Costa Blanca International College vs The O'Brien International School

	C Costa Blanca International College Alicante, Spain	T The O'Brien International School Alicante, Spain
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year €500 - 5,750	Fees / year €4,300 - 4,950
Age range	Age range 3 - 18 years	Age range 5 - 18 years
Type	Type Co-educational	Type Co-educational
Curriculum	Curriculum British Curriculum, Spanish Curriculum	Curriculum EYFS (Early years foundation stage), British Curriculum, Pearson Edexcel IGCSE
Pupils	Pupils 300	Pupils 50
Typical class size	Typical class size 20	Typical class size 12
Instruction language	Instruction language English, Spanish	Instruction language English, Spanish
Opened	Opened —	Opened 2013
Bus service	Bus service No	Bus service No
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location —	Location San Miguel de Salinas, Alicante, Spain. Located in the town of San Miguel de Salinas, about ten minutes from the city of Torrevieja.
Stages	Stages —	Stages Primary through college, including A-levels.
School type	School type —	School type British international school following the British curriculum.
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix —	Pupil nationality mix —
Additional learning support	Additional learning support —	Additional learning support —
Country affiliation	Country affiliation —	Country affiliation United Kingdom (British curriculum).
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation —	Religious affiliation —
School day structure	School day structure —	School day structure —
Bus service details	Bus service details —	Bus service details —
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details Application fees - No definitive, school-published application or enrollment fee schedule is publicly available. Third‑party listings report a one‑off admission/registration fee of €500 and an enrolment deposit of €575. Tuition fees by year group (per term / per year) - The school does not publish a public, itemised fee schedule for the current academic year; therefore there is no confirmed, school‑published per‑term or per‑year breakdown available. Third‑party listings provide sample monthly/annual figures that have been reported for comparable year groups: Preschool reported at €520 per month (≈ €5,200 per year), Primary reported at €545 per month (≈ €5,450 per year), and Secondary/High School reported at €575 per month (≈ €5,750 per year). These figures are third‑party reports and are not a verified, school‑published fee schedule. Billing schedule and payment terms - There is no publicly available, school‑published statement of the billing schedule or the precise payment calendar for the current academic year. Third‑party information that lists monthly totals implies a monthly billing option may be used, but a definitive termly/annual/instalment schedule and due dates are not published. Expect the school to require payment either annually, by term, or by monthly instalments and to require an upfront registration/enrolment payment when a place is accepted, though the exact timing and any penalties for late payment are not publicly listed. Boarding / residence fees - Costa Blanca International College is listed as a co‑educational day school; no boarding or residential fees are publicly documented. If a boarding option is required, separate boarding providers or different schools should be considered because no board (pension) fees are published for this school. Other costs and common extras - Uniform: The school is recorded as having a mandatory uniform; however the cost of uniform items is not published. - School meals / comedor: The school offers a school meals service; meal pricing is not publicly listed. - Transport: A school transport service is recorded as available; specific routes and fares are not publicly listed. - Examination and external assessment fees: The school offers the International Baccalaureate and/or British curriculum qualifications; IB, GCSE or A‑level exam fees and any external assessment charges are not published and are typically billed separately by many schools. - Books, materials, excursions, extracurriculars and insurance: These common additional costs are not detailed in any publicly available school fee schedule. Parents should plan for additional annual expenses for textbooks, school trips and optional activities. Refund information - A school‑published refund policy for deposits, tuition or extras is not publicly available. There is no published public statement of which fees (if any) are non‑refundable or on what schedule refunds (partial or full) are issued. Fee payment options - The school does not publicly list accepted payment methods. In practice, private schools in Spain commonly accept bank transfer, direct debit/standing order or card payments; specific accepted methods and details (online payment gateway, card surcharge, account details for international transfer) are not publicly listed for this school. Parents should be prepared to arrange international bank transfer or card payment if required. Summary note on availability of detailed school figures - There is no school‑published, itemised fee schedule publicly available for the current academic year. Third‑party directories and local guides list the school and report sample admission and monthly tuition figures (examples cited above), but a full, authoritative per‑year, per‑term, and per‑year‑group breakdown with billing dates, refund rules and official payment methods is not published in a publicly accessible fee schedule. Where exact, school‑issued numbers and terms are required for a database, the school's official fee schedule or formal fee communication is needed to confirm final figures and terms.	Fee details Application / Registration fee - Registration (non-refundable): EUR 450.00. Tuition fees by year group (quoted amounts and annual equivalents) - Primary: EUR 430.00 per month. Annual equivalent (monthly × 10 months): approximately EUR 4,300. - Secondary: EUR 495.00 per month. Annual equivalent (monthly × 10 months): approximately EUR 4,950. - A-Level programme (4 A-Levels): EUR 565.00 (quoted for the 4-subject A-Level package). Annual equivalent (if billed over a 10-month academic year): approximately EUR 5,650. (Annual totals above are shown as monthly rate multiplied by 10 months to give a standard academic-year equivalent; the school publishes the monthly figures and published yearly ranges align with these annual equivalents.) Billing schedule and payment terms - Tuition is quoted on a per-month basis. Specific term invoicing frequencies are not listed alongside the monthly figures on the published fee schedule. - Exam fees: all exam fees must be paid by 31 January in the year prior to taking the examination. Late entries incur penalties (100% penalty for late entry periods as stated). Amendment fees apply when changing entry level and equal the entry fee plus any penalties incurred. An "Exams Fees in Advance" scheme is offered (payments from September to January may be accumulated for subsequent exam fees). - A 5% sibling discount applies to tuition. Boarding fees - No boarding provision or boarding fees are published for The O'Brien International School. No boarding fees are listed in the school's published fee material. Other costs and fees - Stationery fee: EUR 135.00 per annum. - Exam entry fees: charged per subject; costs for language and some international exam entries vary by exam board and subject (languages, Art & Design and some optional courses may have higher charges). These subject-specific exam charges and optional course costs are applied in addition to tuition and may require separate payment. - Optional additional costs: some optional courses may require study or investigation trips at additional cost; Art & Design and some international language exam entries can be markedly more expensive. Refund information - The registration fee is explicitly non-refundable. Exam-entry penalties for late entries are charged at the stated percentages and are not refundable. No separate general tuition refund policy is published alongside the fee schedule. Fee payment options - No specific payment methods (for example, bank transfer or credit card) are listed on the published fee pages. Contact details for the school's admissions/accounts team are provided for arranging payment and enquiries: telephone 965 076 678, mobile 615 466 398; e-mails theobrienlanguagecentre@gmail.com and info@theobrienlanguagecentre.es.
Diving deeper	Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements	Boarding arrangements —	Boarding arrangements —
Uniform requirement	Uniform requirement —	Uniform requirement —
Food options	Food options —	Food options —
House system	House system —	House system —
Governance and ownership	Governance and ownership —	Governance and ownership —
Academics	Academics
Curriculum details	Curriculum details —	Curriculum details The O'Brien International School follows the British Council School Curriculum from the English Early Years Foundation Stage through Year 11, with mandatory Spanish instruction to ensure bilingual and bicultural learners. Early Years (Reception) is delivered in English, with 10–15% of the EYFS curriculum taught in Spanish. Primary and Lower Secondary (Key Stages 1–3) follow the English National Curriculum, taught primarily in English, with 80% of the 35-period week focused on core subjects in English and 20% dedicated to Spanish language and cultural studies. Upper Secondary (Key Stage 4 – Years 9–11) typically offers 10 International GCSE subjects, with 8 compulsory—English Language, Mathematics, Single Science, and Spanish—and 2 or more optional subjects including Computing, Economics, History, Geography, Sociology, Statistics, ESL, Business, Art, Music, Psychology, Physical Education, and Religious Studies; Career Guidance begins in Year 9 through the PSHE/Tutorial Programme and continues in Year 11 for post-16 planning. Sixth Form (Key Stage 5 – Years 12–13) requires English, Spanish Language, and Mathematics plus one from Business, Spanish, Geography, Economics, History, or Sociology, with individualised career counselling and university guidance to prepare for higher education. The curriculum includes a broad range of subjects across the arts, humanities, and sciences, with a strong emphasis on bilingual education and global citizenship.
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio —	Student teacher ratio —
Exam results	Exam results —	Exam results —
Higher education progression	Higher education progression —	Higher education progression All Sixth Form students receive individualised career counselling and university guidance to prepare for higher education.
Gifted and talented	Gifted and talented —	Gifted and talented The school provides for students who are particularly talented.
Academic calendar	Academic calendar —	Academic calendar —
Wellbeing & support	Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning	Social & emotional learning —	Social & emotional learning —
Special educational needs (SEN)	Special educational needs (SEN) —	Special educational needs (SEN) —
English as an additional language	English as an additional language —	English as an additional language —
Mental wellbeing	Mental wellbeing —	Mental wellbeing —
Safeguarding	Safeguarding —	Safeguarding —
Safeguarding policy	Safeguarding policy —	Safeguarding policy —
Facilities	Facilities
Facilities overview	Facilities overview —	Facilities overview —
Sports facilities	Sports facilities —	Sports facilities —
Academic facilities	Academic facilities —	Academic facilities —
Extra curricular facilities	Extra curricular facilities —	Extra curricular facilities —
Parent experience	Parent experience
History	History —	History —
Community	Community —	Community —
Parent teacher association	Parent teacher association —	Parent teacher association —
Extra-curricular	Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual	Academic & intellectual —	Academic & intellectual —
Arts & creative	Arts & creative —	Arts & creative —
Cultural & language	Cultural & language —	Cultural & language —
Social & hobbies	Social & hobbies —	Social & hobbies —
Community & service	Community & service —	Community & service —
Leadership & professional	Leadership & professional —	Leadership & professional —
Lifestyle & wellbeing	Lifestyle & wellbeing —	Lifestyle & wellbeing —
Language provision	Language provision
Language provision	Language provision —	Language provision —
Bilingual teaching	Bilingual teaching —	Bilingual teaching —
Immersion programs	Immersion programs —	Immersion programs —
Reputation	Reputation
Awards	Awards —	Awards —
Accreditations	Accreditations —	Accreditations —
Admissions	Admissions
Admissions	Admissions —	Admissions 1. The school uses rolling admissions; applications are evaluated as they are received, interviews are conducted, and admissions are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until all class places are filled. Families are encouraged to submit an application and participate in an initial discussion to assess whether the school can meet the child's needs. 2. If places are not immediately available, the child's name will be added to a waiting list upon receipt of the application and the registration fee. Parents may request to remove their child's name from the waiting list at any time. 3. Upon offer and acceptance, families agree that their child will be subject to the school's Rules and Regulations. The school promotes values such as Respect, Honesty, and Consideration for others; bullying and all forms of anti-social behaviour are strictly unacceptable. 4. The Head has sole authority to exclude a student from the school. Exclusions may be fixed-term (up to 45 school days in one academic year) or permanent for serious misconduct. Before expulsion, a meeting is typically held with the student and parents; the Head may expel immediately if warranted. The Head informs the Proprietor of exclusions and, where applicable, the management reviews to determine reinstatement; there is a right to appeal.
Scholarships	Scholarships —	Scholarships Scholarship Information: The school invites Year 11 students from the local area to apply for the annual Scholarship Program. The scholarship is open to students from any local school, and the award is valued at over €11,900. To register interest or reserve a place, contact 615 466 398, or visit the school website. Past scholarship winners include Logan Barbour and Rosanna de Leo (joint) – 2025, Ellie Warren – 2024, Taylor Hirst – 2023. Register now to take the Scholarship Examination during May half-term.
Waitlist	Waitlist —	Waitlist Rolling admissions policy means applications are evaluated as they are received and interviews are conducted, with admissions on a first-come, first-served basis until all class places are filled. If places are not immediately available, the child's name is added to a waiting list upon receipt of the application and the registration fee. Parents may remove their child's name from the waiting list at any time. Offers are made as places become available.
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