The Liceo Español Cervantes is a Spanish state school abroad in Rome, on the Gianicolo hill next to the Spanish ambassador's residence. From 1964 the Teresian Association ran a school in this building, and in 1973 it became a Spanish state school; today it reports to the Spanish Ministry of Education through the education office of the embassy and is recognised by the Italian state. It is an all-through school on the Spanish curriculum: early years from age 3, six years of primary, four years of ESO and two years of Bachillerato with science and humanities and social sciences tracks. Lessons are taught in Spanish; Italian language and literature, Italian geography and history are taught in Italian under an agreement between Spain and Italy, and towards the end of their studies students prepare for the Italian licenza media and esame di Stato exams. English is taught from early years, and Latin is an option in the Bachillerato. About 340 children attend, close to the building's capacity, mostly from Italian and Spanish families.
Key facts
Programmes
Spanish programme · National programme
Admits from
3 years · Pre-School
Languages of instruction
Spanish, Italian
Languages taught
English, Latin
About the fees Tuition is charged: families pay a compulsory tuition fee and a fee for complementary services and activities; the amounts are set by the Spanish Ministry of Education in the official BOE gazette, and the school informs families after publication. Enrolment is completed once the fees are paid.
Admissions New students apply in early February (for 2026-2027, from 2 to 13 February) by email or at the office, with documents and reports for the previous and current year. Places are allocated by points: links with the Spanish language and culture (Spanish as a mother tongue, study in the Spanish system, a DELE diploma, living in a Spanish-speaking country) - up to 3 points, an interview and entrance tests - up to 4 points (for early years and grade 1 an interview with the family, from grade 2 of primary tests in Spanish and mathematics at the current grade level and an interview), siblings at the school, children of Spanish civil servants in Italy, Italian as a mother tongue, kinship with alumni and large families. Students from other education systems are admitted: their grades are converted to the Spanish scale. Enrolment is completed by paying the compulsory fees in April; there is a second round in June for remaining places.
Stages and year groups Spanish curriculum (LOMLOE): Educación Infantil for ages 3-5, Educación Primaria (6 years), Educación Secundaria Obligatoria (4 years), Bachillerato (2 years) with the Ciencias y Tecnología and Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales tracks; graduates receive the Spanish título de Bachiller. Italian language and literature, Italian geography and history are part of the curriculum at all stages under a bilateral agreement; the school prepares students for the Italian licenza media (ESO grades 2-3) and esame di Stato (Bachillerato grade 2). English from early years; Cultura clásica in ESO and optional Latin in the Bachillerato. A subject is taught in person with at least 8 students, otherwise remotely through the Spanish CIDEAD centre. There are no Cambridge or IB courses.
Address Via di Porta San Pancrazio 9-10, 00153 Roma
Accreditations and programmes verified against official registries
MEFPDA Spanish-curriculum school from kindergarten to Bachillerato, with Italian language, history and geography and preparation for the Italian licenza media and esame di Stato. The liceo is a Spanish state school abroad (centro de titularidad del Estado español), listed by the Spanish education ministry; the curriculum is Spanish.
school is in an official registryconfirmed by a school document, by membership or by taking part in a networkclaimed by the school, no confirmation, not counted in the scoreGuide to all organisations → What stands behind each entry
MEFPDMinistry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports of Spain
A school of the Spanish education system abroad: run by the Spanish state, or a private Spanish school supervised by the ministry, or a school under an agreement with the ministry. The curriculum is Spanish, and leavers receive the Spanish certificate. Every such school is named in Spain's state register of schools, each with its own code.
What the badge means for this school. This is a Spanish school abroad, and that can be checked in Spain's state register. The entry is not a quality inspection: a school is on the register as part of the Spanish system, not as the outcome of an assessment. The curriculum and the certificate are Spanish. What other programmes the school offers, and what it charges, are on its own website. The entry stands in the organisation's public register - anyone can check it.
Register to check for yourself, and the full guide →Spanish programme
The state school programme of Spain, with the Spanish certificates: ESO at 16 and the Bachiller after the baccalaureate.
What this means for this school. The programme is set by the Spanish Ministry of Education, which also names the school in its state register of schools, in the "abroad" section. Leavers receive Spanish qualifications: the Graduado en ESO after secondary school and the título de Bachiller after the baccalaureate. They are used for entry to Spanish universities; in other countries they are matched to local ones.
National programme
The state school programme of the country the school stands in: it is set by that country's ministry of education, which also licenses the school and awards the leaving certificate. That certificate is used for entry to local universities, and abroad it is matched to the local one.
What this means for this school. This entry does not count towards the score, and that is deliberate. Every lawful school in a country works to the national programme, so on its own it tells one school apart from no other - unlike the French, German or Russian programmes, which are carried abroad and confirmed by the register of their organisation. We show it because a parent needs to know what programme their child is taught and what certificate the child will get. Counting it would lift the whole ranking at once and still tell nobody apart.
Exams and destinations from the school's official website
The school publishes nothing about where its leavers go: no share going on to university, no exam results, no list of universities.
Facilities from the school's official website
·Swimming poolnot stated on the website
✓Sports hall
✓Laboratories
✓Theatre or assembly hall
✓Library
✓Catering
·School transportnot stated on the website
·Boardingnot stated on the website
Also on site: Art studio
Clubs and activities: Theatre · English Theatre · Guitar · Choir & Solfège · Dance · Flamenco · Baby Gym · Naturalmente (plant care) · Swimming · Skating · Five-a-Side Football · Ajedrez (chess) · Debate in Spanish · Comics Competition
Teaching staff from the school's official website
·Teachers listed by namenot published
·Teacher qualificationsnot stated
·Number of teachersthe school does not say
·Students per teacher or class sizenot stated
The school names the teachers and form tutors of all stages, heads of department and management; Italian is taught by dedicated Italian teachers. Teachers are employees of the Spanish Ministry of Education; there is a guidance counsellor and a wellbeing coordinator.
Safety and wellbeing from the school's official website
·CCTVnot stated on the website
·Security staffnot stated on the website
·Access controlnot stated on the website
·Nurse or medical roomnot stated on the website
✓Counsellor
✓Child protection policy
·Staff trainingnot stated on the website
✓Anti-bullying policy
There is a wellbeing and protection coordinator who informs about procedures for signs of abuse, bullying, racial discrimination and other risks, a wellbeing and protection plan, a coexistence plan (Plan de Convivencia), an equality plan, evacuation and emergency plans and procedures for absences and lateness; families wait outside the building at drop-off and pick-up. A guidance department with a counsellor is in place.
Reviews
No reviews yet. The community rating counts towards the score once a school has five verified reviews - until then we do not show a zero, so as not to mislead.
Criteria breakdown criterion weight in brackets
Academics and programmes (16%)72 Community rating (16%)no dataparent reviews are needed: the criterion switches on at the fifth verified one Exams and destinations (12%) scored on disclosed data55 Safety and wellbeing (12%) scored on disclosed data70 Accreditation and verifiability (10%)85 Teaching staff (10%) scored on disclosed data55 Facilities (10%) scored on disclosed data80 Clubs and activities (8%) scored on disclosed data78 Value for money (6%) scored at the median95 "Scored on disclosed data" stands where we count only what the school has written about itself on its own site: exams and destinations, safety and wellbeing, teaching staff, facilities, clubs and activities. A low score here means the school does not write about this, not that the school does not have it: a school with good security and a sparse site will score low. A school can fill in its profile, and the score will be counted again.
The score is counted from 7 of the 9 criteria.Only those with checkable data count: programmes and accreditations from official registers, the fee from a published price list. Where it says "scored on the median", the school has no data and the middle of the list is put in its place, so that a gap gives no advantage. Admissions, teaching staff and reviews come in as their data arrives.
The full methodology → Similar schools in the country
Rome, Italy · est. 1973 · State