British schools in Valencia: curriculum, fees and how to choose

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

Families searching for British schools in Valencia soon find that the list stretches beyond the city: one school sits in the centre, others in the residential belt to the north, and a group of three runs campuses in Alzira, Xàtiva and Gandia. Commute, sixth form route and budget usually settle the choice.

For neighbourhoods and daily life, read our guide to moving to Valencia with kids.

What makes a school in Valencia genuinely British?

Two conditions: it teaches the English National Curriculum as its main framework, and the Spanish authorities have registered it as a foreign-system school. Royal Decree 806/1993, amended only by Royal Decree 131/2010, sets the rules. Article 7 requires entry in the public register of the competent education authority, in this case the Generalitat Valenciana. Article 14 asks for a certificate from the country's diplomatic representation confirming that the teaching has full official validity there. Schools that admit Spanish pupils must add Spanish language and culture and, where relevant, the regional language (article 10), so Valencian appears on many timetables.

On the British side, NABSS explains that the British Council certifies a school only after a positive report from a recognised inspectorate, and repeats the check after every inspection. Three labels are worth knowing:

• NABSS: the National Association of British Schools in Spain. Members must be authorised to deliver the British curriculum, follow the English National Curriculum and pass inspection. Its member list includes British School of Valencia, Caxton College, British College La Cañada, El Plantío International School, Cambridge House British International School and the Colegios Británicos group in Alzira, Xàtiva and Gandia.
• BSO: British Schools Overseas, an inspection against standards set by the UK Department for Education. The Independent Schools Inspectorate lists BSO reports for Caxton College from 2020 and 2023.
• COBIS: the Council of British International Schools, a separate membership body with its own accreditation; if a school mentions it, check the COBIS directory.

How do British year groups match Spanish school years?

By calendar year of birth, not by the English September cut-off. In Spain a child starts 1.º de Primaria in the calendar year in which they turn six (article 5.2 of Royal Decree 157/2022), and British schools here place pupils the same way. In England, most children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday, according to GOV.UK.

Equivalences from British School of Valencia's 2026-27 fee schedule and the NABSS table. In practice, a child born between September and December usually lands one year group higher than in England.

Which British schools are there in Valencia and nearby?

British School of Valencia

BSV teaches children from 2 to 18 on Carrer de les Filipines, with a separate pre-university building, BSV Nexus, an eight-minute walk from the main site. Students sit Cambridge International AS Levels in Year 12 and must complete four A Levels by the end of Year 13, alongside the Spanish PCE subject exams at UNED. The school enters Year 12 students for C1 Advanced and Year 13 for C2 Proficiency, and says it is accredited by NABSS. Tip: lunch is compulsory from Pre-Nursery to Year 4 at EUR 210 a month.

British School Alzira, Xàtiva and Gandia

One group with one fee schedule. Alzira opened in 1997 and keeps a maximum of two classes per year group; Xàtiva, founded in 2009, is a single-form school below the castle; British School Gandia, open since September 2015, has a Sixth Form start that the group's website gives both as 2026-27 and as 'the coming years', so ask which year groups run. Alzira and Xàtiva teach from Pre-Nursery to Year 13, with A Levels and PCE preparation. Tip: families not resident in Spain pay a one-off EUR 1,500 deposit.

Caxton College

Caxton sits in Puçol, north of the city. Its 2026-27 schedule includes lunch in tuition, from EUR 8,420 a year in Nursery and Reception to EUR 9,980 in Years 12 and 13, paid in ten instalments. Budget separately for external exams: about EUR 1,200 for IGCSEs in Year 11 and EUR 900 a year for AS and A Levels.

British College La Cañada

In La Cañada, Paterna, BCLC charges EUR 6,040 a year from Nursery to Year 1 and EUR 8,010 in Years 12 and 13 for 2026-27, plus a one-off EUR 925 enrolment fee. It also runs a BTEC route, with a EUR 725 registration fee and about EUR 400 a year in certification costs.

How much do British schools in Valencia cost in 2026-27?

Tuition alone runs from about EUR 5,700 to EUR 10,000 a year, but schools bill in different units.

Monthly fees run over ten months, September to June, as published in each school's 2026-27 schedule. BSV cuts its admission fee to EUR 1,600 for siblings and entrants from Year 7.

Extras that change the total:

• Lunch: EUR 210 a month at BSV, EUR 223 plus EUR 8 nursing at the British School Group, EUR 208 to 214 at BCLC.
• Transport: EUR 210 a month at BSV and the British School Group, EUR 198 at BCLC, EUR 182 on Caxton's Valencia city route.
• Materials: EUR 242 a term at BSV, EUR 223 a term at BCLC, EUR 464 a year at Caxton.
• University paperwork: BCLC budgets EUR 335 for UNED and EUR 125 for the Hague apostille; Caxton about EUR 400 and EUR 100.

Can A Level students go to a Spanish university?

Yes, without sitting the PAU. Orden EFD/550/2025, published in the BOE on 31 May 2025, lists the United Kingdom in its annex I: students need at least five IGCSEs at A* to C (or 9 to 4), three A Levels at A* to E and a minimum of 48 UCAS Tariff points across their best four AS or A Level grades. UNED's accreditation service, UNEDasiss, then turns those points into an access mark from 5 to 10, mapping the range of 48 to 224 points onto the Spanish scale. Our guide to A Levels in Spain and university entry has the grade-by-grade table.

Because results arrive after the deadline, article 4.4 of the order lets UNED accept provisional documents. Article 23.3 of Royal Decree 534/2024 also lets universities weigh specific subjects, and the order obliges them to publish that list at the start of each year, which is why BSV and the British School Group prepare students for UNED's PCE exams. The decree was amended by Royal Decree 482/2025 and Royal Decree 535/2026, which changed other provisions.

How to choose a British school in Valencia

Start with the map. Puçol, La Cañada, the city centre and the southern campuses mean very different commutes; ask which bus routes reach your street.

Decide early on the sixth form. A Levels with PCE suit a Spanish or UK degree; BCLC's BTEC suits a more vocational profile.

1. Ask to see the authorisation and the latest NABSS or BSO inspection report.
2. Confirm the year group using the calendar-year rule.
3. Add lunch, transport, materials and exam fees to tuition.
4. Ask how many hours of Spanish and Valencian your child will have.
5. Check the English level required for entry at your child's age.

Compare schools across Valencia

To compare British, American, French and IB options with fees and locations, see our ranking of the best international schools in Valencia.

Sources: BOE; GOV.UK; NABSS; Independent Schools Inspectorate; 2026-27 fee schedules of British School of Valencia, Colegios Británicos, Caxton College and British College La Cañada.

More guides to schools in Valencia

• How to choose an international school in Valencia
• International school fees in Valencia
• International school admissions in Valencia
• Bilingual schools in Valencia
• Best international schools in Valencia
• best international schools in Valencia

Frequently asked questions

Does my child need English to join a British school in Valencia?

Not in the early years. British School of Valencia asks for no prior English from Pre-Nursery to Year 1. From Year 2 to Year 6 it requests school reports, proof of English and a meeting with the Head of Primary, and Sixth Form applicants need five IGCSEs at A* to C (or 9 to 4) and C1 to C2 English, according to its admissions page.

Which year group will my child join in a British school in Valencia?

It depends on the calendar year of birth. Year 2 matches 1.º de Primaria, the course children start in the calendar year they turn six under Royal Decree 157/2022. Because England groups pupils from 1 September, a child born between September and December usually joins one year group higher in Valencia than in an English school.

Do A Level students also need the Spanish Bachillerato in Valencia?

Not for university entry: UNEDasiss accredits an access mark from IGCSE and A Level results under Orden EFD/550/2025. Schools still plan the Spanish paperwork in Year 13. Caxton College budgets about EUR 400 for UNED accreditation and Ministry homologation fees, plus about EUR 100 for the Hague apostille, in its 2026-27 schedule.