurseries & Pre-schools
State nursery education is in two stages: from 0 to 3 years and 3 to 6. Children in the first phase go to escolas de bressol. Places are not guaranteed and are awarded by lottery, although factors such as siblings who previously attended, distance from the school, and parents’ earnings are also taken into account.
Barcelona’s escolas de bressol are often purpose-built and considered excellent, so expect long waiting lists if you do not get a place immediately. Staff have state qualifications and are often very experienced, overseeing a variety of structured and unstructured play, outdoor activities and occasional excursions. It is not entirely free: the Catalan regional government (Generalitat) and Barcelona Municipality (Ajuntament) subsidise about two thirds. The remainder, which includes lunch and tea, works out at around €230 a month.
Every child resident in Spain has the right to a place in the second phase of state nursery, known as parvulari (from age 3 to 6), though you may not get a place in the school of your choice.
Parvulari centres are usually housed within a state primary school (known in Spain as CEIP), and while it could be understood as ‘pre-school’, it is much like school itself. Children sit at desks, do drawing and art-based work, and later are introduced to reading, writing and basic numeracy in preparation for primary school proper. Some parents feel uncomfortable at this early introduction of structure, but many also recognise that it is an excellent way of integrating. This second phase of nursery education is free, though children who eat in the school dining room (menjador, or in Spanish, comedor) are billed by the AMPA (a parents’ association), which runs the catering arrangements.
The notion of the drop-in nursery, or even a flexible timetable, is an alien one here. Timetables are long and, especially in the second phase, rigid, though parents can opt to bring their children home for lunch. Both escolas de bressol and parvulari open from 09:30 until 16:30. The length of the day is often quite a shock to people from the English-speaking world, but is regarded as perfectly normal by Catalans.
The Ajuntamet-distributed guide Barcelona és una bona escola (see introduction above) is an excellent resource for choosing a state nursery.
There plenty of private nurseries and pre-school groups in the city, though parents who want a more unstructured environment shouldn’t assume that private institutions are necessarily more progressive.
Below are the details of nurseries popular with foreign residents, either because they are English-speaking, or because they take a less rigid approach to play and timetables. There is only one Montessori nursery in Barcelona itself, the Scuola Primaria Montessori in Sarria (www.simontessori.com, 93 203 00 06), where only Italian is spoken.
Fees are usually charged monthly, and vary from €380 to €490 per month for all-day attendance, excluding food, which add from €70 to €140 on top. Most private nurseries are much more flexible in their timetables, allowing parents to opt for morning or afternoon sessions, or a few days a week. Waiting lists are likely, especially for nurseries nearer the city centre (such as The Playhouse or BCN Kinder).
Note too that the international and English-speaking schools detailed in the ‘Primary & Secondary Schools’ section also offer nursery facilities.
Barcelona’s escolas de bressol are often purpose-built and considered excellent, so expect long waiting lists if you do not get a place immediately. Staff have state qualifications and are often very experienced, overseeing a variety of structured and unstructured play, outdoor activities and occasional excursions. It is not entirely free: the Catalan regional government (Generalitat) and Barcelona Municipality (Ajuntament) subsidise about two thirds. The remainder, which includes lunch and tea, works out at around €230 a month.
Every child resident in Spain has the right to a place in the second phase of state nursery, known as parvulari (from age 3 to 6), though you may not get a place in the school of your choice.
Parvulari centres are usually housed within a state primary school (known in Spain as CEIP), and while it could be understood as ‘pre-school’, it is much like school itself. Children sit at desks, do drawing and art-based work, and later are introduced to reading, writing and basic numeracy in preparation for primary school proper. Some parents feel uncomfortable at this early introduction of structure, but many also recognise that it is an excellent way of integrating. This second phase of nursery education is free, though children who eat in the school dining room (menjador, or in Spanish, comedor) are billed by the AMPA (a parents’ association), which runs the catering arrangements.
The notion of the drop-in nursery, or even a flexible timetable, is an alien one here. Timetables are long and, especially in the second phase, rigid, though parents can opt to bring their children home for lunch. Both escolas de bressol and parvulari open from 09:30 until 16:30. The length of the day is often quite a shock to people from the English-speaking world, but is regarded as perfectly normal by Catalans.
The Ajuntamet-distributed guide Barcelona és una bona escola (see introduction above) is an excellent resource for choosing a state nursery.
There plenty of private nurseries and pre-school groups in the city, though parents who want a more unstructured environment shouldn’t assume that private institutions are necessarily more progressive.
Below are the details of nurseries popular with foreign residents, either because they are English-speaking, or because they take a less rigid approach to play and timetables. There is only one Montessori nursery in Barcelona itself, the Scuola Primaria Montessori in Sarria (www.simontessori.com, 93 203 00 06), where only Italian is spoken.
Fees are usually charged monthly, and vary from €380 to €490 per month for all-day attendance, excluding food, which add from €70 to €140 on top. Most private nurseries are much more flexible in their timetables, allowing parents to opt for morning or afternoon sessions, or a few days a week. Waiting lists are likely, especially for nurseries nearer the city centre (such as The Playhouse or BCN Kinder).
Note too that the international and English-speaking schools detailed in the ‘Primary & Secondary Schools’ section also offer nursery facilities.
