Private High School in Benalmádena

Programme in a private school in Benalmadena, starting from 1 trimester

This programme is open to motivated students who already have some understanding of Spanish and are aged between 16 and 18. Students can spend a term, semester or academic year at a Spanish secondary school, and they become part of a Spanish host family’s daily life. The programme takes place in a private high school in Benalmádena, a few kilometres from Málaga in the south of Andalusia.

Discover Benalmádena

Benalmádena is a town with 50,000 inhabitants. Originally a fishing village with beautiful little white-washed houses, it has developed into a lively and animated town, all the while retaining its antique charm and character. The friendly people, the sports opportunities (water sports, golf, horse-riding…), night clubs, Flamenco shows, and the natural beauty of the seaside make Benalmádena the perfect place to study, relax, and enjoy the sun.

Its location in southern Andalusia makes organising excursions to the larger Spanish cities very simple. These wonderful cities are rich in culture and heritage, and may include: the Alhambra in Grenada, the Mezquita de Córdoba, the Giralda, the historical district in Sevilla…

Founded in 1975, our partner school is a prestigious private high school. For more than 30 years, its excellent results at the Selectividad have given it a ranking among the five best schools in the Málaga region.

Welcoming more and more international students, the establishment has a perfectly adapted teaching method for students who are not native Spanish speakers. The international students can, if they wish, take extra Spanish lessons. This cultural diversity makes integration easier and more enriching.

Since September 2000, the original facilities have changed to a modern building in the city centre, built on a large wooded area with many sports equipment and a swimming pool. The classrooms are spacious and the establishment welcomes students in an ideal environment with a cafeteria, a large library, a science lab, a fully equipped IT suite, a small theatre and an art studio.

During the last two years of secondary school, or “Bachillerato”, the students are required to take the following subjects: physical education, philosophy, Spanish literature, a foreign language and history. They can then choose three subjects from the following options: design technology, biology, physics, chemistry, maths, Latin, Greek etc…

In this programme, students take lessons in the same conditions as Spanish students. The timetable includes around 30 hours per week (depending on the chosen programme). Lessons take place from Monday to Friday, from 8:30 – 14:30 (except in September and June when they start at 9:00 and finish at 14:00).

Students can also take various sports activities (football, rugby, basketball, swimming, dance…) or cultural activities (music lessons, drama…) in the afternoons.

Education in Spain is split into three stages: primary school (6-12yrs), secondary school (12-16yrs) and the Bachillerato (6th form in England, 16-18yrs).

The Bachillerato corresponds to the last two years in secondary school. It is the final stage of the four years of “Compulsory Secondary Studies” (enseñanza secundaria obligatoria in spanish) and precedes the “Selectividad” exam, which students need in order to apply for University programmes. Students can either choose a science or humanities route.

The evaluation system accounts for all of the grades received throughout the year. There is no national exam that marks the end of study, and the end of school diploma is given depending on the results obtained throughout the year.

The school year is split into three terms. International students can join a class for a term (start of September), a semester (mid-January) or for a full academic year. The school year starts at the start of September and finishes at the end of June. There are two weeks for the Christmas holidays and two weeks at Easter.

The school organises activities all year long, such as: cultural visits, sports (golf, sailing, tennis, badminton, volleyball etc.) and excursions to Seville, Granada, Cordoba, Rhonda etc.

Other activities such as Spanish film showings, workshops on Spanish art, Flamenco lessons, restaurant outings & delicious tapas tastings are also organised. Everything is arranged with the aim of immersing students in Spanish culture.

The host families are probably the most important element of this programme, and it is for this reason that we pay special attention as to how these families are selected.

Our host families are all volunteers who wish to welcome foreign students into their homes out of a desire to share their lives and culture with a young person from another country. After having been selected on the basis of multiple interviews and references, the families take an active role in choosing in the student they host.

Families normally have students who attend the same school as the participant, and live about 20 minutes from the school.

Students normally stay in a double room and receive full board (three meals): breakfast and dinner are eaten with the family, and students are provided a lunch to take to school.

On location, the local co-ordinator is responsible for supporting international students. They are very experienced and know the local host families, and regularly contact the students to make sure their stay is going as smoothly as possible. They organise meetings to ensure that everything regarding the stay is going well both at the school and with the host family.

The school staff are of course also available should the students need any help or advice.

Must be between the ages of 16 and 18
Must have a good level of Spanish
Must be in good academic standing for the past two years
Must have the willingness to make new friends and share in the daily life of a host family
Must be able to prove that you have an interest in learning about other cultures and languages, that you are motivated, mature, and able to adapt.

The school year is split into three terms. As an international student, you can join a class for one term (start of September), a semester (mid-January) or for a full academic year.

If you live in the European Union, a student visa is not required for this programme. In other cases, a student visa will be required for the duration of the stay. We will provide the relevant documents and help you with the procedure.

Do you fit the criteria for participation? Think this high school abroad program is for you?

Send us a booking form
You will then receive a pre-confirmation form and an application form to be completed. We will invite you to pay €100 in order to take a proficiency test and to provide us with your school results for the past 3 years. The interview fee is non-refundable and is deductible from the final cost if enrolment is confirmed.
We will then invite you to come to our office in Brussels or Paris for the full interview. You must come to our office with the first part of the application form filled in.
If the interview is successful, we will ask you to pay a deposit (25% of the total amount, minimum €1500) and to send us the relevant documents completed. This includes recommendation letters from your teachers, your medical history and other information needed to process your booking. As soon as we recieve all the documents and the deposit, we will send the application file to our partner.
The final decision belongs to our partner
Once your application is confirmed, our partner will start to look for a host family and a school.

The deadlines for submitting your application file (explained in detail in the “Practical Info” tab) are:

15th of May for programmes starting in August
15th of October for programmes starting in January

The booking forms most be completed and submitted to our offices in Brussels or Paris by mail or on line at least one month before the application deadline.

Late submissions will be handled on a case-by-case basis and may be subject to additional fees.

Please contact us with any more questions on the terms of enrolment.

Citizens of the European Union do not need a visa to enter Spain.

The citizens of other countries (like the United States, Brazil, Japan, Korea, etc.) can stay in Spain for a period of three months without a visa.

If the program exceeds 90 days (3 months), it must hold a visa that covers the entire length of the stay. Please inquire at the Spanish Embassy in your country for complete terms.

All costs of such approaches are the student’s responsibility.

Dates & Prices 2021-2022

Dates 2021-2022

The school year runs from the second week of September to the second week of June. State examinations are normally held in the first week of July.

Students can opt for a program lasting one term (September to December), an academic year or a semester (September – January or January – June). Students have one week of vacation in autumn, two weeks at Christmas, and one week in the spring.

Prices 2021-2022

Including taxes, enrolment fees, course, accommodation and meals as described

Programme including classes, accommodation and meals
Course duration	Price
1 term (September - December)	€ 5.895
1 semester (September - January)	€ 6.995
1 semester (January - June)	€ 8.445
1 academic year (September - June)	€ 12.985

Prices include:

All school registration and course fees.
Accommodation in a host family with full-board (all meals) during the whole stay (Christmas holidays included).
Airport pickup/drop off from the Malaga airport
Guidance from the counselor and school staff 24/7.
An orientation session on the first day of class
A certificate of participation at the end of the stay

Prices do not include: