Natura Montessori School vs SEK International School Catalunya

	N Natura Montessori School Barcelona, Spain	S SEK International School Catalunya Barcelona, Spain
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year €7,160 - 8,660	Fees / year €7,740 - 9,360
Age range	Age range 1 - 12 years	Age range 0 - 18 years
Type	Type Co-educational	Type Co-educational, Co-educational (boarding)
Curriculum	Curriculum American Curriculum, Montessori Curriculum	Curriculum IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP), American Curriculum
Pupils	Pupils 62	Pupils 1,020
Typical class size	Typical class size 24	Typical class size 20
Instruction language	Instruction language English, Spanish	Instruction language English, Spanish
Opened	Opened —	Opened 1995
Bus service	Bus service Yes	Bus service Yes
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location Located near Terrassa in Catalonia, Spain, Natura Montessori Escola Bosc is housed in a 17th‑century manor with 1,800 m² built and 14,000 m² of land, offering views of Montserrat and proximity to Barcelona and surrounding towns. Terrassa is about 15 minutes away, with 20 minutes to Sant Cugat or Sabadell, 12 minutes to Martorell, and 16 minutes to Sant Andreu de la Barca.	Location Located in the Els Tremolencs residential estate in La Garriga, Barcelona. La Garriga is in the Vallès Oriental region, about 30 minutes from Barcelona, and at the foot of the Montseny Nature Park. The campus spans 100,000 m2 with separate buildings for Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary and boarding, and includes a woodland area used as an extension of the classroom.
Stages	Stages Ages 1–12; Infant 1–3 years, Casa de niños 3–6 years, Taller 6–9 years, and 9–12 years.	Stages Early Childhood; Preschool; Primary; Secondary; Baccalaureate
School type	School type Montessori education with a forest‑school environment (escuela bosque) integrated into the program.	School type Private international school with international boarding. Full English-language immersion and trilingual education (Spanish/English/Catalan). The school covers all educational stages, from 4 months to 18 years. The school is the only institution in Catalonia accredited to deliver the full International Baccalaureate continuum (IB PYP, MYP, DP).
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix —	Pupil nationality mix —
Additional learning support	Additional learning support Inclusive education and a trilingual environment (Catalan, Spanish, and English).	Additional learning support —
Country affiliation	Country affiliation Spain	Country affiliation Spain
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation —	Religious affiliation —
School day structure	School day structure School day runs from 09:00 to 15:30.	School day structure —
Bus service details	Bus service details Transportation available: 150 €/month from Barcelona, Sant Joan Despi/Sant Feliu de Llobregat; requests for pickup points can be considered.	Bus service details —
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details Application fees - Inscripción: EUR 1,500. - Renovación de matrícula: EUR 300 por año (se cobra a partir del año siguiente al pago de la inscripción). Tuition fees by year group - The school charges a single standard tuition rate for enrolled pupils (ages 1–12). The monthly tuition is EUR 580, billed in 12 monthly instalments. Annual total (12 × EUR 580): EUR 6,960. A 10% discount applies for siblings. Per-term amounts (calculated equivalent) - The school's published billing is monthly (12 payments). The school does not publish a termised fee schedule. The equivalent annual total is EUR 6,960; if you require a simple three-term (trimester) breakdown, the equivalent would be EUR 2,320 per term (this trimester figure is a direct mathematical division of the annual total and is presented as an equivalent, not an officially published termised fee). Billing schedule and payment terms - Regular tuition: EUR 580 per month, billed as 12 instalments per year. - Reservation/initial payment: after submission and acceptance the school issues the final payment and reservation documents; the payment must be made within one week of those documents being sent or the place will be released. The school indicates a response period of up to two weeks after receiving full documentation to confirm availability. Boarding fees - No boarding provision or boarding fees are listed; the school operates as a day school with published hours 09:00–15:30. Other costs and optional fees - Material escolar (school materials): EUR 200 per year. - Comedor (eco, local food): EUR 120 per month for 4 days/week; EUR 140 per month for 5 days/week; EUR 25 per month for using a tupper from home. - Transporte escolar: EUR 150 per month for routes from Barcelona / Sant Joan Despí / Sant Feliu de Llobregat (route availability assessed on request). - Acogida (before-care 08:00–09:00 or after-care 15:30–16:30): EUR 60 per month for each time slot. Refund and cancellation information - No explicit refund or cancellation policy for tuition, inscription or other fees is published on the school's fees page. The published payment requirement states that the reservation payment must be completed within one week of receiving the payment documents or the place is released; further refund terms are not provided on the fee page. Fee payment options - The available public fee information does not specify accepted payment methods (credit card, bank transfer, direct debit, etc.). Contact details are published for administrative contact.	Fee details Application / Registration Fees - Application (registration) fee: EUR 665 (non‑refundable). - Reservation / enrolment deposit: EUR 1,570 (one‑off deposit, normally credited against the first-term tuition). Tuition fees by year group (reported figures for the current academic year) - Early years / Nursery: approximately EUR 645 per month (≈ EUR 7,740 per year). - Primary School: approximately EUR 675–760 per month (≈ EUR 8,100–9,120 per year). - Lower Secondary (ESO / Middle Years): approximately EUR 765–795 per month (≈ EUR 9,180–9,540 per year). - National Baccalaureate: approximately EUR 820 per month (≈ EUR 9,840 per year). - International Baccalaureate (DP): approximately EUR 935 per month (≈ EUR 11,220 per year). Per‑term amounts (illustrative): when annual tuition is billed in three equal term instalments, a useful planning figure is the annual amount divided by three (for example, an IB DP annual figure of EUR 11,220 corresponds to approx. EUR 3,740 per term when invoiced in three instalments). Boarding fees - Boarding options offered: full boarding (monthly including weekends), weekly boarding (Monday–Friday), and flexi / specific‑day stays; full board and laundry and academic support are included in boarding services. - Reported full‑boarding cost (published third‑party listings): around EUR 7,500 per year (full‑boarding annual estimate). Other recurring and optional costs - School uniform: SEK uniform is required; uniforms are sold via El Corte Inglés (cost borne by families). - School transport (bus): routes are supervised and available; transport is typically charged separately from tuition. - Extracurricular activities and music lessons: many extracurricular activities are charged monthly. Example published extracurricular rates include instrument lessons and activities such as: - One 30‑minute individual music class: EUR 69 per month; two 30‑minute individual classes: EUR 138 per month. - Group and sports activity monthly fees typically range from about EUR 39 to EUR 78 per month depending on frequency and activity. - Federation or competition fees and single annual charges (e.g., federation registration) are billed separately and may appear as a single non‑refundable charge in the autumn instalment (example: a federation file fee ≈ EUR 75). - Summer programme fees and short residential courses (when offered) are charged separately; example short‑course full‑board week fees have been published in the range of EUR 370–490 per week for specific summer programmes. Billing schedule and payment terms - Published information for SEK schools shows two common billing patterns used within the SEK network: (a) tuition invoiced as three equal instalments (one per academic term) and (b) tuition collected as monthly instalments during the school year. Families should plan for either a termly or monthly instalment structure; some schools within the SEK group offer discounts for single annual payment. - Typical administrative practice within the SEK group is to bill tuition in advance; late or unpaid fees can affect continuation of enrollment and the release of academic records. Refunds and withdrawal - No detailed, school‑specific public refund policy for SEK International School Catalunya is posted in the school's public pages. Group fee policies published for other SEK schools indicate that termly tuition payments are generally treated as non‑refundable once a student has attended classes for the term and that refunds or exceptions are handled on a case‑by‑case basis. Reports and transfer documents are typically withheld until outstanding fees are settled. Fee payment options - Common payment methods used across SEK schools include bank transfer / direct bank deposit, direct debit, and debit/credit card (card payments may carry a commission). Employer payments and cheques are accepted in some SEK locations. Families typically receive invoices with the bank details or payment instructions. Notes for budgeting - Tuition figures above are the principal component of school costs; add separate charges for boarding (if applicable), transport, uniform, extracurriculars, activity trips, examination fees and optional programmes (summer courses, music school, sports academy). Example extracurricular and music fees are published in the school's extracurricular programme documentation. (End of fees overview)
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 Escola Natura Montessori combines Montessori pedagogy with forest-school practices. The school serves children from 1 to 12 years old, supporting emotional, physical, social, and academic development. Learning is guided by Maria Montessori's scientific observation to design the prepared environment around each child. It uses mixed-age groups—Infant Community (1–3 years), Children's House (3–6 years), and Workshop (6–9 and 9–12 years)—to foster community and peer learning. The main languages of instruction are Catalan, Spanish, and English. The campus is in Castellbisbal, Barcelona, in a 17th‑century farmhouse surrounded by forest, near Martorell and Terrassa, with transport options for families.	Curriculum details SEK-Catalunya is a multilingual school teaching through English, Catalan and Spanish. 70% of the curriculum is delivered in English, 15% in Catalan and 15% in Spanish. From year 5 of Primary Education, a fourth language (French or German) can be studied. The school integrates the International Baccalaureate Programme continuum, teaching the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP). It provides full English-language immersion.
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio —	Student teacher ratio —
Exam results	Exam results —	Exam results —
Higher education progression	Higher education progression —	Higher education progression The IB Diploma provides access to universities worldwide.
Gifted and talented	Gifted and talented —	Gifted and 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 1. Pre-enrollment form: If you are interested in enrolling your child, fill out the pre-enrollment form. The form requests the contact person's full name (required), email (required), the child's name (required), the child's age (required), city (required), and phone number (required), and requires acceptance of the privacy policy (required). 2. Documentation after submission: After submission, the documents necessary to formalize enrollment will be sent. A maximum of two weeks after all documentation is received, we will contact you to communicate the availability of a place. 3. If admitted: If admitted, you will be sent the final payment and reservation documents. The enrollment fee is 1,500€; the monthly fee is 580€ with a 10% discount for siblings; school materials cost 200€ per year; the standard school day runs from 9:00 to 15:30. 4. Enrollment is open year-round: Enrollment is open year-round.	Admissions STEP 1: Request information via the web, email or telephone. This initial contact helps the admissions team understand your child's profile and family needs. Limited places apply, so early inquiry is advised. You will receive information on available programmes and entry requirements. STEP 2: If you like, arrange a visit to the school with the admissions department. Visits provide an opportunity to meet the admissions team and see the facilities. You can ask questions about the programmes and the admissions timeline. Availability of visit slots may vary. STEP 3: Arrange interview and entrance test. The admission and documentation process is conducted through MY SEK Admissions. When applying for the admission test, essential information is required to create access to the platform. The Admissions Committee will review the information and schedule the next steps. STEP 4: Documentation upload and final decision. Tutors receive login credentials to provide and upload the necessary documents according to the stage. Documents must be uploaded before attending the interview. Required documents include identity documents for both parents and student, birth certificate, and progress reports; additional documents may apply per academic cycle. The final decision is issued by the Admissions Committee.
Scholarships	Scholarships —	Scholarships SEK Scholarships include multiple programs through the Felipe Segovia Foundation. SEK Excellence Scholarships provide 50% of the cost of SEK university baccalaureate education (IB or other Baccalaureate) over two years at SEK schools, including Catalunya Barcelona. SEK Scholarships for Sports Performance recognise student-athletes who represent their school in competitions, while SEK Scholarships for Sporting Talent reward high levels of sporting and academic achievement. Maria de Villotta Scholarship for Personal Effort supports a student to study at SEK schools; Felipe Segovia Award to Best SEK Student recognises outstanding scholars. Scholarships are awarded by a Scholarship Committee based on academic merit, portfolio and other criteria; documentation includes academic records, personal portfolios, and letters of recommendation; decisions and timelines are published by SEK Education Group's scholarship program.
Waitlist	Waitlist —	Waitlist —
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