Bilingual Schools in Murcia: A 2026 Guide for Expat Families

Quick answer: What are the bilingual school options in Murcia? Our shortlist covers four private options: two British schools, El Limonar International School Murcia and King's College, teaching in English with Spanish; a French lycée teaching in French and Spanish; and Cuatronaranjos, a primary school with about 50% English. Private fees run roughly €450 to €1,000 a month.

Last reviewed: October 2026 by Emma from ISA. Fee ranges are indicative; always confirm with the school.

Murcia attracts a steady flow of families from the UK, northern Europe and beyond, drawn by the climate, the lower cost of living than Madrid or Barcelona, and easy access to the Mar Menor coast. Many of them ask the same question soon after arriving: which bilingual schools in Murcia will let my child keep up their English or French while becoming confident in Spanish?

The honest answer is that "bilingual" means different things at different schools here. Some are English-medium international schools with Spanish built in, one is a French school with a Spanish strand, and a few are Spanish schools with a large share of the timetable in English. This guide explains how those models differ, how to judge a school's language policy, and which of the schools on our shortlist fits which kind of family.

Murcia for expat families: geography and where schools sit

The city of Murcia sits inland in the Segura valley, about 45 minutes by car from the coast at San Javier and the Mar Menor. Expat families tend to split between three areas: the city itself and its residential suburbs; the urbanisations to the north around Molina de Segura and Altorreal; and the golf resorts and coastal towns to the south-east towards Torre-Pacheco and San Javier.

The schools reflect that spread. Cuatronaranjos is inside the city, on Calle Alcalde Gaspar de la Peña. El Limonar International School Murcia is on Travesía Buenavista, on the southern side of the city, in large grounds of its own. The Lycée français international de Murcia is on Avenida del Golf in the Altorreal area to the north, and King's College Murcia is at La Torre Golf Resort in Roldán, off the Murcia to San Javier motorway.

Distances look small on a map, but public transport between the urbanisations is limited, so most families drive or use school buses. A home in Altorreal with a school in Roldán means a daily cross-region motorway run. Match the school to the area you will live in, or check bus routes before you sign anything.

What "bilingual" really means in Murcia

When families say bilingual, they usually mean one of three quite different things. It helps to know which you are looking at:

English-medium international schools with Spanish: lessons are taught mainly in English following the curriculum of England, with Spanish language and culture taught as subjects. ELIS Murcia and King's College Murcia follow this model.
French-medium school with Spanish and English: the Lycée français teaches the French curriculum in French and Spanish from age 2, with English taught for a substantial part of the week.
Spanish schools with a high share of English: the official Spanish curriculum, with a large part of the timetable in English. Cuatronaranjos delivers about 50% of school time in English, one of the clearest dual-language models in the city.
State schools in the SELE programme: free, Spanish-curriculum schools that teach some subjects in a foreign language, usually English.

Compulsory schooling in Spain runs from age 6 to 16, and the Region of Murcia runs its own bilingual programme in state schools known as SELE (Sistema de Enseñanza en Lenguas Extranjeras). For families on a budget, a SELE state school can be a sensible route, especially for younger children who will pick up Spanish quickly. The amount of English varies from school to school, so ask how many hours a week are taught in the foreign language and in which subjects.

Bilingual and international schools in Murcia

El Limonar International School Murcia (ELIS Murcia)

ELIS Murcia is a British curriculum school for boys and girls aged 3 to 18, following the National Curriculum for England and Wales and preparing pupils for further education in Spain and abroad. English is the language of instruction, and its profile lists French, German and Mandarin taught to a high level, which makes it the most broadly multilingual option on this list. Pupils can work towards a Dual Baccalaureate, an option many families use to keep both a British and a Spanish route open.

The campus covers 63,000 m2 of grounds with teaching and administration buildings and newer purpose-built facilities for younger pupils. According to its profile, the school has around 880 pupils and 75 teachers, a ratio of about 12 pupils per teacher, annual teacher turnover of around 5%, and about 10% international students. That last figure is worth noting: most classmates are Spanish families who have chosen an English-medium education, so children hear plenty of Spanish in the playground, which is often exactly what expat parents want.

The school has a PTA, a tutoring system, an educational psychologist, and a uniform with a tracksuit for sport. It holds regular in-person open days at 09:15, with dates listed for 21 October 2026, 25 November 2026 and 13 January 2027, among others. Who it fits: families who want a British education with strong exposure to Spanish and a third or fourth language, and who live in or south of the city.

King's College, The British School of Murcia

King's College Murcia is part of the King's College Schools group and teaches the UK curriculum to children from 18 months to 18 years on a single campus, covering early years, primary, secondary, IGCSE and A Levels. English is the language of instruction, with Spanish integrated throughout. It has a broad list of activities, from athletics, swimming and judo to dance, guitar and singing.

Who it fits: families living near the golf resorts or the Mar Menor who want the traditional IGCSE and A Level route. It starts at 18 months, which suits parents who both work and want continuity from nursery.

Lycée français international de Murcia

The Lycée français belongs to the Mission laïque française network, which has over 60,000 students in 108 schools across 37 countries. Pupils follow the French curriculum in French and Spanish from age 2, sit the Brevet des Collèges, and take the DELF (B2) and the French Baccalauréat, which is also homologated as the Spanish Bachillerato. English is also part of the timetable, giving pupils a third language. The school has its own kitchen and dining room and runs school transport.

Who it fits: French-speaking families, and Spanish or mixed families who want a trilingual education with French as the main language. A child with no French can join in the early years, but entry later on is harder, so ask about language support before applying.

Cuatronaranjos Murcia Active School

Cuatronaranjos is a small private school in the city, on Calle Alcalde Gaspar de la Peña, covering Early Years through the end of Primary. It follows the official Spanish curriculum through projects and outdoor learning, with reduced class sizes and no daily homework. About 50% of school time is in English, and each group has two tutors, one who speaks Spanish and one who speaks English. Admission includes a family interview, meeting the child and an assessment of the child's English.

Who it fits: families with younger children who want a genuinely dual-language Spanish school with an active approach. Because it finishes at 6th grade of Primary, plan the move to secondary early; the school runs a transition programme in 5th and 6th grade to prepare pupils for that change.

Fees for bilingual and international schools in Murcia

Most schools in Murcia do not publish full fee lists, so treat these as indicative ranges for 2026 to 2027. Fees are usually charged over 10 monthly instalments.

Nursery and early years: roughly €450 to €700 a month.
Primary: roughly €550 to €850 a month.
Secondary, IGCSE, A Level and Baccalaureate years: roughly €700 to €1,000 a month.

Ask each school for its current fee schedule in euros, as stage and sibling discounts vary. State schools in the SELE programme are free, though families still pay for books, materials and activities. Extras at private schools typically include:

Registration or enrolment fee, paid once on joining.
Reservation deposit to hold the place each year.
Uniform and tracksuit.
School transport, charged by route.
Lunch in the school dining room.
External exam fees for IGCSE, A Level, DELF or Cambridge English.
Devices and books, especially in secondary.
Extracurricular activities after school.

Practical advice for families choosing a bilingual school

Ask how many hours are taught in each language. A school can call itself bilingual with two hours of English a week or with half the timetable. Ask for the weekly split by subject and by year group, and ask which language is used in maths and science, since that is where the real language load sits. A clear answer is a good sign.

Listen to the playground, not just the classroom. At an English-medium school where most families are Spanish, your child will learn Spanish socially even if lessons are in English. At a school with many British families, the opposite may happen. When you visit, notice which language children use with each other at break.

Think about the end point. If your child may go to a Spanish university, check how the school handles homologation of qualifications and access to Spanish university entrance exams. The Dual Baccalaureate at ELIS and the Baccalauréat homologated as the Bachillerato at the Lycée français are both designed for this. If you expect to return to the UK, A Levels or a British-curriculum programme give the smoothest transfer.

Compare schools in the ranking

To see more schools in the region and compare family ratings, visit our list of the best international schools in Murcia.

More guides to schools in Murcia

Frequently asked questions

Are there free bilingual schools in Murcia?

Yes. State schools in the Region of Murcia can join SELE, the regional bilingual programme, which teaches some subjects in a foreign language, usually English. Tuition is free, though families pay for books, materials and activities. The share of English varies by school, so ask how many hours a week are taught in English and in which subjects before applying.

Which school in Murcia teaches about half the day in English?

Cuatronaranjos Murcia Active School, in the city centre, delivers about 50% of school time in English, with two tutors per group, one speaking Spanish and one speaking English. It covers Early Years to the end of Primary and follows the official Spanish curriculum through projects and outdoor learning. Admission includes an assessment of the child's English.

Can my child go to a Spanish university from an international school in Murcia?

Yes, with planning. ELIS Murcia offers a Dual Baccalaureate, and the Lycée français international de Murcia awards the French Baccalauréat, which is homologated as the Spanish Bachillerato. Students from British-curriculum schools with A Levels can also apply after homologation and, for some degrees, specific entrance exams. Ask each school how it supports this process in the final two years.