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CHOOSING a school that has a good reputation, in the right location and with hours that suit you and your child can be a difficult and time-consuming task. How do you know which schools are the best in the area that will meet the educational needs of your child?

In this special education supplement, we take a look at who comes up trumps in the annual school rankings from Forbes Spain and El Español in 2022, with two schools in Marbella placing in the top five.

Laura Kemp

How the rankings are formed

The school rankings are based on a wide range of criteria including student to teacher, accessibility for students with special needs, the average grades of the school, languages taught, extra-curricular activities, infrastructure and transport available, diversity and inclusion, fees and more.

Laude San Pedro International College, Marbella

Laude San Pedro International College in Marbella has earned its way to second place on the Forbes Spain list of the top 100 schools in Spain. An impressive feat, this international college teaches the British curriculum to children from age three to 18 and has an impressive range of extra-curricular activities.

Aloha College, Marbella

Aloha College, at number five on the Forbes list, teaches the British curriculum and has more than 35 years of ex- perience in teaching pupils from the age of three to 18. Over 50 nationalities attend the school and classes are based on the British curriculum.

San Jose College, Marbella

Number 28 on the Forbes list is San Jose College in Marbella. This school is known for instilling important values in its students, encouraging teamwork, curiosity for knowledge, critical thinking and international mentality. Personal growth and teamwork are taught through sports, artistic and cultural activities, including caring for the environment and commitment to society. Also in the rankings are Novaschool Sunland International School in Malaga, Salliver College in Fuenegirola and the British School of Malaga in Malaga.

DOES it really matter how big your child’s school is and how many students are in each class? In short, yes, size does matter when it comes to schools. Class sizes make a huge difference to children academically and emotionally, and it also has a huge impact on teachers.

Lots of children in one space can be chaotic enough, but trying to get them to engage and learn - particularly as we all have different learning styles - is extremely difficult for teachers of large classes. However, it’s not always possible to choose where your child goes to school and they may have to attend larger classes than you would prefer.

This is most important in the early years of school, when young children are learning the foundations of reading, writing and more. They will need more attention and help during this time. The ideal class size for early schoolers is between 14 and 20 students, while older kids can fare fine in slightly larger classes.

It’s worth noting that private schools in Spain do tend to have significantly smaller class sizes than public schools and offer a wider choice of subjects. If your child is attending a large school with lots of pupils, there are some things you can do to make sure your child gets the attention they deserve and to make the most of their learning.

Be sure to communicate any big life changes, issues or concerns with your child’s teacher so that they are aware of any behavioural or learning issues and the reasons behind this. You can also ask the teacher for any advice on how you can help the learning process. If you suspect your child is struggling in a large school or class, utilise outside resources like after-school tutoring or guidance counselling.