La Escuela de Lancaster

The Lancaster School was founded in 1979 by a small group of parents who sought to offer their children a truly bicultural education, combining Mexican and British systems. It is organized as a non‑profit civil association in which parents participate as Associates; the General Assembly, the highest authority, elects seven members to form the Board of Directors. The school opened in September 1979 in a house at Plaza de la Constitución No. 1 in Tlalpan, with about 40 students and four teachers. On May 14, 1982, it was recognized as bicultural through an agreement between the governments of Mexico and the United Kingdom. The curriculum evolved: Cambridge IGCSE replaced O levels in 1990; the IB Primary Years and Diploma Programs were introduced in 2007; IMYC joined in 2012; the school began an inclusive program for students with intellectual disabilities in 2002, and today serves over 20 students with disabilities from preschool to lower secondary; the school has expanded its bicultural and international orientation by hiring teachers from many countries, including Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Luxembourg, Romania, South Africa, Uganda, Pakistan, Peru, Guatemala, Colombia, Argentina, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

The Lancaster School is a welcoming community that embraces students from diverse backgrounds, abilities, and interests, and offers an educational program that encourages reflection, analysis, understanding of others, commitment to the community, and values such as respect, empathy, and honesty. The school is a highly creative and active community that promotes cultural production across disciplines, and its students are researchers, artists, and athletes engaged in diverse cultural development projects. Community initiatives include the Community Education Project and the San Andrés Club (founded in 2011) and a Sustainability Committee, as well as events like the Friendship Tournament that strengthen bonds within the Lancaster community.

The school operates as a civil association in which all parents have a voice and a vote. The General Assembly of Associates, the highest authority, elects seven members to form the Board of Directors. The Assembly also appoints members of the Honor and Vigilance Commission (generally founders and former presidents) to oversee the school's functioning and ensure adherence to the founding mission. There are three Parent-Teacher Associations across campuses, with representative boards that participate in school governance and activities. The Associations support school life through governance and events and serve as a key channel for parent involvement.