Schools & Families in L'Ametlla de Mar

L'Ametlla de Mar sits within the Catalan education network run by the Departament d'Educació de la Generalitat. The town council's education department (Regidoria d'Educació) co-ordinates local provision, activities and support, while the schools themselves depend on the regional government.

The structure is: infant education (0–3, nurseries) and primary (6–12) at CEIP Sant Jordi, then compulsory secondary (12–16) at IES Mare de Déu de la Candelera. Most of the school's classes run with three lines where numbers allow, and the school's roll for 2026-27 is around 450 pupils.

For special educational needs, CEIP Sant Jordi runs a SIEI unit — an intensive inclusive schooling support team — which provides extra help within the mainstream classroom rather than in a separate school.

Catalan is the vehicular language at both local state schools. This matters in practice: your child will be taught most subjects in Catalan, will use Catalan in the playground, and will learn Spanish (Castilian) as a separate subject.

At primary level, English is taught from the start, and French is also on the timetable. The school publishes its language project and its welcome plan for newly arrived families on the XTEC website, so you can read in advance how it expects to support children who have no Catalan.

For a British family, younger children (infant and early primary) typically pick up Catalan quickly, but a child arriving at 10 or older may need extra help. The school's SIEI team and its welcome plan are the places to start; ask the school directly about how they handle new arrivals with no Catalan.

CEIP Sant Jordi (primary, 3–12)

• Address: Av. de l'U d'Octubre, 13, 43860 L'Ametlla de Mar
• Phone: +34 977 456 480
• Email: e3000263@xtec.cat (general school email)
• Started the 2026-27 year with ~450 pupils and 45 teachers
• Speciality subjects: English, French, music and physical education
• Runs a SIEI inclusive education support unit
• Has a dining hall, morning drop-off (acollida matinal) and after-school activities

IES Mare de Déu de la Candelera (secondary, 12–16) The town's state secondary school is named on the municipal education page, but the council does not publish its street address or phone number. It is the usual progression for pupils leaving CEIP Sant Jordi. For contact details, ask at the town hall (tel. +34 977 456 000) or look it up on the Departament d'Educació's centre directory.

There are no private or international schools in L'Ametlla de Mar itself, and the nearest options are in Barcelona, roughly 140 km away — not realistic as a daily commute. If you want a British curriculum, you would be looking at weekly boarding or a move to Barcelona; otherwise, the Catalan state system is the workable choice.

Enrolment for both state primary and secondary in Catalonia runs on a single pre-inscription (preinscripció) window each spring for the following September. For the 2026-27 year, the council published the provisional pre-inscription list for the Xerinola nursery, and the schools themselves were still taking late enrolments at the start of September 2026.

In practical terms, you should:

1. Register on the municipal padrón (register of residents) at the town hall as soon as you have an address in L'Ametlla de Mar.
2. Watch the council's education page and the school's noticeboard for the pre-inscription dates — the Generalitat publishes them centrally each spring.
3. Complete the application form, which is available in Catalan and Spanish from the school or the council.
4. Attend any interview or document-check session if requested.

Documents you will typically need: your child's birth certificate, your family's padrón certificate, and the child's health record. Check the exact list with the school or the council's education office.

Llar d'Infants Xerinola is the municipal nursery for children from 0 to 3. It is a Catalan-language setting, and the council describes it as committed to Catalan culture and traditions. The nursery publishes its own pre-inscription list (the provisional list for 2026-27 was issued by the council), and applications are accepted in Catalan or Spanish.

The nursery has a self-protection plan (Pla d'Autoprotecció) published on the council's website, which is worth reading if you want to understand how the building is run. Fees and hours are set by the council; check the education page or call the town hall for current rates.

Adult education in Catalonia is run through the Departament d'Educació and the Servei Educatiu del Baix Ebre, which is based in Tortosa. The local council's education page points there for regulated adult training, but it does not list any course run in L'Ametlla de Mar itself.

If you are an adult looking for Catalan or Spanish classes, the council's education department and the Servei Educatiu in Tortosa are the right places to ask about what is available locally and in the wider Baix Ebre area.

• Language first: Catalan is the working language of both schools. You can read the school's welcome plan for newly arrived families on its website before you arrive.
• No British curriculum nearby: the nearest option is roughly 140 km away in Barcelona. That is a deliberate commitment, not an oversight.
• Enrolment is centralised: you do not approach the school directly; you apply through the spring pre-inscription process. Get the padrón sorted first.
• The school is welcoming: CEIP Sant Jordi has an AMPA (parents' association), a dining hall, morning drop-off and after-school activities — all described on its website.
• If your child has additional needs: the SIEI team is the right point of contact; ask the school how they would assess and support your child.

For most British families, L'Ametlla de Mar means the Catalan state system — and that is a real choice, not a fallback. The primary school is well-established, well-supported and visibly engaged with its community, and the town's scale means your children will quickly become known. The trade-offs are clear: Catalan is the language of instruction, and there is no local British curriculum, so this suits families who are happy to commit to Catalan schooling rather than those who want an English-language education. If you are relocating with older children who have no Catalan, be prepared to invest in language support. For everyone else, the system is straightforward: register on the padrón, watch the spring pre-inscription window, and make use of the school's welcome plan.

• Ensenyament — Ajuntament de l'Ametlla de Mar (Ajuntament de l'Ametlla de Mar)
• L'escola Sant Jordi — Escola Sant Jordi (XTEC (Xarxa Telemàtica Educativa de Catalunya), Generalitat de Catalunya)
• Els centres educatius de l'Ametlla de Mar es posen les piles per al nou curs (EbreDigital.cat)
• L'Escola Sant Jordi iniciarà el curs amb uns 450 alumnes i Cinta Vidiella com a nova directora (La Cala RTV (local radio and television of L'Ametlla de Mar))
• L'Escola Sant Jordi començarà el curs amb nous projectes i d'altres ja consolidats (La Cala RTV)
• Educació infantil i primària — Servei Educatiu del Baix Ebre (Servei Educatiu del Baix Ebre (XTEC, Generalitat de Catalunya))
• Colegios públicos de ametlla de mar (l') (Scholarum (private school directory))