Registration for Instituto Español Vicente Cañada Blanch 7+ closes in 19 days, on 20 November 2026. A free consultation now leaves time to plan the preparation before the assessment.
Book a free consultationKey Facts
| School type | Independent day school run by the Spanish Ministry of Education, co-educational, Early Years to Bachillerato |
|---|---|
| Location | Kensington and Chelsea, London |
| Entry points | 7+, 12+, 16+ |
| Assessment | Written tests in Spanish Language, English and Mathematics, set by the school, for applicants from other education systems or with subjects pending; Primary 1º has no written test |
| Test provider | The school's own written papers in Spanish Language, English and Mathematics, with model tests published on its admissions page |
| Registration deadline | Pre-registration 2 to 20 November 2026, for entry in 2027/28 |
| Assessment date | Entrance exam on 1 December 2026 |
| Scholarships and bursaries | No scholarships published; sibling and large-family fee reductions apply |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
How do you get into Instituto Español Vicente Cañada Blanch? Families complete an online pre-registration form in November for Primary, Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO) or Bachillerato, applications are scored on a ten-point admission scale, and applicants from other education systems or with subjects pending sit the school's own entrance test in Spanish Language, English and Mathematics.
Early Years and Primary 1º follow a separate route built around an interview, and the school publishes its places course by course in annual admission instructions. Because it is a Spanish state school abroad, the process follows Spanish ministry rules, which explains the distinctive scoring scale and the course numbering used throughout.
| Entry point | Year group | Assessment | Interview | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7+ | Primary (courses 1º to 6º, Spanish numbering) | Written tests in Spanish Language, English and Mathematics, set by the school, for applicants from other education systems or with subjects pending; Primary 1º has no written test | Admissions Committee interview with parents or guardians and the child for Early Years and Primary 1º; the Admissions Board may also summon older applicants to interview | Set per course in the annual instructions; vacancies are listed separately for each Primary course |
| 12+ | Compulsory Secondary Education, ESO (courses 1º to 4º) | Written tests in Spanish Language, English and Mathematics, set by the school, for applicants from other education systems or with subjects pending | The Admissions Board reserves the right to summon applicants to written tests and/or interviews | Set per course in the annual instructions; some courses show no vacancies |
| 16+ | Bachillerato (courses 1º and 2º) | Written tests in Spanish Language, English and Mathematics, set by the school, plus the scored admission scale | The Admissions Board reserves the right to summon applicants to written tests and/or interviews | Set per course and modality (Science and Technology, or Humanities and Social Sciences) in the annual instructions |
Entry points and places
New pupils can apply for Primary, ESO and Bachillerato, and the number of places in each course is published in the annual admission instructions. Courses are numbered in the Spanish way, so Primary runs from 1º to 6º, ESO from 1º to 4º and Bachillerato has 1º and 2º.
Vacancies are listed separately for every course, and some courses show none, so a place can only be sought where the instructions show one. Bachillerato places are listed by modality, either Science and Technology or Humanities and Social Sciences. Placement follows the calendar year of birth, and Nursery and Early Years have their own instruction document.
How the entrance test works
The entrance test is a set of written papers in Spanish Language, English and Mathematics, taken in person at the school and written by the school itself. The instructions require it for applicants who come from a foreign education system, which includes the British one, and for those from the Spanish system with a subject pending.
Passing the test is an indispensable requirement for admission, whatever the applicant's score elsewhere. Dates and times are fixed in each year's instructions, and the test sits a few weeks after pre-registration closes. The school does not publish paper lengths or question types, yet it posts model tests for Spanish and Maths at Primary level, and for Spanish, Maths and English at ESO and Bachillerato level.
- Primary: model tests in Spanish and Maths
- ESO and Bachillerato: model tests in Spanish, Maths and English
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Enquire about this tutorInterviews, references and the admission scale
Applicants to Nursery, Early Years and Primary 1º are interviewed by an Admissions Committee, together with their parents or guardians, and sit no written test. The committee may review the report from the previous school and takes Spanish knowledge into account, although Spanish is not a requirement at these stages.
For every other course, the Admissions Board scores each application out of 10 and reserves the right to call applicants to tests or interviews and to ask previous schools for information. Families must supply a report from the current school and the previous year's report card.
The scale awards up to 3 points for ties to Spain, its language and culture, up to 4 for the previous year's academic record, up to 2 for siblings already at the school and up to 1 for complementary criteria such as a large or single-parent family. Applicants scoring under 1.5 in the academic-record section are not admitted, and ties are broken by the first section.
Registration and the admissions timeline
Registration is an online pre-registration form that opens for a fixed window in November, with a separate form for Primary, ESO and Bachillerato. Supporting documents are needed before starting: passport or ID for the pupil and legal representatives, the school report, the previous year's report card, and any large-family or single-parent certificate.
The steps then run in a fixed order, each with a short published window, and late applications are considered only where places remain after the main round.
- Submit the online pre-registration form and receive an acknowledgement
- Sit the entrance test where required
- Admissions Board scores the applications
- Provisional lists with scores are published on the school website, followed by a three-working-day appeal to the Admissions Board
- Final lists are published, followed by a three-working-day appeal to the Education Office
- Admitted pupils enrol and pay fees in January, or later where a visa is needed
Sixth form entry to Bachillerato
Entry to Bachillerato goes through the Bachillerato pre-registration form, the same scoring scale and written tests in Spanish Language, English and Mathematics. The school sets no published GCSE grade thresholds on the pages read; the previous year's academic record is what the scale scores.
Applicants need at least 1.5 points in that academic-record section to be eligible for a place, and the pre-registration form must be supported by a school report and the previous year's report card. Places depend on the modality chosen, since vacancies are listed separately for Science and Technology and for Humanities and Social Sciences.
Fees and what they include
The school charges a services fee that every pupil pays at enrolment, and a separate teaching fee that applies to pupils who are not Spanish nationals. Admitted pupils who are not Spanish nationals pay half the teaching fee at enrolment and half later in the year, and a personalised plan of up to four instalments can be requested with the Education Attaché's approval.
Twenty per cent VAT is added to all fees, and amounts are set each year by the Spanish ministry and published around June. Lunch is charged separately, either as a meal and supervision fee each term or as a one-off canteen facilities fee for packed lunches. Sibling reductions on the teaching fee, and large-family reductions on the services fee, are listed on the fee sheet. Fees are not refunded except in cases of overpayment or special circumstances approved by the Education Attaché.
Scholarships and bursaries
The pages read publish no scholarships and no means-tested bursaries. Financial help takes the form of reductions: families with three or more children enrolled receive 25% off the teaching fee for the second child, 50% for the third and 75% for later siblings.
Large families also receive reductions on the services fee, with larger reductions where every family member is a Spanish or EEA national. Queries about individual circumstances go to the school office at canada.blanch.uk@educacion.gob.es.
Where pupils join from
Most new applicants arrive from other schools through the November pre-registration, and pupils already enrolled continue without a new admissions process. They keep that right provided they meet the conduct and attendance requirements, including absences staying within 15% of sessions.
The school names no feeder or partner schools on the pages read. Applicants from British schools are directed to the Education Office's guidance on recognition of British non-university studies, and applicants from other systems to the relevant education department's pages. Pupils from the Spanish system with every subject passed are notified by email when a late place is available.
How to prepare
Preparation centres on the three subjects tested, and the model papers on the admissions page are the most direct starting point. Children from English-medium schools usually benefit from practising Spanish reading and writing at the level of the course applied for, since the Spanish paper is written in Spanish.
Practise the Maths and English models under timed conditions where the pupil is applying for ESO or Bachillerato, and read through the Primary Spanish and Maths models for a Primary place. Gathering the school report and previous year's report card early avoids delay when the form opens, because applications without documents within the window cannot be listed.
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Preparing for the Instituto Español Vicente Cañada Blanch 7+ with Taylor Tuition
Preparation for the Instituto Español Vicente Cañada Blanch 7+ tends to go best when it starts early and stays steady, and most families who work with us begin between twelve and eighteen months out. Our tutors, who have prepared pupils for entry to leading independent and grammar schools including Westminster, St Paul's, Wycombe Abbey and Eton, plan the work backwards from the school's own assessment format and registration deadline.
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Families work with us online from anywhere in the UK or abroad, and in person in central London. Fees start from £50 per 50-minute session and depend on tutor level and subject, with no registration fee and a free initial consultation to talk through your child's current level and the timeline to the 7+. Families receive progress reports after sessions and have a dedicated point of contact.
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the Instituto Español Vicente Cañada Blanch entrance exam?
- It is a written test in Spanish Language, English and Mathematics, set by the school and taken in person. The instructions require it for applicants from other education systems and for those from the Spanish system with a subject pending. Passing it is indispensable for admission. Model tests are on the admissions page.
- How can families apply to the school?
- Complete the online pre-registration form for Primary, ESO or Bachillerato during the November window, with passport or ID, a school report and the previous year's report card. You receive an acknowledgement, and the Admissions Board then scores the application. Late applications are considered only where places remain.
- How much are the fees?
- Every pupil pays a services fee at enrolment, and pupils who are not Spanish nationals also pay a teaching fee in two instalments, with 20% VAT added. Amounts are set annually by the Spanish ministry and listed on the fee sheet in the school's documents section. Sibling and large-family reductions apply.
- Does the school offer scholarships or bursaries?
- The pages read publish no scholarships or means-tested bursaries. Fee reductions exist for families with several children enrolled: 25% off the teaching fee for the second child, 50% for the third and 75% for later siblings, plus large-family reductions on the services fee.
- Is there a catchment area?
- The pages read set no catchment area. Applications are ranked on a ten-point scale covering ties to Spain and its language, the previous year's academic record, siblings at the school and complementary criteria such as a large or single-parent family. Applicants must reach a minimum in the academic-record section.
- Can pupils join the sixth form?
- Yes, through Bachillerato pre-registration. Applicants submit the same documents, are scored on the same scale and sit written tests in Spanish Language, English and Mathematics. Places are listed separately for Science and Technology and for Humanities and Social Sciences, and some courses show no vacancies.
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