International Schools near Altea: A Guide for Families

International schools near Altea are the first question for most families planning a move: which kind of school to choose, when to apply, and what to do if you want a curriculum other than the Spanish one. This guide covers the Spanish system, the international schools within reach of Altea, the 2026 calendar and the paperwork.

Altea has enough state and concertado schools for infant, primary and secondary education. For an international curriculum, families look at the neighbouring towns of La Nucía, Alfaz del Pi and Benidorm.

Which international schools are there near Altea?

Near Altea there are three British curriculum schools, two Norwegian schools and a private international school with an American dual diploma option, all in La Nucía, Alfaz del Pi or Benidorm. We checked each school below on its own website on 6 November 2026. Schools change their offer, so confirm stages, places and fees directly before you decide.

Sierra Bernia School, founded in 1973, runs a coastal school bus between Calpe and Benidorm, according to its website. Den norske skole Costa Blanca has taught Norwegian children in Spain since 1972 and follows the Norwegian curricula with Norwegian teachers. The Norwegian embassy in Spain also lists a second Norwegian school in the municipality, Den norske skolen Albir, in l'Albir.

What should you check before choosing an international school near Altea?

Before choosing an international school near Altea, ask each school for its full fee breakdown, its admissions dates and its transport and lunch arrangements. We give no fees or places here, because they change every year and each school manages them independently. Three points apply to most of them:

• Almost all offer a full school day with lunch and school transport. That matters if you live in an urbanisation away from the town centre, such as Altea Hills or Altea la Vella.
• Private international schools set their own fees. Ask for the full breakdown (registration, monthly fee, materials, activities) before comparing schools.
• Admissions at international schools do not follow the Conselleria calendar. Each school sets its own dates, and some have waiting lists for particular year groups.

Contact each school that interests you, visit the facilities and ask for the educational project in writing before you commit. If you need help working out which part of Altea sits closest to which school, contact our team.

How do state, concertado and private schools work in Spain?

Spain has three types of school: state schools, which are free; concertado schools, privately owned but publicly funded; and private schools, which set their own fees. The differences go beyond price.

• State (público): free, run by the Conselleria de Educación of the Valencian Community, with no enrolment fee. Places are allocated by catchment area and a points scale (siblings at the school, distance, income).
• Concertado: a private school with public funding for the subsidised teaching. Free teaching cannot depend on compulsory fees or donations, though optional services and activities can carry a cost, under article 88 of the Spanish Education Act (BOE). Many have their own religious or teaching ethos. Admission follows a process similar to state schools, on the same calendar.
• Private: no public funding, fees set by the school and an independent admissions process. Most of the international schools near Altea fall into this group.

When is the school enrolment period in the Valencian Community in 2026?

For the 2026/2027 school year in the Valencian Community, infant and primary applications ran from 7 to 18 May 2026, and secondary applications from 21 May to 1 June, according to the Generalitat's 2026/2027 admissions procedure. The Conselleria de Educación sets the school calendar every year. The 2026 sequence for infant and primary was:

1. Applications from 7 to 18 May 2026.
2. Provisional lists on 4 June.
3. Final lists on 18 June.
4. Enrolment, online or in person, from 18 June to 2 July.

For ESO (compulsory secondary) and Bachillerato (the two year pre university course), applications ran from 21 May to 1 June, with final lists on 2 July. The calendar is published each spring for the following year. If you move partway through the year, ask Altea town hall's information office or check the Conselleria website for places outside the normal period. They come up often, when other families leave or transfer.

A mid year arrival follows a different route: you apply for a late place (escolarización sobrevenida) directly at the school or with the Conselleria, and allocation depends on real availability at that moment. This is general guidance: always confirm the exact dates for your school year with the Conselleria de Educación of the Generalitat Valenciana or with Altea town hall.

What documents do you need to enrol a foreign child in a school in Altea?

To enrol a foreign child in a school in Altea, you need the padrón registration, a birth certificate, the child's identity document, the previous school record and the vaccination record. Gather these before you apply:

1. Padrón registration in the town (Altea or wherever you live), which proves the family address.
2. Family book or birth certificate, with a sworn translation if it is not in Spanish.
3. The child's identity document (passport, or DNI or NIE if the child already has one).
4. The academic record of the previous year if the child comes from another country, ideally translated and, in some cases, with an apostille.
5. The vaccination record, usually requested for infant and primary.

Each school can ask for extra documents, so confirm the exact list with the school office before your enrolment appointment.

What does the Faculty of Fine Arts bring to Altea?

Altea is home to the Faculty of Fine Arts of the Universidad Miguel Hernández, at Pla de Castell, which offers a degree in Fine Arts and a master's in art research and projects. The degree includes specialisms in visual arts and design. Beyond compulsory schooling, that gives Altea an unusual role in higher education.

It is one of the four campuses of the Universidad Miguel Hernández of Elche, and it draws students from all over Spain and from abroad, which is rare for a town the size of Altea. That university presence explains part of the town's cultural life: galleries, exhibitions and an artistic atmosphere that would not fit a purely tourist resort.

How does the choice of school fit with where you live in Altea?

Where your children go to school and where you buy are closely linked. Living in the old town or Altea Pueblo puts state schools within walking distance. Living in Altea Hills or Altea la Vella means relying on school transport or the car every day.

We compare the seven areas of the town and their daily logistics in the guide to Altea's neighbourhoods, and cover family life as a whole in the guide to living in Altea. The inland village is covered in our guide to living in Altea la Vella.

If schooling is part of your decision to buy, browse homes for sale in Altea by number of bedrooms and area, or talk to our team about which neighbourhoods sit closest to each type of school.