The school system in Gibraltar

There are a variety of schools and one college of further education in Gibraltar. All teacher training takes place in UK universities and colleges, and teachers must have a registration number issued by the Department for Education (UK).

Pre-school education

The Gibraltar government provides a number of nursery places for pre-school children in a range of locations. There is also a nursery attached to St Martin’s Special School.

In addition there are a number of privately run playgroups and nurseries registered with the Department of Education which inspects them jointly with the Environmental Agency and City Fire Brigade to ensure minimum standards of accommodation, numbers on roll and staffing levels.

Primary education

Primary education is free, full-time and compulsory for Gibraltar. Schools are all co-educational and English is the language of instruction. Spanish is introduced formally as a subject in middle school (year 4), but may be employed earlier as a teaching aid in special circumstances. All curricula are based on the national curriculum for England, but with specific differences in respect of Spanish and other subjects (including Religious Education) reflecting local requirements.

Formal education in first schools begins at the commencement of the autumn term each year, so organised that all children who will turn 5 during the academic year are enrolled at the start of the academic year.

Loreto Convent School is an independent co-educational primary school, which provides a private education from nursery to 12 years. Loreto School is a Catholic school, which welcomes children of all faiths. It follows the national Curriculum in preparation for secondary education in Gibraltar or the UK.

Secondary education

Secondary education is free, full-time and compulsory for Gibraltar residents between the age of 12 and 16. The secondary curriculum is defined by national curriculum legislation. In the first two years (8 and 9), secondary schools offer a broad compulsory curriculum that includes English, Mathematics, Science, French or European studies, Spanish, History, Geography, Art, Music, Religious Education, Physical Education, Design and Technology and Information and Communications Technology. In years 10 and 11, pupils opt for subjects from a range of disciplines, keeping to national curriculum requirements. In addition, all pupils take the core subjects (English, Mathematics and Science), Religious Education and Physical Education. Vocational education is also available.

Prior Park School Gibraltar is an independent co-educational secondary school, which provides private secondary education from age 12 to 18 years. Prior Park is a Catholic/Christian school, which welcomes children of all faiths. It follows the National Curriculum, with the opportunity to take GCSEs and A Levels in preparation for entry to University.

Gibraltar Hebrew School

Gibraltar Hebrew School, also Talmud Torah Hebrew School is a government school, established to meet the educational requirements of the Jewish community in Gibraltar. The school offers places in kindergarten from the age of 1 to 3 years and pre-school from age 3 to 4 years. The primary school caters for those aged 4 to 12 years. For those wishing to continue in a Jewish School, secondary education is also available in Gibraltar Girl’s High School and Gibraltar Boy’s Secondary School.

Special education

St Martin’s School caters for a wide range of special needs for children between the ages of 5 and 16. Notre Dame School and Bishop Fitzgerald schools are Learning Support Facilities (LSFs), which cater for children of first school age, for whom St Martin’s would be inappropriate but whose special needs cannot be met satisfactorily in the mainstream classroom. There is also a LSF at each secondary school in addition to an Alternative Learning Centre at Bayside School, which aims to provide support for disaffected pupils.

Gibraltar College 

Full time education in Gibraltar is primarily focused on intermediate and advanced courses in information technology, business and finance studies, and built environment studies. An area of rapid growth is that of courses leading to professional qualifications. The college provides tuition support for bodies such as ACCA, ILEX, ICSA, AAT and the institute of bankers. A large number of qualifications are offered, ranging from GCSE’s to AS/A levels, to full-time students, as well as part-time courses in the evenings.

Higher education

Degree and higher national diploma courses are generally followed at UK universities. Gibraltar government scholarships are available to eligible students.

Useful contact information 

Gibraltar Department of Education Enrolments +350 200 42514 / info.edu@gibraltar.gov.gi

Gibraltar College +350 200 71048 / enquiries@gibc.edu.gi

Source: Gibraltar Government