ISCAT International School of Catalunya vs St. Patrick's International School
ISCAT International School of Catalunya and St. Patrick's International School are both in Barcelona, about 40 km apart. Both schools offer British programmes, and ISCAT International School of Catalunya also offers Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge A Levels. Published annual fees are €8,925 - 13,650 at ISCAT International School of Catalunya and €9,905 - 10,425 at St. Patrick's International School, which puts ISCAT International School of Catalunya roughly 11% higher. ISCAT International School of Catalunya takes pupils from 3 to 18, and St. Patrick's International School from 0 to 18. St. Patrick's International School is the larger school, with around 198 pupils to ISCAT International School of Catalunya's 150. Typical class sizes are 15 at ISCAT International School of Catalunya and 16 at St. Patrick's International School.
British Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A Levels
Curriculum
British Curriculum
Pupils
Pupils
150
Pupils
198
Typical class size
Typical class size
15
Typical class size
16
Instruction language
Instruction language
English
Instruction language
English
Opened
Opened
2007
Opened
—
Bus service
Bus service
Yes
Bus service
No
Essentials
Essentials
Location
Location
La Garriga campus in La Garriga, Barcelona, Spain. The main address is Manuel Raspall, 8, 08530 La Garriga, Barcelona. The campus comprises four buildings (Blancafort, Manuel Raspall, Xavier Calls and Caselles) and can accommodate up to 300 students from Nursery to Year 13. It is about 30 minutes from Barcelona city centre and from the Costa Brava beaches; La Garriga is green and safe with a train station nearby for easy access to Barcelona.
Location
C/ Major, 37-39, Sant Joan Despí, 08970 Barcelona.
Stages
Stages
From 3 to 18 years (Nursery through Year 13).
Stages
Pre-Nursery & Early Years; Primary; Secondary education
School type
School type
British international day school.
School type
British School
Pupil nationality mix
Pupil nationality mix
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Pupil nationality mix
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Additional learning support
Additional learning support
Learning Support is led by qualified SEN practitioners who shadow progress, liaise between students, teachers and parents, and plan and deliver the Emotional Education programme. When ongoing specialised attention is required, ISCAT collaborates with external professionals and a visiting psychologist is available weekly; parents are involved in interventions.
Additional learning support
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Country affiliation
Country affiliation
British international school following the National Curriculum of England and Wales.
Country affiliation
United Kingdom
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation
—
Religious affiliation
Not religious
School day structure
School day structure
Morning: 7.30–8.15 am (Early Morning); 8.30 am start with flexible arrival for Early Years until 9.00 am. Lunch: 12.45–2.00 pm for Early Years; 1.00–2.00 pm for Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 5. Afternoon: 2.00 pm start; 4.00 pm end; after‑school activities until 5.15 pm; after‑school care until 6.00 pm.
School day structure
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Bus service details
Bus service details
ISCAT offers school transport with two routes: Mataró Parc Shopping Centre (Mataró) for families on the Maresme coast (about 30 minutes) and Barcelona (Plaza de Alfonso Comín, exit 6, Ronda de Dalt). Public transport options include Renfe Rodalies line R3 to La Garriga (La Garriga train station is about a two‑minute walk from campus) and Sagales bus service from Granollers to La Garriga.
Bus service details
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Fees
Fees
Fee details
Fee details
Application / Enrolment Fees - Enrolment fee (one-off): EUR 2,200. - Entrance test fee (for Secondary and A‑Level candidates only): EUR 50. - Sibling discount: third child onward receives 20% discount when siblings are enrolled simultaneously; the third child's enrolment can be free in the enrolment-fee line described.
Notes on what the annual tuition includes: - Tuition, school materials, books and school insurance are included in the annual fee for the listed stages; re‑enrolment/pre‑inscription is also listed as included in the fee for the relevant stages. PE activities are specifically listed under some secondary stages.
Other recurring costs and optional services - School lunch (monthly): Regular use EUR 200 per month; Occasional use EUR 14 per meal; Packed lunch option EUR 35 (monthly). - Early Morning Care (7:30–8:00): Regular use EUR 65 per month; Occasional use EUR 7 per day. - After‑School Care (16:15–18:00): Regular use EUR 75 per month; Occasional use charged at EUR 6 per 30 minutes. - School transport (monthly by route): typical full monthly charges shown are EUR 180–205 depending on route; occasional single‑journey price EUR 15. Transport must be paid termly, in advance, for full‑service users.
Examination and exam‑related charges - GCSE (Year 11) exam fee: EUR 150 per subject. - AS Level (Year 12) exam fee: EUR 195 per subject. - A Level (Year 13) exam fee: EUR 315 per subject. - Additional exam charges: Special access arrangements EUR 35 per subject; re‑mark / re‑sit fees follow the same subject rates above and late entries incur double fees as noted.
Boarding fees (if applicable) - No boarding fees appear in the current school fees document for the fees schedule provided. A historical boarding schedule (Academic Year 2019–20) exists showing examples of boarding charges (for reference only): Registration EUR 1,000; Full boarding (7‑day) EUR 39,500; Weekly boarding (Mon–Fri) EUR 30,000; one‑term option EUR 16,000; refundable deposit EUR 3,000. The current fees document does not list boarding charges.
Refund information - The current fees document does not specify any general refund policy for tuition or enrolment. The historical boarding schedule (2019–20) explicitly listed a refundable boarding deposit (EUR 3,000) in that older boarding schedule. No refundable‑fee rules for current tuition or enrolment are specified in the current fees document.
Billing schedule and payment terms - The fees document explicitly states that the school transport tariff for regular users must be paid termly, in advance. The fees document does not provide detailed general tuition billing dates, payment‑deadline schedule, or standard late‑payment penalties within the fees pages provided.
Fee payment options - The current fees document does not list accepted payment methods (for example bank transfer, direct debit, credit card) or specific bank details.
Short summary of missing items in the published fees document - The published fees material lists annual tuition by stage, the one‑off enrolment fee, ancillary monthly charges (meals, care, transport) and examination charges, and it specifies that transport is paid termly in advance. The published fees material does not state a detailed tuition billing schedule (specific payment dates or term‑dates for tuition), does not list accepted payment methods, and does not include a general refund policy for tuition/enrolment. Historical boarding fees are available in an older boarding schedule but boarding is not listed in the current fees document.
Fee details
Inscription (application) fees
- Pre-Nursery: EUR 450. - Early Years and Primary: EUR 2,500.
Tuition (published by school stage)
- Pre‑Nursery / Early Years Foundation Stage / Primary: EUR 845 per month. - Secondary: EUR 910 per month. - Swimming (Primary): EUR 38 per month.
Annual and recurring mandatory charges
- Annual reservation fee: EUR 350 per year. - Medical insurance: EUR 175 per year. - Accident insurance: EUR 375 per year.
Book / materials (annual)
- Year 1: EUR 175 per year. - Years 2–4: EUR 215 per year. - Years 5–6: EUR 240 per year. - Secondary: EUR 425 per year.
Uniform and typical uniform item prices (examples)
- The published monthly fee includes breakfast, lunch and snack; school supplies; one‑day excursions; psychology service; digital platform; language and co‑curricular lessons (Chinese, piano, dance, yoga, mindfulness, Spanish, Catalan, French); and curricular subjects according to the British Council.
Per‑term and per‑year equivalents (calculated example)
- The school publishes tuition as a monthly amount. The following per‑term and per‑year figures are calculated examples based on a 10‑month billing period (September–June) and a three‑term academic year; these per‑term and per‑year figures are derived from the school's published monthly fees by simple arithmetic and are shown here for budgeting purposes only. (This calculation method uses the typical Spanish school-year rhythm of classes running from September to June.)
- Pre‑Nursery / EYFS / Primary (published EUR 845 per month): - Example annual (calculated) = EUR 845 × 10 = EUR 8,450 per year. - Example per term (calculated) = EUR 8,450 ÷ 3 = EUR 2,816.67 per term. - Secondary (published EUR 910 per month): - Example annual (calculated) = EUR 910 × 10 = EUR 9,100 per year. - Example per term (calculated) = EUR 9,100 ÷ 3 = EUR 3,033.33 per term. - Swimming (Primary) (published EUR 38 per month): - Example annual (calculated) = EUR 38 × 10 = EUR 380 per year. - Example per term (calculated) = EUR 380 ÷ 3 = EUR 126.67 per term.
Boarding
- No boarding provision or boarding fees are published; boarding is not listed as an offered service.
Refunds and cancellations
- No published refund or fee‑cancellation policy for tuition, inscription, reservation, insurance or other fees is available on the school's published fee pages. Parents should note that no explicit refund information is provided in the published fee schedule.
Billing schedule and payment terms (published details and notes)
- Tuition is presented on the school's pages as a monthly charge by stage and as specific annual charges for reservation and insurance; the school also lists an annual reservation fee and annual insurance/accident charges. No full termly billing schedule (dates for invoice due‑dates, instalment options or late‑payment penalties) is published with the fee amounts.
Fee payment options
- The published fee pages do not specify accepted payment methods (credit card, bank transfer, direct debit, online payment services, etc.). No payment‑method details are published alongside the fee schedule.
Summary for parents (concise)
- Inscription: Pre‑Nursery EUR 450; Early Years & Primary EUR 2,500. Monthly tuition: Primary stages EUR 845/month; Secondary EUR 910/month. Annual reservation and insurance charges apply (reservation EUR 350; medical EUR 175; accident EUR 375). Book packs and uniform items are additional and itemised on the school's uniform and book lists. No boarding fees, no published refund policy, and no published payment‑method details are shown in the school's public fee pages.
Diving deeper
Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements
Boarding arrangements
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Boarding arrangements
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Uniform requirement
Uniform requirement
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Uniform requirement
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Food options
Food options
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Food options
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House system
House system
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House system
—
Governance and ownership
Governance and ownership
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Governance and ownership
—
Academics
Academics
Curriculum details
Curriculum details
The International School of Catalunya follows the National Curriculum of England and Wales from Early Years through to A-Levels. Year 10 Secondary students (aged about 15-16) take IGCSE examinations. A-Levels are a two-year programme preparing students for university. Official exams include SATs, I/GCSE, and International A-Levels. The Early Years Foundation Stage begins in Reception (3-5 years) and Primary education starts in Key Stage 1; Secondary begins in Key Stage 3 (Year 7-9) and continues to Key Stage 4 (Year 10-11).
Curriculum details
St. Patrick's International School follows the British Curriculum. It offers Pre-Nursery & Early Years (0–3 and 3–5 years), Primary (6–12 years), and Secondary (13–18 years), with Secondary education in process under an International Bachelor program. The Pre-Nursery & Early Years program is multilingual. The school emphasizes English-language immersion, aiming for total immersion in English while engaging with international programs.
Student teacher ratio
Student teacher ratio
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Student teacher ratio
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Exam results
Exam results
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Exam results
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Higher education progression
Higher education progression
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Higher education progression
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Gifted and talented
Gifted and talented
—
Gifted and talented
—
Academic calendar
Academic calendar
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Academic calendar
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Wellbeing & support
Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning
Social & emotional learning
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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
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English as an additional language
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Mental wellbeing
Mental wellbeing
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Mental wellbeing
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Safeguarding
Safeguarding
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Safeguarding
—
Safeguarding policy
Safeguarding policy
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Safeguarding policy
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Facilities
Facilities
Facilities overview
Facilities overview
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Facilities overview
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Sports facilities
Sports facilities
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Sports facilities
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Academic facilities
Academic facilities
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Academic facilities
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Extra curricular facilities
Extra curricular facilities
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Extra curricular facilities
—
Parent experience
Parent experience
History
History
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History
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Community
Community
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Community
—
Parent teacher association
Parent teacher association
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Parent teacher association
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Extra-curricular
Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual
Academic & intellectual
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Academic & intellectual
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Arts & creative
Arts & creative
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Arts & creative
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Cultural & language
Cultural & language
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Cultural & language
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Social & hobbies
Social & hobbies
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Social & hobbies
—
Community & service
Community & service
—
Community & service
—
Leadership & professional
Leadership & professional
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Leadership & professional
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Lifestyle & wellbeing
Lifestyle & wellbeing
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Lifestyle & wellbeing
—
Language provision
Language provision
Language provision
Language provision
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Language provision
—
Bilingual teaching
Bilingual teaching
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Bilingual teaching
—
Immersion programs
Immersion programs
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Immersion programs
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Reputation
Reputation
Awards
Awards
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Awards
—
Accreditations
Accreditations
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Accreditations
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Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
Book a private visit. The admissions process is designed to be enjoyable and straightforward. Meet the admissions team at the school for an initial interview with our director to view facilities, meet teachers and students, and ask all questions regarding our educational programme. Submit enrolment forms and all required documentation. Early years: Families aspiring to enter Early Years will have an initial interview with the school director, and subsequently complete and submit the enrolment form and other documentation as outlined in the enrolment pack. Reception: Families aspiring to enter Reception, should there be places available in this year group, complete and submit the enrolment form and other documentation as outlined in the enrolment pack including, where applicable, a copy of the child's last school report. No knowledge of English is required for entry to the Early Years programme. Primary: Families aspiring to enter Primary, should there be places available, will be asked to complete and submit relevant enrollment documentation on offer of a place. These students are usually required, as part of the admissions process and without any further obligation, to spend at least half a day in their prospective class. This replaces the traditional 'entrance test' and allows our teachers to evaluate the level of English and social disposition in a natural and holistic way, at the same time giving the child the opportunity to experience a day at ISCAT. For students entering Key Stage 1 (Year 1 and Year 2) no previous knowledge of English is required, although this would be a distinct advantage. Students entering Key Stage 2 (from Year 3 to Year 6) are required to have some knowledge of English. Secondary & A-Levels: Students aspiring to enter Year 7 and above will be asked to attend an initial interview with a member of the secondary teaching team. Should a place be available, candidates are then required, as part of the admissions process and without any further obligation, to spend at least half a day with their prospective class. This replaces the traditional ‘entrance test' and allows our teachers to evaluate the level of English and social disposition in a natural and holistic way, at the same time giving the child the opportunity to experience a day at ISCAT first-hand. If ISCAT deems the student to have the necessary competencies and level of English to join the group, the enrolment form and other documentation as outlined in the enrolment pack should be completed and submitted to the school office, together with copies of the child's school reports for the previous two academic years. Please note that all students wishing to enter the school in Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 (Year 7 and above) must have an adequate level of spoken English. Open enrolment: Get to know in-person our school! We will accompany you personally and answer any questions you may have about the school, our learning spaces and the different educational stages.