Which schools are there on El Hierro?
The official directory of the Canary Islands Government lists several public CEIP schools (Colegio de Educación Infantil y Primaria). They include CEIP Valverde at C/ Asabanos, 29, 38900 Valverde, and CEIP San Andrés at C/ Hilochos, 26, 38915.
Other locations are CEIP Isora at C/ Ferinto, s/n, 38915, CEIP El Mocanal Juana María Hernández Armas at C/ Barlovento, 55, 38916, and CEIP Tigaday in La Frontera. In El Pinar de El Hierro there are CEIP Taibique at C/ Patricio Cabrera, 3, 38914, and CEIP La Restinga at C/ Arenas Blancas, 2, 38914.
Several smaller schools belong to CER El Hierro, the island's rural school cluster. This can be relevant for families in smaller villages because school provision and transitions are partly organised on a regional basis.
Are there international schools on El Hierro?
A standalone international school with an English or German school-leaving qualification is not listed in the available official school directories. The schools named are public Canary Islands schools and generally teach within the Spanish education system.
The available official entries do not show any English-language or German-language private school. Before registering, parents should check directly with the relevant school and the education authority what support is available for newly arrived children.
School places, year-group placement and recognition of foreign certificates should be checked with the Consejería de Educación before moving. The available official sources do not show specific current school fees or an official international school on El Hierro.
Which secondary schools are there?
The official education district lists two secondary schools: IES Roques de Salmor and IES Garoé. Several CEIP schools are assigned in the register as feeder schools to IES Garoé, including CEIP San Andrés, CEIP Isora, CEIP El Mocanal and CEIP Valverde.
For exact provision – such as ESO year groups, Bachillerato, Formación Profesional, optional subjects, language teaching and available places – the current school file of each centre is decisive. The official register data contain contact details, addresses, school type and the educational stages offered.
The island's first Centro Integrado de Formación Profesional (CIFP) is due to be created at the IES Garoé site in Valverde. The Canary Islands Government has not yet announced a start date.
How does registration work for international families?
For reliable information, parents should first check the official school file for the desired municipality. They should then contact the school directly about available places and year-group placement.
Certificates and, where necessary, translations should be kept ready. If moving during the school year, the education authority or EOEP El Hierro should be involved.
Parents should not assume that an international school or an English-language qualification is available on the island. The official entries sometimes publish telephone numbers and email addresses for schools, but no uniform visitor or office opening times.
What alternatives are there for international families?
The public school is the first option: registration through the Canary Islands education system, with Spanish as the language of instruction. Clarify residence status, age group, vaccination and previous education records, and available places early.
Additional Spanish lessons or local tutoring can make settling in easier; this does not replace a regular international school curriculum. Distance learning or online school is practical for families who need to maintain a German, English or other national curriculum.
For full international school provision, Tenerife or Gran Canaria are more likely options; however, that means additional housing, commuting or relocation costs. The planned CIFP in Valverde may expand local provision, but it is not a substitute for an international school.
What is planned for the 2026/27 school year?
For the 2026/27 school year, the official opening of the Canary Islands school season was announced for 9 September 2026 at CEIP Tigaday on El Hierro. Lessons began on 9 September for Infantil, Primaria and Educación Especial.
10 September was set for ESO, and 11 September for Bachillerato. Vocational education, arts education and other special forms were due to begin on 16 September.
CEIP Tigaday in La Frontera was named the first public centre in the whole of the Canary Islands to offer the complete first cycle of Educación Infantil from 0 to 3 years. The expansion came about through cooperation between the regional government and the municipality, as well as the takeover of the former Escuela Infantil El Garabato Azul.