The 2006 Education Act and the 2013 Act on the Improvement of the Quality of Education, modifying it, are the basic rules currently governing the educational provision of the Spanish education system.

The 2006 Act on Education establishes Pre-Primary Education, an educational stage in its own right which is non-compulsory, as the first stage of the education system. It is organised into two cycles of three years each: the first one, up to 3 years of age, and the second one, from 3 to 6 years of age. The Act on the Improvement of the Quality of Education, that began to be implemented the 2014/15 academic year, did not introduce any change in this educational stage.

The Autonomous Communities regulate the objectives, contents, evaluation, organisation, as well as the requirements schools have to meet in the first cycle of the stage. In the second cycle, however, all these aspects are regulated by the State and the Autonomous Communities complete them for their respective regions.

Aim and general objectives

The aim of Pre-Primary Education is to contribute to the physical, emotional, social and intellectual development of children in close cooperation with families. The two cycles of the stage should progressively pay attention to emotional development, body movement and control, communication and verbal expression, basic guidelines of coexistence and social relations, as well as discovery of the physical and social characteristics of the environment. The development of a positive and balanced image of themselves and the acquisition of personal autonomy should also be encouraged.

In accordance with the Act on Education and the Royal Decree establishing the core curricula for the second cycle of Pre-Primary Education, the general objectives of this stage are the following:

• Know their own and others’ bodies, its capacities, and learn to respect differences.
• Observe and explore their family, natural and social environment.
• Acquire progressive autonomy in their regular activities.
• Develop their emotional abilities.
• Socialise with others and progressively acquire the basic guidelines of coexistence and social relations, as well as practise the peaceful resolution of conflicts.
• Develop communicative skills in different languages and types of expression.
• Begin developing logical-mathematical abilities, reading and writing, as well as movement, gesture and rhythm.

The Autonomous Communities, in the exercise of their educational powers, complete the general objectives of the stage.

Schools providing pre-primary education

Pre-Primary Education is offered in public or private schools, which may provide the first cycle of the stage, the second or both. Public schools offering Pre-Primary Education are called Pre-Primary schools and those also providing primary education are known as Pre-Primary and Primary schools.

Almost every institution which provides pre-primary education falls within the competence of the education authorities. In some Autonomous Communities, there are schools for children aged 0 to 3 years which depend upon the social area, such as areas that are related to family or welfare.

In 2013/14, a total of 9 296 schools offered exclusively the first cycle of pre-primary education. Of these schools, 4 310 were public, 1 340 were publicly-funded private schools and 3 646 were private. In addition, a total of 14 274 schools provided the second cycle of the stage: 10 625 were public, 3 073 were publicly-funded private and 576 were private. The number of schools varies significantly from one Autonomous Community to another.

Educational policy

The priorities of Spain’s educational policy regarding Pre-Primary Education focus on the improvement of quality and access to education during the first years of life.

The Education Act already envisaged a free second cycle of Pre-Primary Education, and urged the Education Authorities to progressively provide enough school places for the first cycle through agreements with the local corporations, other authorities or non-profit private institutions. The main lines of action were:

• Continue increasing the number of public school places for children under 3 years of age.
• Offer enough school places in public schools and establish a system of subsidy arrangements in order to ensure a free second cycle.
• Adapt the schools offering this stage to the minimum requirements established by the Education Authorities, such as facilities or pupil/teacher ratio.

For detailed information on the main ongoing reforms and developments from 2013 to the present day, see article National reforms in early childhood education and care.