Who is Mila Gómez, the head of Les Petits nursery who keeps French alive in El Carmen?

Mila Gómez runs Les Petits, a nursery, or daycare, for children aged 0 to 3 right in the El Carmen neighbourhood, in Valencia's historic centre. It is not a French school, but French is part of everyday life there: two of the five lead teachers are French, a French assistant goes round every classroom each morning, and around 30% of the children come from French-speaking families. Meet a director who has worked in a nursery in almost every role before taking charge of one.

What is her background?

Mila Gómez has worked in early childhood education for more than 25 years, and she has held almost every job a nursery has to offer. She started out as a lunchtime supervisor, then worked as an assistant, an educator, a teacher and an educational director. Before Les Petits, she spent 15 years at another early years centre, where she became deputy director.

She arrived at Les Petits after the pandemic, hired straight into the director's role. "It meant putting all the experience I had built up over those years at the service of a new project, and taking on full responsibility for running it," she explains.

On paper, she holds a higher technician diploma in early childhood education and is a qualified early years teacher. She has just completed a master's degree in the management, leadership and administration of educational institutions. Having done every job helps her a great deal today: "I know nursery school from the inside: I know what it means to be in a classroom, to support children and their families, to work as part of a team, and also to take responsibility for making decisions."

How does Les Petits work?

Les Petits takes children from 0 to 3. It is a small school with a strong family feel, and Mila Gómez sees that closeness as one of its defining traits. The approach starts from respect for the child and for their own pace: "At these ages, we believe the most important thing is for children to feel safe, loved and supported." From there, the team encourages their independence and curiosity, mainly through play.

The relationship with families matters just as much. "When a family leaves such a young child in our hands, they need to feel they can come in, ask a question, share a worry or simply tell us how the night went."

The neighbourhood is part of the project too. For the director, being in El Carmen is "a privilege": a historic, lively, multicultural area that the school uses as a place to explore. That diversity is reflected inside the building: Les Petits welcomes families of different nationalities, cultures and languages, and more and more children who are growing up with several languages at home.

What role does French play?

A real one, without turning Les Petits into a French school. Of the five lead teachers, two are French and a third speaks the language fluently after working in France. A French assistant is there from 9am to 1pm and visits every classroom to bring the language to life, with activities suited to each age group.

Around 30% of the children are French speakers or come from families where French is spoken day to day. They are spread across all groups, from babies to the 2-3 year olds.

For French-speaking children, the aim is to keep the link with their mother tongue without turning it into a lesson. "We are talking about children aged 0 to 3. At these ages, we believe the best way to approach a language is to live it: to hear it, play with it and enjoy it."

For the others, whether Spanish or from elsewhere, the principle is the same: songs, stories, games and small everyday conversations. "Our goal at this stage is not for them to leave Les Petits speaking French, but to leave with a good foundation and, above all, wanting to keep learning it."

What happens after age 3?

The school also runs French workshops for children aged 3 to 8, open to former pupils and to children from outside. The sessions are lively, tailored to each age, and regularly leave the building for visits and cultural activities around El Carmen. The team also supports children who carry on with French, right up to preparing for the official certifications for their level.

Les Petits works with the Institut Français and the Lycée français de Valence, mainly on educational and cultural initiatives: storytelling sessions at the media library and activities around la Francophonie. If you are still weighing up what comes next for your child's schooling, our guide to choosing between the Lycée français and a Spanish school in Valencia runs through the options, and our breakdown of international school fees in Valencia sets out the budgets.

Why do so many French-speaking families choose it?

Demand has grown noticeably in recent years, and word of mouth has a lot to do with it: French-speaking families recommend the school to newcomers. According to the director, many are looking for a specific balance: "a school where their children can settle in and grow up in a Spanish environment, but where at the same time their language and culture still have a place". A small French-speaking community has formed as a result, mixed in with Spanish families and families from other countries. If you are discovering life in Valencia without family support nearby, our article on raising children far from family in Valencia looks at what that changes.

Will she open another "guardería"?

In Spain, a nursery for under-3s is often called a guardería, a word that literally means somewhere children are minded, much like "daycare". Asked whether she plans to open another one, Mila Gómez smiles at the question. "Another guardería? No! Another escuela infantil… maybe." Escuela infantil, literally "infant school", is the term she prefers, because the other one misses the point: "Children don't come to Les Petits for us to 'mind' them; they come to a school, with an educational project, qualified professionals, at a fundamental stage of their development."

She is not ruling out a second Les Petits, on one condition: that it keeps the spirit of the first. "Growing, yes, but never at the cost of no longer being Les Petits."

What are her plans?

This year, the school is strengthening its educational project and its languages, and wants to open up further to the places and organisations of El Carmen. It is also working on sustainability in the broad sense: the environment, but also the responsible use of resources and looking after the team.

The big project of the year is called Erasmus+. The European programme will allow the team to discover other schools in Europe, train and bring back new ideas. Some of the exchanges and expert visits involve France and French professionals. Finally, Les Petits wants to develop what it offers children over 3. "We want Les Petits to remain a small, close-knit school, but one that is more and more open to its surroundings and to the world."

Where is Les Petits, and what are its opening hours?

• Address: Calle de Quart, 24, 46001 Valencia, in the El Carmen neighbourhood (Ciutat Vella).
• Open: Monday to Friday, closed at weekends.
• Hours without lunch: 9am to 12pm in the morning and 3pm to 5pm in the afternoon.
• Hours with lunch: 9am to 5pm. Meals are cooked on site.
• Extended care: 7.30am to 9am in the morning and 5pm to 7pm in the evening.
• Contact: +34 673 809 645, info@lespetits.es, lespetits.es.

Frequently asked questions

Is Les Petits a French nursery?

No. It is a Spanish nursery in the El Carmen neighbourhood of Valencia. French is very present, with two French lead teachers, one lead teacher who speaks fluent French and a French assistant every morning.

What ages does it take?

The nursery takes children from 0 to 3. After that, French workshops are offered to children aged 3 to 8, whether or not they are former pupils.

How many French-speaking children attend?

Around 30% of the children are French speakers or come from families where French is spoken day to day, across all age groups.

My child doesn't speak French. Is that a problem?

No. Non-French-speaking children discover the language through play, songs and stories, with no pressure. The aim is to give them a good foundation and the desire to keep going, not to make them bilingual before age 3.

Where is Les Petits and what are its hours?

Calle de Quart, 24, in El Carmen. The school is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm with lunch, with extended care available from 7.30am to 7pm.

Who runs Les Petits?

Mila Gómez, who has worked in early childhood education for more than 25 years. She has run the school since shortly after the pandemic.

Sources: written interview with Mila Gómez, director of Les Petits, October 2026 (answers in Spanish, translated by our newsroom); official website lespetits.es for the address and hours. Photo: Les Petits.

Information checked on 7 October 2026. This article was prepared with the help of AI, then cross-checked, verified and edited by our newsroom, which takes editorial responsibility for it.