Emotional intelligence (EI) has emerged in the past twenty five years as one of the crucial components of emotional adjustment, personal well-being, life success, and interpersonal relationships in different contexts of everyday life. This article provides a critical review of the research field of EI in the school context and analyzes its present and future value for educational policies in the Spanish educational system. First, the authors examine the debate on educational policies in different countries (e.g., United Kingdom, United States and Spain) for providing children the best possible start in life and for development of EI abilities. Second, they present theoretical models of EI and describe the Mayer and Salovey model (1997) in detail. Third, the authors summarize research concerning the relevance of EI to indicators for personal and school success such as interpersonal relationships, academic achievement, and personal and social adjustment. Finally, they conclude with some recommendations for developing EI at school and several implications for future educational policies in Spain.