SEMI-PUBLIC SCHOOLS
One step up from state-schools are concertado schools run by private foundations.
These are also free but some offer bilingual education and they tend to be more forward-thinking than state schools.
Most are heavily oversubscribed and hard to get into at short notice.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Gran Canaria has a number of quality international schools that teach in English (plus some Spanish lessons focusing on the national curriculum).
They all charge around 600 euros per month not including transport, food and uniforms.
For English-speakers, the main options are the British School, Canterbury, Oakley College and the American School.
The first three focus on a British-style education while the last follows the American system.
For German-speakers there’s the Heidelberg and the Deutsche Schule focusing on German, while Francophones have the Lycée Français René-Verneau de Gran Canaria which offers a trilingual education and is close to Telde town on the east coast.
Another trilingual option is the Anita Conrad School in Las Palmas. It teaches in English, Spanish and German.
Since Gran Canaria’s Norwegian colony is based in the south of the island around Arguineguín, the Norwegian school is in Patalavaca.
If you prefer the Montessori system, then you have several options close to Las Palmas; the Montessori Gran Canaria in Vegueta, the Ludus and Escuela Montessori in Tafira, and the Casa de los Niños in Arucas.
HOMESCHOOLING IN GRAN CANARIA
Homeschooling is in a legal grey area in Spain because the law states that all children between the age of six and 16 must be schooled.
This doesn’t really affect people who spend a few month on the island, but is a consideration if you plan to spend a long period on the island and educate your kids at home.
FAMILY HEALTHCARE IN GRAN CANARIA
If you are European (EU; EEA or EFTA citizen) and in Gran Canaria for less than 90 days, you are covered by the European Health Card system.
For anyone staying for more than 90 days, the Spanish social security system is free to all foreign nationals with residencia. However, you do have to sign up and get a social security number to use it.
Another alternative is to take out private health insurance, either a valid multi-trip travel policy, or a Spanish health insurance policy (the minimum sign-up period is a year).
