For families moving to or buying on the Costa Blanca Norte, the school question often shapes everything else — which town to choose, what budget to allocate, when to move. The good news is that the Marina Alta area has a surprisingly strong range of international and bilingual education options for an area of its size. The less good news is that the choice is significantly more limited than in a major city.
This guide covers every realistic school option for expat families on the Costa Blanca Norte, with honest information on curriculum, fees, capacity, location and which towns put you closest to the best options.
Expat families on the Costa Blanca Norte broadly have four options:
The Marina Alta is not a large urban area. The Lady Elizabeth School — the only full international school — has limited places and waiting lists are common, particularly for mid-year entry. If your family's move to Spain is contingent on securing a place at an international school, contact the school well in advance of your planned relocation date and confirm availability before you buy a property.
Lady Elizabeth School (LES) is the leading international school on the entire Costa Blanca Norte and the first choice for the vast majority of expat families with children in the Marina Alta. It follows the English National Curriculum throughout, offering IGCSEs at 16 and A-Levels at 18 — qualifications directly recognised by universities in the UK, Netherlands, Germany and most of Europe.
The school has been operating since 1977 and has an established reputation for academic results and pastoral care. Class sizes are small compared to UK state schools — typically 15–22 pupils — which many parents consider one of its strongest advantages. The teaching body includes a mix of British, Dutch and Spanish teachers, and the student community is genuinely international, with pupils from the Netherlands, Germany, the UK, Belgium, Scandinavia and Spain.
The school is located on the Las Marinas road between Dénia town and the beach, making it easily accessible from Dénia, Jávea, Calpe and surrounding towns. A school bus service operates from several collection points across the Marina Alta.
The Lady Elizabeth School is one of the main reasons why Dénia commands property prices 15–20% below Jávea despite being just 12km away. Families who need daily school access to LES often choose Dénia specifically — a 10-minute drive versus 30–35 minutes from Jávea. For families with primary-school-age children doing the school run twice a day, that 40–50 minutes of extra daily driving is a genuine quality-of-life factor over years.
The Colegio Internacional de Levante offers a bilingual Spanish-English education following the Spanish national curriculum, with a significant proportion of subjects taught in English. It leads to the Spanish Bachillerato and also offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma — a globally recognised qualification accepted by universities worldwide.
This school suits families who want their children to become truly bilingual in Spanish and English, integrate into the local Spanish community, and retain the option of Spanish university entry. It is less suitable for families who plan to return to the UK or Netherlands in a few years and need seamless curriculum continuity.
The Spanish state school system in the Valencian Community has expanded bilingual programmes (Spanish/English or Spanish/Valencian/English) significantly in the past decade. Several primary and secondary schools in Dénia, Jávea, Calpe and Benissa offer these programmes.
These schools are free of charge and can be an excellent option for families who:
Children under 10 who enter the Spanish state system typically adapt within 6–12 months and become genuinely bilingual within 2–3 years. Children over 12 find the transition significantly harder, particularly if they have no Spanish. For older children and teenagers, an international school or at least a bilingual private school is generally more appropriate than direct entry into a Spanish state secondary school.
The Norwegian School in Alfaz del Pi is a state-funded Norwegian school serving the large Scandinavian community on the Costa Blanca. It follows the Norwegian national curriculum entirely and is funded by the Norwegian government — making it free or very low cost for Norwegian children. Swedish and Danish families sometimes use it as an alternative, particularly for younger children.
For non-Scandinavian families, this school is not relevant. For Norwegian and Swedish families, its existence near Altea and Benidorm is one of the factors that makes that stretch of coast particularly popular with Scandinavian buyers.
Since LES in Dénia is the primary international school option for most expat families, proximity to it is a key factor in choosing where to buy property.
| Town | Distance to LES (Dénia) | Drive time (approx.) | School run impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dénia | 2–5 km | 5–10 min | Minimal — walk or short drive |
| Jávea (port) | 15 km | 20–25 min | Manageable — 40–50 min/day |
| Jávea (Montgó) | 18 km | 25–30 min | Significant — 50–60 min/day |
| Moraira | 25 km | 30–35 min | Heavy — 60–70 min/day |
| Calpe | 28 km | 35–40 min | Very heavy — 70–80 min/day |
| Altea | 38 km | 40–50 min | Not recommended for daily run |
| Benidorm | 48 km | 50–60 min | Not compatible with daily run |
Lady Elizabeth School operates a bus service that collects from several points across the Marina Alta — including stops near Jávea port, Moraira and Calpe. For families living further from Dénia, the school bus significantly reduces the daily driving burden and is used by a large proportion of the student body. Check the current bus routes and stops with the school directly, as these change periodically.
| School | Type | Annual fees (approx.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lady Elizabeth School | International | €8,000 – €13,000 | Varies by year group · Extras additional |
| Colegio Internacional de Levante | Bilingual private | €4,500 – €7,500 | IB programme at higher end |
| Norwegian School (Alfaz) | State-funded (NL citizens) | Free – low cost | Norwegian citizens only |
| Spanish state bilingual | State school | Free | Books and activities extra (€200–€500/yr) |
| Spanish state standard | State school | Free | Full Spanish curriculum |
School fees at LES and similar schools do not include: school bus (€800–€1,400/year), school meals (€4–€6 per day if taken), uniforms (€300–€500 to start), school trips and activities, and after-school clubs. Budget an additional €2,000–€3,500 per child per year on top of base fees for a realistic total annual education cost.
This cannot be stated strongly enough. Before you commit to a property purchase in a specific town, contact Lady Elizabeth School (or whichever school you are considering) and confirm that a place is available for your child's year group in your intended start term. Waiting lists exist and are not always short. Do not assume a place will be available.
Both Lady Elizabeth School and Colegio Internacional de Levante offer open days and private visits. Seeing the school during a normal working day — classes in session, the playground at break time, talking to the head teacher — gives you a much more accurate picture than a brochure or website.
Children's ages at the time of the move matter enormously for school options. Children moving to Spain under 8–9 years old have the most flexibility — they adapt to language quickly and can thrive in a bilingual state school or an international school equally. Children 10–14 have a harder language transition but can still adapt with good support. Children 15–18 who are mid-GCSE or mid-A-Level are the most complex cases — curriculum continuity becomes critical and international school availability the most constrained.
Many families successfully use a Spanish state school for primary years while children are young and language-adaptable, then switch to Lady Elizabeth School for secondary — which reduces the total fees paid while maintaining international curriculum continuity for the critical GCSE and A-Level years.
If your family's school choice is Lady Elizabeth School and you will be doing the school run yourself (not relying on the school bus), the honest ranking of areas by convenience is straightforward:
School proximity is one of the most important factors in choosing where to buy. Tell us your children's ages, your school priorities and your budget — we will help you identify which areas make most sense for your family. Honest, independent advice.
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