A new report has highlighted the large number of different nationalities now present in schools on the Costa del Sol.

The area’s enduring popularity as a destination for expatriates and holidaymakers has led to an increasingly diverse mix of children within the local education system, with over 30 different nationalities represented in one Estepona school, according to Spanish regional newspaper Sur.

Teachers at the College of Nuestra Senora del Carmen believe that such diversity is a positive factor in the development of youngsters - head of studies Francisco Javier Canas remarked that they are able to "integrate very quickly" because of the necessity of "day-to-day communication".

School principal Maria Angeles Banuelos agreed, stating: "The children do not have the same problems as we adults seem to have with different languages and cultures."

The largest group of non-Spanish pupils attending the school are British, although there is also a significant number of students from African, South American and eastern European countries, Sur reports.

Approximately four million non-nationals now live permanently in Spain, Kyero.com reported recently.