International school waiting lists on the Costa del Sol are forming earlier than anyone remembers. Schools that used to accept applications through spring are now filling by February. Some are already turning families away for September 2026.

This isn't a quality signal. It's a demand signal. More families with children are arriving than the school infrastructure was built for.

We've written about this pattern before: housing, healthcare appointments, and bureaucracy capacity. The infrastructure built for a smaller, seasonal expat population is now serving a larger, permanent one. Schools are the latest pressure point, and for families with children, the most personal one.

The result: "which school is best for my child" is becoming "which school has a spot." Those are different questions with different answers.

School brochures look the same everywhere. Smiling children, modern facilities, phrases like "holistic development" and "international mindset." Fees from €8,000 to €25,000 per year.

What they don't show: teacher turnover, actual university placement data, how they handle a struggling student, or parent satisfaction beyond selected testimonials.

In a buyer's market, you can afford to be picky. In a seller's market, schools can afford to be vague. They know there's a queue behind you.

This makes proper investigation more important, not less. The families who investigate before they're desperate can identify which waiting lists are worth joining. The families who don't may secure a spot and spend the next three years discovering why other parents left.

If your child has specific learning needs, the options narrow faster than most families expect.

The support infrastructure that exists in the UK, Ireland, or the US simply isn't here. Qualified SEN staff are rare. Coordinated intervention plans are rarer. Some schools will tell you directly they "don't really cater to those students." Others will accept your child and provide minimal support, leaving you to fill the gaps yourself.

One family we've spoken with pulled their son from school entirely after the Spanish system proved incompatible with his ADHD. They're now in their second year of professional home tutoring. It's working academically, but the social infrastructure they're building around it has required serious effort.

This isn't a criticism of individual schools. It's a structural gap. If your child needs specific support, start your investigation there. Ask directly: "What SEN resources do you have? Who provides them? How many students currently receive support?" Vague answers mean vague support.

Here's the problem: parent knowledge about Costa del Sol schools exists, but it's scattered.

There's a WhatsApp group of mothers in Marbella who know everything about three schools but nothing about Estepona. There's a parent group at one school that shares information internally but has no reason to help families considering competitors. There's a Facebook group where someone occasionally asks, "Does anyone have kids at [school]?" and gets three replies before the algorithm buries it.

None of this is aggregated. None of it is searchable. There's no institutional memory.

If you want to find out what parents actually think about a school, you have to know who to ask, where to find them, and hope they're willing to share. The schools know this. They know the parent network is fragmented enough that criticism doesn't travel far.

We'd like to change that. If you've navigated the school system here and have insights worth sharing, whether positive experiences or hard-won lessons, reply and tell us. We're building a clearer picture of what families actually encounter, and your experience helps the next family asking the same questions.

These are the questions that reveal what brochures hide. Some you can ask the school directly. Others you'll need to find through the fragmented parent network.

"What's your average teacher tenure? How many staff left last year?"

High turnover signals problems. Good schools retain teachers for five to ten years. Schools losing 20-30% annually have deeper issues they won't volunteer.

"Can I see the last three years of university destinations? Not highlights, the full list."

Every school promotes Oxbridge and Ivy League acceptances. What matters is where the middle 50% went.

"Can I speak with three families who've been here more than two years?"

Schools will offer testimonials. Testimonials are curated. Finding parents independently through Facebook groups or the school-gate network gives you the unvarnished version.

"Tell me about a time a student struggled academically or socially. How did you handle it?"

Listen for systems vs. improvisation. Good schools have intervention pathways. Struggling schools wing it.

"What curriculum changes have you made in the last five years?"

Schools jumping between British, IB, American, or hybrid systems may be chasing trends rather than executing well.

For IB specifically: ask about authorization history, examiner relationships, and average diploma scores over time.

"How has enrollment trended over five years? Any planned fee increases?"

Schools under financial pressure cut corners you might not notice right away: deferred maintenance, larger classes, fewer activities.

"What SEN support do you offer? Who provides it? How many students currently receive support?"

Even if your child has no identified needs, this shows depth in pastoral care. "We don't really have those students" is a red flag.

"What percentage of students participate in activities? What's most popular?"

Brochures list impressive options. Reality is often thin participation, cancelled activities, or pay-extra programs marketed as included.

"When was the last significant problem you communicated to parents? How?"

Every school has incidents. What matters is whether they communicate proactively. Schools claiming "we've never had issues" are lying or unaware.

"Why do families leave? Where do they go?"

Some attrition is relocation. Some dissatisfaction. Understanding the difference reveals what the school can't provide.

Applications for September 2026 are open now. Key windows, confirmed January 2026:

British curriculum schools: Applications accepted year-round, but popular schools have waiting lists. January-February gives the best options.

IB schools: Tighter windows. Aloha College in Marbella recommends applying by March for guaranteed consideration.

Testing: Most schools require assessment. Schedule early. Expect 2-4 weeks between application and assessment date.

Deposits: Non-refundable registration fees range from €500 to €3,000.

The time to evaluate schools is before you need a spot. Once you're desperate, you'll take what's available and rationalize it later.

Now: Research 4-5 schools. Ask the hard questions. Find parents through groups and networks.

February-March: Apply to your top choices. Join waiting lists if needed.

April-May: If your first choices don't work out, you still have options.

June: Scramble mode. You're taking what's left.

The families who investigate early don't just get better information; they also get better outcomes. They get time to make decisions without panic.

When booking your assessment:

"Quisiéramos programar una visita y evaluación para nuestro hijo/hija." — We'd like to schedule a visit and an assessment for our son/daughter.

And the question that reveals attitude:

"¿Puedo hablar con algunas familias actuales?" — Can I speak with some current families?

Watch how they respond.

Costa del Sol's international school market is tightening. More families arriving, same number of seats. Schools have less incentive to answer hard questions when there's a queue of families who won't ask them.

The parent network that could push back exists, but it's scattered across WhatsApp groups and school gates that don't talk to each other. Your investigation helps your family. Sharing what you learn helps the next one.

The waiting list is not a quality signal. Investigate before you're desperate enough to forget that.

Onwards — A and the WaypointSur team, all comparing notes at the school gate