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

If you’re coming from the U.S., Spanish school reports can feel confusing — even unsettling (if you are directly translating words and absorbing the meaning as used in English) — the first time you read them. There are no A’s or B’s, few numbers in the early years, and a lot of words like adecuado and bien that don’t seem to map neatly onto what you’re used to. Parents often ask: Is this good? Is my child behind? Why does everything sound so vague?

The short answer is this: Spain approaches grading very differently. Assessment is designed to track development and readiness over time, not to rank or label children or signal achievement early. Once you understand that underlying philosophy, Spanish report cards start to make a lot more sense and even reassuring.

A fundamentally different philosophy

In the U.S. grading tends to be performance-based and comparative, even at an early age. Children are often measured against fixed benchmarks based on testing, grade-level standards, or even against one another. Frequent feedback, early testing, and clear distinctions between “above,” “at,” or “below” level, accompanied by ranked percentiles are considered normal, often with a focus on labeling and even separating children early based on perceived giftedness or advanced skill level.

Spain takes a more developmental and longitudinal view. Especially in public and concertado schools, the goal of assessment is to determine whether a child is progressing appropriately for their age and stage, and whether they are ready for what comes next. Teachers rely heavily on professional judgment, observation, and patterns over time rather than isolated results.

Educación Infantil (ages 3–6): observation, not grades

Educación Infantil is non-compulsory and more project and play-based with a focus on preparedness for academic learning in the coming years. Children are not evaluated on what they “know” in the traditional sense, but on how they are developing emotionally, socially, physically, and cognitively.

Reports are based on continuous observation and describe how a child is adapting to school routines, interacting with peers, communicating, regulating emotions, and beginning early learning behaviors like attention, curiosity, and autonomy.

Instead of grades, families see descriptive terms. The most common are adecuado and bueno.

Adecuado means that development is exactly where it should be for age. It does not mean average, minimal, or borderline, and receiving it using the English meaning of adequate would not accurately describe what it is conveying. In fact, in Infantil, adecuado is often the most appropriate and most reassuring descriptor a teacher can use. Bueno is used more sparingly and signals that a skill is already well consolidated or stands out as a strength.

For U.S. and parents coming from a variety of other education systems, this can feel counterintuitive. In Anglo systems, reports often emphasize positives and highlight strengths early. In Spain, teachers are intentionally conservative. A report full of adecuado usually means there are no concerns at all.

This conservative approach is especially common in areas like language, attention, and emotional regulation — all of which develop unevenly at ages three to five, and even more so for bilingual children.

Occasionally, families may see terms other than adecuado or bueno in Infantil reports. Phrases like en proceso indicate that a skill is beginning to emerge and is still developing, which is entirely normal at this age. Necesita acompañamiento or necesita refuerzo means the teacher is providing extra support or guidance in a specific area, not that there is a failure or diagnosis. Less commonly, no adquirido or no consolidado may appear, especially early in the year, simply to note that a skill has not yet appeared. In Infantil, these labels are descriptive and temporary; they are used to guide classroom support, not to judge outcomes or predict future performance.

Educación Primaria (ages 6–12): descriptors and numbers together

Formal grading begins in Educación Primaria, but it still looks different from what many international families are used to. Spain uses a combination of descriptive terms and a 0–10 numerical scale.

The descriptive terms you’ll see are:

• Insuficiente
• Suficiente
• Bien
• Notable
• Sobresaliente

Alongside these descriptors, students receive numerical grades from 0 to 10. However, these numbers do not function like U.S. percentages.

A 5 (suficiente) means the student has met expectations. A 6 (bien) indicates solid, reliable performance. Scores of 7 or 8 (notable) reflect strong understanding and good progress. Grades of 9 or 10 (sobresaliente) are reserved for exceptional mastery and are intentionally rare.

This is one of the biggest cultural adjustments for U.S. families. In an American context, a 70 or 80 might feel mediocre. In Spain, a 7 or 8 is very good. A child consistently earning 6s, 7s, and occasional 8s is doing well academically.

Educación Secundaria (ages 12–16):

In Secundaria, the same 0–10 scale is used, but grades carry more weight. Promotion decisions matter more, exams become more prominent, and failing multiple subjects can lead to repetition. While repeating a grade is Spain is not necessarily common, it is also not rare like in the US where there are many factors aside from student development that play into grade progression.

If your child’s report shows mostly adecuado, bien, or numerical grades between 6 and 8, that typically means your child is doing well and progressing as expected within the Spanish system.

Spanish grading can feel opaque at first, especially if you’re used to more explicit praise or constant metrics. But once you understand the system’s intent, many families find it refreshing and more respectful of how children actually develop.

If you’re navigating Spanish schools and want help interpreting reports, choosing the right school, or planning enrollment, Españaula supports families with clear guidance and calm, practical support every step of the way.