There are around 16 British schools in Barcelona and the surrounding areas. Most of these can be found near the centre of Barcelona but many can be found in the surrounding areas such as Castelldefels and Sitges, about 20 and 30 minutes south respectively (see below for a map of locations).
About British Schools
The is one of the most trusted education systems in the world. To be officially recognised by the UK Department for Education, British schools need to be inspected by one of the approved inspectorates. In addition, schools may be linked with bodies such as , or (full list ) who help schools ensure standards are in line with UK government requirements. You should be able to download or request a copy of the latest inspection report for any school you wish to apply to.
Most British schools will work towards exams which are overseen by organisations such as or .
Post IGSCE (typically, 16 to 18 years old), A Level exams prepare students for university and beyond. Depending on the school, students will select 3 or 4 subjects to focus in on. Many schools will also offer Â黨ÊÓƵ Baccalaureate alongside English qualifications which can help open more opportunities for universities around the world.
The English language is at the heart of the curriculum, ensuring students are able to communicate fluently in the world's most widely spoken language.
Where British Schools in Barcelona are located:
You can see a a live map and the full directory of British schools in Barcelona or the top 10 below.
Best British Schools Barcelona - Rankings
Note: our rankings are based on parent, pupil and teacher reviews. If you think your Barcelona school should be in the top 10, get reviewing - we want to hear from real people with real experiences at schools so parents, teachers and pupils get the real story when they choose their next school. You can find your school in the Barcelona British schools directory, or search by name here.
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Description
Oak House School Barcelona is a private, co-educational school, situated in Sarrià , in the north of Barcelona. The school is a Non-Profit Foundation with a Board of Governors. The Board is comprised of seven parents, elected through the Parents’ Association. The Oak House School teaching staff is composed of 106 educators (teachers and teaching assistants) and has a low turnover rate (2% per year in the previous two years). The average tenure is 11 years and in the last three years the staff has been increased by 13% due to the Â黨ÊÓƵ Baccalaureate offer and more coverage of educational needs.
A considerable part of the whole-school budget is allocated to continual professional development. At Oak House information gleaned from an individual training course is cascaded to colleagues so that everyone benefits from the course. A key objective at Oak House School is to support and develop effective teaching and learning and help staff to improve their practice through self-reflection based on evidence, and high quality training and professional development opportunities.
We encourage our teachers to be reflective practitioners and engage in research which promotes excellence in teaching and learning. We also support Bachillerato and IB teachers in collaborating with universities and business schools because these enrich our knowledge, offer us updated content for our students and a different approach to many topics.
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Description
Kensington School Barcelona is one of the oldest British curriculum schools in the whole of Spain, being founded in 1966, and the values and ethos have changed little in almost fifty years.
Kensington School follows a ‘pure’ British curriculum and is able to dedicate all of its curriculum time to subjects within the National Curriculum for England and Wales. We remain very much a family run school, with the founder´s sons – all of whom were educated at Kensington – now ensuring we continue to thrive as a happy, purposeful and dynamic community.
We are fully authorised and regularly visited by Her Majesty's Inspectorate. Indeed we were very honoured that our splendid purpose-built school building was officially opened by HM Queen Elizabeth II herself.
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Description
Welcome to The British College of Gavà , a leading international school in Barcelona providing first class education in a green and friendly environment, an IB World School where your children are encouraged to become empathetic, confident global citizens.
At the British College of Gavà (BCG) our mission is to foster an exciting, meaningful and lifelong passion for learning and academic curiosity. The BCG community is dedicated to providing students with every opportunity to fulfil their potential through the taught curriculum and in extra and co-curricular activities. All children at BCG are heard, noticed and given the opportunity to shine.
A strong academic culture permeates throughout the school: students appreciate the opportunities they have and take responsibility for their own learning.
We follow the highly-regarded British Curriculum and the well-known Â黨ÊÓƵ Baccalaureate curriculum. The combination of both provide our students with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in their future careers.
Read The British College of Gavà reviews
Curriculum
English, Spanish, Catalan
Description
EUROPEAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BARCELONA has been a member of ECIS since 1997. This organisation brings together international schools committed to multilingualism whose common goal is to make a difference in the lives of students through international education.
We are an independent school, with an international, state-of-the-art and practical approach, fostering the abilities and reinforcing the natural talents of our students, supporting them to achieve excellence in their humanistic and academic development.
With 1500 pupils of over 50 different nationalities, our project, under the guidance of a stable academic team, begins in Nursery and culminates in the 2nd year of Baccalaureate. At this stage, pupils have the option of taking the National Baccalaureate, the American High School Diploma or the Â黨ÊÓƵ A-levels.
The school is located just 15 km from the centre of Barcelona and is surrounded by the 8,465 hectare Collserola Natural Park, on a 14,000 m2 plot of land with 10,503 m2 of buildings for classrooms, laboratories, dining rooms, auditorium, kitchen and a large sports centre with two covered swimming pools.
Read European Â黨ÊÓƵ School of Barcelona reviews
Description
The Â黨ÊÓƵ School of Catalunya (ISCAT) is a coeducational British Day School located in La Garriga, Barcelona. Through our personalised and authentic learning programmes, we provide students aged 3-18, from Nursery to Year 13, with a formal British education. We follow the British National Curriculum, the portal to study across the UK, USA, Spain and the rest of the world.
Learning to learn, learning to be, learning to think. At the Â黨ÊÓƵ School of Catalunya (ISCAT), the personal growth of each student is at the heart of our educational programme. Our students prepare for the future through academic challenge and stimulation.
We fully believe that when the delicate balance between academic endeavor and emotional wellbeing is achieved, our students are most open to the entire learning experience. At ISCAT, we nurture the spirit of each and every one so that, armed with self-knowledge, a belief in themselves, and a solid academic record, they face the world fully prepared to shoulder responsibilities and give of their best.
Read ISCAT Â黨ÊÓƵ School of Catalunya reviews
Curriculum
English, Spanish
Description
John Talabot School is a partially subsidised, secular and multicultural school that offers a solid education in academic, cultural and in human values, based on the curriculum established by the Generalitat of Catalonia and with an exclusive project in the English language that is backed up by 40 years of experience.
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Description
Highlands School Barcelona is a private, bilingual, catholic school with the mission of educating leaders of the future through academic excellence and integral formation, accompanied by personal guidance. Highlands was born with the idea of offering an innovation, vanguard, and distinctive catholic school, with a high level of English within the cosmopolitan city of Barcelona. That idea became reality in 2000.
Highlands has managed to make a name in Catalan society offering a quality service, looking towards the future but without forgetting it origins. Nowadays, Highlands School Barcelona is going through a period of remodeling, moving towards to an international projection, helped by a privileged location close to Barcelona and with a unique project in the city.
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Description
St. George Barcelona is a private British school, located in the upper side of Barcelona city, with classes from two years of age. We have students from more than 45 different nationalities who from the first day, learn English with native teachers.
We believe in helping each child reach their own maximum potential and giving them the tools they will need to excel in their personal and professional lives. Students follow the full British National Curriculum, as they would if they were in the UK.
St George Barcelona follows all the fundamental principles of British education while taking advantage of the richness of the local environment and culture. This multicultural context is what makes their education different as they complete their studies with compulsory subjects such as Castilian Language and Catalan and Social Studies which are taught weekly in different courses. Thanks to their complete training in both systems, they can choose whether their university studies are going abroad or whether they prefer to stay in Spain.
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Curriculum
Montessori, English
Description
We signed the contract of Barcelona Montessori School on the 31st of January 2020. By the time we did the Open House on the 28th of February we were in lockdown. We emerged from it with a 3 months delay in the plan of development. We still managed to open on time, on the 4th of september 2020. Therefore we built this school in 4 months.
It is common knowledge that God built the world in 7 days, but look at the world… And look at our school! ;)
Our school is designed to encourage children to explore the universe. This starts in the early years of life and continues the child progresses through school. As children grow older, they look further afield to find answers to their questions. We want to reap the natural curiosity of children, to create lifelong learners whose natural interest in the world drives them to seek the best from life.
In the early years, this begins by exploring new relationships outside the home. In our Infant Community we focus on developing close relationships with the adults who care for us and with our new friends. This plants the seeds of social development. The Infant Community environment encourages children to explore language, practical life skills and hand-eye coordination. Independence is key and for this reason, a calm and peaceful environment gives children time to develop these skills at their own pace.
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Description
English Academy Santa Claus is a private family school, with a basis of personalised education. It offers a superior quality of teaching and individualised attention. At English Academy Santa Claus, we follow the evolution of each student personally, keeping track of both their personal and academic development.
Over the last 50 years, we have adapted to new social, environmental and technological challenges, in a calm and meditated way. We have done this from all perspectives, academic, social, cognitive and emotional. We are constantly incorporating new methodologies, with new pedagogical tools and academic programmes. Based on the Montessori philosophy English Academy Santa Claus has always maintained a focus on teaching as being practical, active and experimental but without abandoning its theoretical base, academic rigour and the consolidation of learning.
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Other Â黨ÊÓƵ Schools in Barcelona
There are 7 other international schools in Barcelona
that didn't make it into our Top 10, either because they didn't have enough reviews
or its review rating was too low. If your school is one of those and you think it should make the
Top 10, make sure you add your review and tell your story via the school links below.
Browse all schools in Barcelona