Spanish Department
The British International School of Tenerife, in its commitment to providing the highest level of education to our students, both of Spanish nationality and from international backgrounds, has been working for many years to meet the diverse needs of our students studying at our educational institution. The subject distribution for each year group is as follows:
RECEPTION (2nd year of Early Childhood Education): Children in this year group receive a weekly lesson introducing them to the world of reading and writing through games, songs, and poems.
YEAR 1 (3rd year of Early Childhood Education): A specific and intensive programme is developed for teaching reading and writing. The class is divided into small groups, and two to three teachers work simultaneously, ensuring that the vast majority of students can read and write by the end of Early Childhood Education.
YEAR 2 (1st year of Primary Education): This year follows the same approach as Year 1. Three teachers simultaneously deliver Spanish Language and Literature lessons to provide the most personalised teaching experience possible. The textbook used is published by Santillana. In addition, supplementary teaching materials are used to support and reinforce learning beyond the textbook. Great importance is placed on introducing students to the world of reading. Books from our school library are sent home weekly for individual and family reading.
YEAR 3 to YEAR 6 (2nd to 5th year of Primary Education): Students follow the Spanish curriculum subjects, namely Spanish Language and Literature and Social Sciences. We work with Santillana textbooks, the same ones used in public and semi-private schools. The Spanish Language and Literature curriculum covers grammar, spelling, literature, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and textual analysis. The Social Sciences subject includes geographical and historical content related to the Canary Islands and Spain.
Foreign Students: From Year 1 to Year 6, students who do not speak Spanish receive Spanish as a Foreign Language lessons. They are withdrawn from their regular class for specific tuition aimed at helping them acquire basic vocabulary to function in daily school life and beyond. Once they are deemed ready, they are integrated into the regular Spanish Language and Social Sciences lessons.
The Spanish curriculum subjects required by the Spanish Ministry of Education for the validation of British studies to the Spanish Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO) qualification are taught. These subjects include Spanish Language and Social Sciences (Geography and History).
At the end of Year 11 (4th year of ESO), BST completes the necessary procedures for the validation of studies for all students who meet the requirements.
Access to Spanish universities from BST is achieved by combining Spanish Bachillerato subjects with British Sixth Form subjects to achieve the best possible university entrance grade. However, it is important to note that studying only A LEVELS also grants access to Spanish universities.
Students select British curriculum subjects at BST that are most relevant to their intended university studies. If they wish to keep the option of Spanish universities open, they also take two Spanish Bachillerato subjects. The final grade for Spanish university admission is calculated by combining the grades from both Bachillerato programmes, taking into account the specific entry requirements of the chosen university.
Below, we present a scenario to better understand the key points outlined above.
This route allows access to Spanish universities without having completed the Spanish Bachillerato. During the final two years of the British Sixth Form (Year 12/13), students study A LEVELS (AS and A2). The subjects taken depend on the chosen university degree. At the end of Year 12/13, exam results are received from the UK. Each letter grade corresponds to a numerical UCAS Tariff Points score.
A*: 140 points
A: 120 points
B: 100 points
C: 80 points
D: 60 points
E: 40 points
(Only count towards Spanish university entry if not continued to A2)
A: 60 points
B: 50 points
C: 40 points
D: 30 points
E: 20 points
Students typically take three or four A LEVEL subjects, one of which is Spanish. The total UCAS points determine the final British Sixth Form score. Example:
AL BIOLOGY: B (100 points)
AL CHEMISTRY: C (80 points)
AL SPANISH: A (120 points)
AL PHYSICS: A* (140 points)
AS GENERAL PAPER: C (40 points)
AS SPANISH LITERATURE: A (60 points)
TOTAL: 540 points
Students can access Spanish universities without taking the full PAU exam (general and specific phases). However, taking the specific phase of the PAU exam (two subjects) can help improve their admission score.
Minimum requirements for access to Spanish universities:
5 IGCSE passes (grades A* to C)
2 A LEVEL passes (grades A* to E)
A minimum of 140 UCAS points
UCAS points conversion to Spanish grades (out of 10):
140 points: 5.0
160 points: 5.2
180 points: 5.4
200 points: 5.6
240 points: 6.0
340 points: 7.0
440 points: 8.0
540 points: 9.0
Maximum Spanish university admission score is 14, but UCAS conversion only accounts for 10. The additional 4 points can be obtained through the PAU exam (UNED). This involves taking exams in two subjects closely related to their A LEVEL studies. Example:
Biology
Chemistry
If these have been studied at A LEVEL, students will have a strong foundation. Preparation will require guidance from Spanish teachers regarding exam content and structure. There are no internal assessments in Year 13; only final exams take place in Gran Canaria at the end of May.
Each subject can add up to 2 points to the Spanish admission score. Example:
Biology: 10/10 → 2 points
Chemistry: 5/10 → 1 point
UCAS Points to Spanish Grade Conversion: 540 points → 9.0
PAU UNED Scores:
Biology: 10 → +2
Chemistry: 5 → +1
Final University Admission Score (out of 14): 12.0