INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS IN MADRID

• Info Inmobiliaria

There is a wide selection of international schools in Madrid. As Madrid is the political and economic centre of Spain, it is the main choice of families from other countries that have to spend some time here on business or for pleasure. These are families with children who need to continue their studies from their countries of origin so that they can be recognised when they return. This is particularly the case of the children of diplomats and international executives who need to move to new countries frequently. It is currently possible to study in English, French, German, Italian, Swedish and even Hebrew in Madrid. Below is a guide to the main international schools in Madrid.

International schools in the north of Madrid

The north of Madrid is home to a large number of international schools, particularly in the La Moraleja residential estate. The exclusive properties, large landscaped areas, security, excellent communications, and prestigious sports clubs make this the perfect family environment. Many ambassadors, international business executives and sports persons choose to live in this area during their stay in Madrid.

International College Spain (ICS)

Language: English
Location: La Moraleja Residential Estate
Price: From €9,000 to €16,000 euros per year (Approximate price. Please see current rates)

This is one of the most prestigious international schools in Madrid and one of few that offer three complete International Baccalaureate programmes. The educational system is completely international, with the basic studies in English as well as classes in other languages to create a fully bilingual environment. It accepts students from 3 to 18 years of age (from Kindergarten through to Grade 12 International Baccalaureate). There are students of more than 60 nationalities and the goal is to train them to live in a highly globalized world. This school has been acknowledged by the Council of International Schools and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, as well as by the Ministry of Education and Science of Spain.

The school is situated in La Moraleja, an exclusive residential estate surrounded by landscaped areas on the outskirts of Madrid. It has a wide range of facilities, which include science labs, art studio, music room, computer rooms, an auditorium, gymnasium, cafeteria and complete sports facilities.

Scandinavian School of Madrid (Skandinaviska Skolan)

Languages: Swedish and English
Location: La Moraleja Residential Estate
Price: €8,000 per year (Approximate price. Please see current rates)

Located in the prestigious residential estate of La Moraleja, the Scandinavian School offers an education based on Scandinavian educational values. It has two sections, one is in Swedish and follows the official curricula of Sweden, and another in English that follows a combination of the British curriculum and the Cambridge programme. In addition, students whose mother tongue is Spanish receive additional lessons in line with the programme of the Ministry of Education and receive the official Secondary Education Qualifications – ESO and “Bachillerato”.

A large number of its students come from Nordic countries, as they have priority when enrolling. However, there are students of more than 15 nationalities in the school. One of its goals is to enhance the language skills of its students and, therefore, they can take classes in Spanish, Norwegian, Danish, German and French. There are few students in each classroom and a teacher/student ratio that allows for individual and family-oriented teaching. In addition, the school tries to put together balanced groups regarding the presence of boys and girls, their ages, and their knowledge of languages.

German School of Madrid (Deutsche Schule Madrid)

Language: German
Location: Neighbourhood of Montecarmelo
Price: €4,310 per year (Approximate price. Please see current rates)

With a past spanning more than one century, the German School is a leading institution among the international schools of Madrid. It recently moved to a new building in the neighbourhood of Montecarmelo.

It belongs to the official network of German schools abroad and is one of the largest, with more than 1,700 students. The studies it offers are fully recognised both in the Federal Republic of Germany and in Spain, based on a programme required by the Ministry of Education. Students become familiar with both German and Spanish culture and education, resulting in bilingual young people with a cosmopolitan outlook. It offers a comprehensive educational programme from kindergarten to pre-university studies. After completing these programmes, students may continue their studies in Spanish or German universities.

Runnymede College

Language: English
Location: La Moraleja Residential Estate
Price: From €7,500 to €12,300 per year (Approximate price. Please see current rates)

Runnymede College is one of the most prestigious British schools in Madrid. It boasts the best results in Spain in the international IGCSE and A Level examinations. Located in La Moraleja, Runnymede College covers the entire school cycle, from three to 18 years of age. Its study programme is completely British and offers a liberal and humanist education that seeks to prepare students to live in an increasingly international and globalised world. It is not easy to find a place at this school because it is very popular and is considered to be one of the more elitist and expensive in Spain.

Kings College

Languages: English and Spanish
Location: La Moraleja Residential Estate
Price: From €2,561 to €4,476 euros per quarter (Approximate price. Please see current rates)

Kings College has several schools in Madrid and was one of the first British schools to open in the city. It has provided several generations of students with a rigorous British education based on excellence since 1969. Its educational programme is based on the English National Curriculum and qualifies students to study at British universities and also at Spanish, European or American universities. The studies are based on the English National Curriculum from the age of three to fourteen, and on the IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) and GCE A Level (General Certificate of Education Advanced Level) up to the age of eighteen Throughout the educational cycle, classes of Spanish language and culture are delivered to ensure the studies are recognised by the Spanish educational model.

Ibn Gabirol Study Centre (Hebrew)

Languages: French, English, Spanish and Hebrew
Location: La Moraleja Residential Estate
Price: This school does not publish its prices.

Founded in 1965 by the Jewish Community of Madrid, this is the only school that offers Hebrew education in Madrid. Its aim is to educate its students in the values and traditions of Judaism. In addition to the official Spanish study programme, there are studies covering Jewish history and religion and Hebrew to complete the syllabus. It accepts students from kindergarten to secondary school level. It provides an excellent multicultural and social framework, with students from various countries. The school has spacious and fully-equipped facilities, laboratories, a library, sports centre, and technology classrooms.

Swiss College (Schweizer Schule Madrid)

Languages: German and Spanish
Location: La Moraleja Residential Estate
Price: €800 per month (Approximate price. Please see current rates)

The Swiss School is a private educational institution with students of 23 nationalities. It has been approved by the Swiss Government and complies with all the requirements set out in Spanish and Swiss legislation. In addition to their “Bachillerato” (GCE) qualifications, students also obtain the Swiss Maturity Certificate. These dual qualifications enable students to apply to any university in the world without having to pass entry tests, such as the Spanish “selectividad”. The school is fully bilingual in German and Spanish, and all students also achieve high levels in English and French. German is the school’s main language.

The teaching model is based on the Swiss educational system, which, in turn, is based on respect for the individual nature of each person and develops their social, political, and environmental awareness. Immersed in a family atmosphere, values such as tolerance, integrity and creativity are enhanced. The school has excellent facilities, computer rooms, a library, auditorium, a specific music chamber, laboratories, a gym, a kitchen, and sports courts.

International schools inside the city

There are also major international schools within the city of Madrid. These are very ancient schools that have been teaching for many years and have become key institutions that contribute to the city’s multicultural environment. We are referring to the French and Italian Lyceums, and the German School, which recently moved to the north of Madrid. Living in the centre of Madrid has its advantages. An efficient public transport system, a lively cultural life, and leisure activities. The most elegant neighbourhoods in Madrid are Chamberí, Justicia, Retiro, Los Jerónimos, Chamartín, El Viso and Barrio de Salamanca.

French Lyceum of Madrid – Saint Exupéry (Lycée Français)

Language: French
Location: Conde de Orgaz
Price: From €4,773 to €5,928 euros per year (Approximate price. Please see current rates)

The educational project of the French Lyceum of Madrid – Saint Exupéry is far-reaching and focuses on disciplines such as literature, art, music or drawing. The school organises regular events to promote reading and stimulates the artistic side of students from a very young age with its “Coin des Artistes”, a noon activity during which students may bring musical instruments, painting or drawing materials, a notebook and pen to write and create, making art, literature and music prominent aspects of their education, encouraging their creativity to the maximum.

The French Lyceum tries to combine this interest in art with science. Not only are its science labs fully equipped, and not only do the students wear lab coats like real scientists, and make natural science experiments; the School also promotes the filming of short science films and encourages students to participate in a Science Short Film Festival with children from other French lyceums from around the world.

With regard to sporting activities, they do not have a swimming pool but they do have table tennis and facilities to play 5-a-side football or handball. However, they do have a medical service consisting of a doctor and nurses to deal with any health emergencies and to collaborate in preventing diseases. This makes the French Lyceum an ideal place for students of delicate health as it provides a permanent medical service.

In addition, there are a number of aspects that favour the work-family conciliation of the parents, such as the possibility of allowing students to stay in the school until between 16:00 and 17:00 so that the children can be picked up by their parents, as well as a school transportation service. As this school is a public school dependent on the French Ministry of Education, it should be noted that the registration fees are not as expensive when compared to other bilingual private schools in the area.

Italian Lyceum (Scuola Italiana)

Language: Italian
Location: Chamberí
Price: From €900 to €3,005 euros per year (Approximate price. Please see current rates)

This school is dependent on the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was founded to provide the children of diplomats and Italian residents in Madrid with an Italian schooling experience. Education is fully bilingual. All the subjects are taught in Italian except history, geography, and Spanish language and literature. At the end of their studies, students receive both the Spanish and Italian secondary education certificate and must face a final exam, called Esame di Stato, which allows access to universities in Italy and in Spain. The teachers, except those teaching subjects in Spanish, are civil servants of the Italian State.

International schools in Aravaca and Pozuelo

Increasingly more international schools are opening in Pozuelo and Aravaca to meet the demand of many parents who want a fully international education for their children. These areas have expanded very quickly in recent years and are currently seen as the best residential opportunities in Madrid. We can find such prestigious residential estates as La Finca, which is preferred by Real Madrid players, Somosaguas or Valdemarín, the most fashionable option at the moment. Most schools in the area are bilingual in Spanish and English. An outstanding example is the American School of Madrid.

The American School of Madrid

Language: English
Location: Pozuelo de Alarcón
Price: From €1,300 to €2,000 euros per month (Approximate price. Please see current rates)

Located in Pozuelo de Alarcón, this establishment is considered one of the best English-speaking schools in the Community of Madrid. It was founded more than 50 years ago so that the children of international executives could follow a study programme in Madrid that would prepare them to access North American colleges and universities. In fact, the honorary president of the School Board is usually the U.S. ambassador. The primary language at the school is English, and classes are also available in Spanish, French or Mandarin Chinese as a second language. It has a large campus with all the necessary facilities where students can develop their creativity and education without limits. It has an art centre, with music rooms, exhibition rooms and a large theatre-auditorium that can accommodate more than 600 people, in addition to a science centre with laboratories, robotics classrooms, and computer rooms. Sport is also one of the school’s pillars. It has facilities to play football, tennis, athletics, basketball, volleyball and baseball.

Aravaca International School

Languages: English and Spanish
Location: Aravaca
Price: This school does not publish its prices.

The Aravaca International School is a bilingual school that delivers classes in English and Spanish. It follows the educational system of the Ministry of Education of Spain and has agreements to grant Trinity and Cambridge English certificates. The school teaches courses for children from two years of age up to university level. It is noted for its impressive sports facilities and for the use of information technologies as one of the key aspects of the education of its students. Although the school was founded only ten years ago, it is one of the most highly-appreciated bilingual schools in Madrid.

British Council School

Languages: English and Spanish
Location: Pozuelo de Alarcón
Price: From €6,000 to €10,000 euros per year (Approximate price. Please see current rates)

The school belongs to the British Council, the UK’s official organisation that promotes education, the English language, and cultural relations throughout the world. Its educational model is based on the English National Curriculum, which ensures access to any British university. Classes are completely bilingual and bi-cultural. 80% of the classes are in English. The remaining 20% are taught in Spanish, including Spanish language and literature. Students can choose the subjects they prefer, and thus decide whether they want to study in English or Spanish. It accepts students from 3 to 16 years of age and educates them on important values, such as freedom, honesty, integrity, creativity, and professionalism.

About Promora

Promora has been providing a unique real estate service for more than 43 years. We are one of the major luxury real estate agencies in Madrid, specialising in properties for sale and for rent in the most exclusive neighbourhoods and residential estates in the city. Our international team will help you find the perfect house for your stay in Madrid. We speak English, French, German, Swedish… and of course Spanish. Click here for more information about Promora.

Map of International Schools in Madrid

Click on the map to enlarge it