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Curriculum British Curriculum, Pearson Edexcel IGCSE
Taught languages English, Spanish, French
Typical class size 12
Strengths STEM, Visual and Creative Arts, Languages
Clubs Arts and Creative, Social and Hobbies, Lifestyle and Wellbeing
Stages Early Years, Primary School, Secondary School, Sixth Form
Introduction
Sierra Bernia School is a private, coeducational day school on the Costa Blanca outskirts of Alfaz del Pi, serving pupils aged 3 to 18. It offers a British curriculum with infant, junior, and secondary sections. Infants learn through activity to build self-awareness, social skills, and confidence in a lively, supportive atmosphere. Juniors study Mathematics, Languages, Humanities, and Sciences. The secondary program prepares students for GCSE, IGCSE, and GCE A levels, with a clear pathway to higher education in Spain or abroad. Founded in 1973, it is Costa Blanca's longest-established British school and highly regarded locally. The school is privately owned, fully authorised by the relevant ministries for foreign nationals and Spanish citizens, and undergoes NABSS inspections; it is an associate member of COBIS and NABSS. Facilities include a Science Laboratory, Art Room, Library and Computer Suite, ample space, and sports installations. Extracurricular activities include modern singing, surf-skate, chess, and tennis.
Av. Sant Rafel, 8, 03580 L'Alfàs del Pi, Alicante, Spain
The Essentials
Sierra Bernia School has 100 pupils, typical class sizes of 12, instruction in English.
Location
The school is on the outskirts of Alfaz del Pi on the Costa Blanca, near the Benidorm–Altea coast road and the motorway. Pupils travel from Javea, Moraira and Calpe to the north and Campello, San Juan and Alicante to the south. A coastal school bus service is provided between Calpe in the north and Benidorm in the south, stopping at various points en route.
Stages
Ages 3 to 18, organised into Infant, Junior and Secondary sections.
Type
Private, coeducational day school.
Pupil Nationality Mix
Pupils are from all nationalities.
Additional learning support
A Tutor provides pastoral care and monitors pupils with special educational needs; small year-group numbers enable personalised attention.
Country affiliation
British
Bus service
A coastal school bus service is provided between Calpe in the north and Benidorm in the south, stopping at various points en route.
Fees
Tuition and application fees - Sierra Bernia School does not publish a public schedule of tuition or registration (application/enrolment) fees by year group or by term. External school directories list the school but note that tuition amounts are not publicly disclosed.
Application / registration fee - No separate application or registration fee amount is published in the school's admission materials or entry form; an online entry form and an admissions process are available but no fee figure is listed.
Tuition fees by school year (per term / per year group) - The school does not provide a public breakdown of tuition fees by year group or per term. No specific EUR amounts for day-school tuition (per term or per year) are published in the school's public materials.
Billing schedule and payment terms - No publicly posted, itemised billing schedule or standard tuition payment terms (for example: number of instalments, due dates, discounts for single annual payment) are available in the school's publicly accessible admissions or policies pages. The school's admissions process is open year-round.
Boarding fees - Sierra Bernia School operates as a day school; it does not list boarding provision or boarding fees. No weekly or full-boarding fee schedule is published because boarding is not offered.
Other costs and regular extras (published amounts where available) - iPad / technology pack options (device packs and financing): several device-pack price points are published for school technology packs. Examples listed include EUR 435.32, EUR 544.32, EUR 573.32, EUR 590.03, EUR 699.03 and EUR 728.03 depending on configuration and insurance options; financing offers (0% interest promotional financing) are available through CaixaBank Consumer Finance and CETELEM with an opening commission noted in the pack material. These amounts relate to the device/pack options rather than tuition. - Extracurricular activity fees (monthly amounts where published): - Modern singing (CANTO MODERNO): EUR 35/month. - Surfskate: EUR 40/month. - Chess (AJEDREZ): EUR 35/month. - Tennis: EUR 40/month for one day per week or EUR 70/month for two days per week. These are published extracurricular monthly fees for the 2024/25 activities listing. - Uniform costs: a uniform is required up to Year 11 and uniforms must be purchased from the named supplier (LA CASA DEL CAMARERO, Benidorm). No retail prices for uniform items are published on the school materials. - Dining / school meals: the school publishes dining service information and a downloadable menu/meal PDF, but specific per-meal or per-term meal pricing is not published in the available public materials. - Transport (school minibus): the school operates its own minibus routes covering the La Marina Baja area and provides operator contact details; specific fares or route-by-route prices are not published in the publicly available transport page. - External exam charges: external directories indicate that the school lists additional costs for external exams, but a published, itemised schedule of exam entry charges could not be located in the school's public materials.
Refund information - No published refund policy, timetable for refunds or conditions for refunding fees is available in the school's public admissions or policy pages.
Fee payment options - Financing for the technology/iPad packs is offered through named finance partners (CaixaBank Consumer Finance and CETELEM) and includes mention of an opening commission and optional insurance; these financing arrangements are specific to device packs. - The school's public pages do not publish a standard list of accepted payment methods for general tuition (for example: bank transfer, direct debit, credit card) or the typical tuition payment mechanisms and instructions. For transport and extracurricular services, operator and contact details are provided for direct enquiries.
Summary of limits to available fee data - There is no public, itemised tuition fee schedule by year group or per term available in the school's published admissions materials. The only specific prices published in school materials relate to optional items and services (technology packs and selected extracurricular monthly fees). Third-party school directory listings and local guides similarly note that standard tuition fees are not publicly disclosed. Because standard tuition, registration, billing schedules, refund terms and boarding fee amounts are not published, a full per-term and per-year fee breakdown cannot be provided from publicly available materials.
Academics
Sierra Bernia School teaches British Curriculum, Pearson Edexcel IGCSE for students aged 3 to 18.
Curriculum
The school provides infant, junior, and secondary education. Infant teaching emphasizes learning through activity and play, developing self-awareness, social skills, and confidence in a lively, supportive atmosphere. Junior years cover Mathematics, Languages, Humanities, and Sciences. The secondary curriculum is directed toward British examinations: GCSE, IGCSE, and GCE A levels. The school prepares pupils for higher education in Spain or abroad after achieving success at IGCSE. Pupils are encouraged to consider future careers; past pupils have gained places at colleges and universities in Europe and the USA.
Student Teacher Ratio
Small class sizes enable personalised attention to all pupils.
Higher Education Progression
Attention is given to pupils who wish to enter further or higher education in Spain or other countries after success at the IGCSE level. Pupils are encouraged to consider future careers; in the past pupils have gained college and university places in Europe and the USA.
Wellbeing
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
The school prioritizes a happy working environment where children of all nationalities gain academic success. Integration among multinational and bilingual pupils is encouraged, and participation in local community events is promoted.
Special Educational Needs (SEN)
The school has a fully qualified support teacher for dealing with pupils with specific learning difficulties.
English as an Additional Language (EAL)
Spanish is taught as a second language for students of different nationalities, and Spanish lessons are offered alongside the British Curriculum to meet Spanish curricular requirements (Lengua, Sociales, Valenciano).
Admissions
Admissions
1. Registration is open year-round. The register period is open all year round. This allows families to begin the admissions process at any time. To start the process, contact the school by telephone or email to arrange an appointment to learn about the education project, the installations, and the services offered by the school.
2. To register, arrange an information appointment by contacting the school by telephone or email. This meeting provides details about the education project, the school's facilities, and the services available.
3. Documents required to register vary by age group: Infants—Photocopy of the DNI or NIE card of the parents or guardians, the family book where the child is listed, vaccinations certificate up to date, and four passport photographs. Primary/Secondary—Photocopy of the DNI or NIE card and the family book, the reports and evaluations from the previous year, a certificate for transfer from the previous school/college, vaccinations and medical certificates up to date, and four passport photographs. Sixth Form—Photocopy of the DNI card or passport of the parents or guardians, the family book, a certificate for transfer from another college, the qualifications of the previous course, and for those in the first year of the sixth form a photocopy of the file showing that Secondary Education has been attained, vaccinations and medical certificates up to date, and four passport photographs.
FAQs
What age range does Sierra Bernia School serve?
The school serves pupils aged 3 to 18, organised into Infant, Junior and Secondary sections. It has been educating children on the Costa Blanca since 1973.
What qualifications can students obtain?
The secondary curriculum leads to GCSE, IGCSE and GCE A Levels. Pupils are prepared for higher education in Spain or abroad, with past students gaining places in Europe and the USA.
Where is the school located?
On the outskirts of Alfaz del Pi on the Costa Blanca, near the Benidorm-Altea coast road and motorway. Pupils travel from as far as Javea in the north and Alicante to the south.
Is there a school bus?
Yes. A coastal bus service runs between Calpe in the north and Benidorm in the south, stopping at various points along the route.
How large is the school?
Around 100 pupils, enabling small class sizes and personalised attention. The small year groups allow teachers to closely monitor each pupil's progress.
Does the school support pupils with learning difficulties?
Yes. A fully qualified support teacher works with pupils who have specific learning difficulties. A tutor system provides pastoral care and monitors individual needs.
What languages are taught?
French from nursery onwards, leading to Edexcel IGCSE. Spanish Language and Literature from Years 7-9. Valenciano is also taught. The pupil body is multinational and bilingual.
Is there a school uniform?
Yes, up to Year 11. Navy blue and white with polo shirt, jumper and appropriate trousers or skirt. Uniform is available from El Corte Ingles.
What facilities does the school have?
A Science Laboratory, Art Room, Library, Computer Suite, playground space for all ages with shaded areas, and sports installations.
What extracurricular activities are available?
Modern singing for ages 7-16, surf-skate for ages 3-5, chess for ages 5-12, and tennis. Activities run after school and may involve local clubs.
When was the school founded?
Sierra Bernia School was founded in 1973, making it the Costa Blanca's longest-established British school. It is highly respected within the local community.
Is registration open year-round?
Yes. Families can begin the admissions process at any time by contacting the school to arrange an appointment to learn about the educational project and visit the facilities.
