Españaula Blog: Your Guide to Schools & Education in Málaga & the Costa del Sol

Moving to Spain with school-aged children often brings one of the first big questions parents ask:

“What grade will my child be placed in?”

It seems simple, but the answer can be confusing when you realize that Spain, the US, and the UK all use different cutoff dates, terminology, and structures. A child who was in 1st grade in California might land in 2º Primaria in Spain, all depending on the year they were born. Adding to the confusion, if a child enters an international school that follows the British curriculum, their corresponding grade level will likely not align as compulsory education starts earlier in the UK than in Spain and the United States.

How Spain Determines Grade Level

Spain uses a strict calendar-year system:

• Children born January 1–December 31 of the same year are placed in the same class. For example, all children born in 2022 started 1º Infantil this 2025-2026 school year.
• There are no exceptions for early or late birthdays.
• Schools do not base placement on “previous grade,” only on birth year/age cohort.

This means a child born in December will be one of the youngest, while a child born in January will be one of the oldest—but they will still be placed together.

Because of this, sometimes international families find that their child either:

• Appears to be placed a grade ahead, or
• Appears to be held back, compared to their previous school system.

It’s also important to note:

Neither Spain nor the UK allows “redshirting” (choosing to delay school entry) as flexibly as the US; placement is determined by the child’s age and birthdate, not by parent preference due to perceived or actual readiness.

How the US Determines Grade Level

In most school districts in the United States, schools use an August 31 or September 1 cutoff (though some districts, notably NYC, follow the same birth year placement as Spain).

• Children must be 5 by cutoff to enter Kindergarten.
• A child with a September through December birthday will start school nearly a full year later than a Spanish child born the same year.

This is why US-born children with fall birthdays face “skipping a grade” when entering Spanish schools, they, in theory, would join peers born the same year rather than the direct grade correlation.

How the UK Determines Grade Level

The UK uses an August 31 cutoff, which means children start Reception in the September after they turn four. Similar to a transition from the US, the cutoff dates, year naming, and structure of early primary differ enough to create confusion for families.

What If My Child Ends Up in a Higher Grade in Spain?

This situation is not uncommon for families, especially those with September–December birthdays.

Example:
A US child born October 2019 would most likely be in kindergarten in the US but 1º Primaria in Spain.

Often this shift means:

• More academic expectations and being introduced to material not yet learned
• Being the youngest instead of the oldest

Can I Request That My Child Start One Year Below?

Yes, an honest conversation about the potential discrepancy in learned material and emotional readiness, in addition to expected challenges due to a new language can go a long way.

Repetition in Spain is not rare – children will repeat a year if the school believes it is academically necessary, so making a case to pre-emptively do this is not out of the question, and there are plenty of instances where schools agree to this up front.

If you believe your child should enter one year below their age cohort, you should:

1. Explain your concerns when you register
2. Provide documentation showing previous grade level and any relevant evaluations or records from your previous school or specialists
3. Be prepared for the school to evaluate during initial weeks before deciding

For younger children (Infantil grades), “holding back” to align with their last completed level abroad is less common as they tend to be able to adjust and absorb everything much quicker, but as but grade levels progress, these are important considerations and conversations to have.

In instances where a student finds themselves in a grade “behind” what they were previously in, many find it to be a useful way to be able to focus on learning the language without the added stress of new academic material during what is already a challenging year.

Grade Comparison Chart: Spain vs. US vs. UK

Here’s a clear reference showing how typical age cohorts align across systems:

Age	Spain	US	UK
3–4	1º Infantil	3K/TK/Preschool	Nursery
4–5	2º Infantil	Pre-K	Reception
5–6	3º Infantil	Kindergarten	Year 1
6–7	1º Primaria	1st Grade	Year 2
7–8	2º Primaria	2nd Grade	Year 3
8–9	3º Primaria	3rd Grade	Year 4
9–10	4º Primaria	4th Grade	Year 5
10–11	5º Primaria	5th Grade	Year 6
11–12	6º Primaria	6th Grade	Year 7
12–13	1º ESO	7th Grade	Year 8
13–14	2º ESO	8th Grade	Year 9
14–15	3º ESO	9th Grade	Year 10
15–16	4º ESO	10th Grade	Year 11
16–17	Bachillerato 1	11th Grade	Year 12
17–18	Bachillerato 2	12th Grade	Year 13

If you need help confirming the correct grade, understanding exceptions, or navigating enrollment Españaula can guide you every step of the way.