The British School of Barcelona - Castelldefels Campus

The school operates across three campuses in the Barcelona metropolitan area: City Campus in Barcelona, Castelldefels Campus, and Sitges Campus. City Campus is at Carrer de l'Esperança, 32, 08017 Barcelona. Castelldefels Campus is at Carrer Ginesta, 26, 08860 Castelldefels. Sitges Campus is at Passeig Isaac Albéniz, s/n, 08870 Sitges.

City Campus and Castelldefels Campus serve ages 2-18; Sitges Campus serves ages 2-11.

Private, co-educational international day school.

The school provides for students with special educational needs and disabilities.

UK curriculum; British international school in Spain.

The Summer School 2024 bus route runs Barcelona to Castelldefels with morning and afternoon services; it stops at central Barcelona locations (e.g., Av. Marquès de l'Argentera, Passeig de Gràcia) and Castelldefels (Passeig de la Marina) with morning departures around 7:40–8:28 and returns around 17:15–18:25.

The curriculum is firmly rooted in the English National Curriculum and is delivered across three campuses (Castelldefels, City, Sitges) with an inquiry-based approach. In Early Years, learning follows the Curiosity Approach, while primary uses a transdisciplinary model that connects core and foundation subjects. The secondary and sixth form offer 18 A Level programmes, the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), and BTEC Music and BTEC Sport, with pathways designed to meet local university entrance requirements.

GCSE results (2024) show an overall pass rate of 95%, with 98% achieving 5 or more passes; 60% of grades were 7-9 in 2024 and 98% were 4-9. In English Language, 59% of students achieved 7-9 in their first or second language, and 98% achieved 9-4. KS5 results are strong, with IB results consistently above the global average (average over 34 points; 19% achieving 40+), and both IB and A Level students achieving a 100% pass rate in 2024; A Level grades include 46% A/A.

29% of BSB graduates go on to UK universities and 65% access English-medium tertiary courses in other countries.

A strong leadership programme is pervasive across all departments and phases, offering opportunities for students to lead and follow their passions; house captains and science ambassadors spoke of their roles with confidence. The Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award is available and used by students to develop leadership and project skills. From year 10, a career guidance programme with Unifrog helps high-achieving students explore careers, courses and university destinations.

The British School of Barcelona places wellbeing at the heart of school life. There are designated pastoral and wellbeing leaders and a wellbeing room for KS3 and KS4, with students knowing who to talk to if they have concerns. Staff development includes mental health first aid training as part of Thinking Thursdays and other CPD to support mental health. The school uses a specialised software package to record concerns and support pupil welfare across sites. The overall approach emphasises a supportive, inclusive environment that promotes student resilience and positive relationships.

The school has a Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) policy. The Learning Support Lead has day‑to‑day responsibility for SEND and coordinates provision with staff, parents and external professionals. The school uses a graduated SEND approach with Wave 1 universal support, Wave 2 targeted support and Wave 3 specialist provision, and maintains a SEND Register. Early identification and ongoing assessment guide provision, including for pupils with EAL who may also have SEND. The Headteacher has overall responsibility for SEND and staff are supported to differentiate teaching and adjust provision, with information shared with receiving schools on transfer.

The school publishes an English as an Additional Language (EAL) policy. EAL is defined as a pupil whose first language is not English, encompassing those who are fully bilingual and those at varying stages of learning English. EAL pupils may be newly arrived from abroad or from different schooling contexts and will require varying levels of provision. An EAL Coordinator leads provision, with a central register and baseline assessments to guide support; provision is tracked and reviewed, and staff receive ongoing professional development to support language development. Provision may include withdrawal from lessons when appropriate, while ensuring full access to the curriculum, and parents are informed about the specifics of EAL support.

Mental wellbeing is a core focus; there are Wellbeing Leaders and a Wellbeing Room to support student welfare. Staff undertake mental health first aid training as part of ongoing professional development, including through Thinking Thursdays. The wellbeing approach is integrated with pastoral care to support emotional health and resilience, with systems to help students talk to trusted adults about concerns. Safeguarding and pastoral structures work together to monitor and promote mental wellbeing and early intervention when needed.

A Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy (September 2025) guides safeguarding and pupil welfare. The Child Protection Coordinator (CPC) leads safeguarding and online safety, with Deputy CPCs to support; the CPC coordinates referrals to external agencies and liaises with local authorities, case managers and staff. All staff receive safeguarding and online safety training, including an annual safeguarding refresher, and the policy is reviewed annually and made publicly available to parents. The policy sets out key contacts at each campus and outlines staff responsibilities, with Cognita's safeguarding reviews incorporated into the governance framework.

The British School of Barcelona is an independent day school for children aged 2 to 18. All enquiries and applications are handled by the Admissions Department. Prospective parents may attend regular open days or arrange a personal tour with Admissions. After a visit, interviews and entrance tests, and the Parent Contract with the Admissions Registration Form and the non-refundable Registration Fee, a place may be offered. If a year group is full, the child is placed on a waiting list; a place is confirmed only after a formal offer and payment of the deposit/registration fee. Taster Days are offered for prospective pupils. Admission to Pre-Nursery and Nursery at the Sitges campus is available for children who turn two by December of the same year for Pre-Nursery (no formal assessment required, but the child is met) and for Nursery, children are welcomed if they turn three by December. Admission to other year groups requires an English language assessment (interview and written test); a maths or other subject-specific assessment may be required for Nexus entry. Pupils must have a working knowledge of the language of instruction; EAL support can be arranged at the parent's expense. Allocation of places, offers and waiting lists occurs after a formal offer and deposit. If there are more applicants than places, priority is given in this order: returning students; siblings; alumnae; length of time registered; and references; Nursery places prioritize full-time over part-time when applying at the same time. The school reserves the right to withdraw an offer if information provided is false or misleading. There is no right to appeal a admission decision; the Headteacher's decision is final. The terms of education are set out in the Parent Contract; the school maintains an Admissions Register in accordance with data protection.

Waiting lists apply when a year group is fully subscribed; a place is not guaranteed until a formal offer is made and the deposit/registration is received. The priority order used for allocating places on a waiting list is: returning students; siblings; alumnae; length of time registered; and references. Nursery places give priority to full-time placements over part-time when applications are made at the same time. Applicants are informed within about a week of enquiry whether a place is available, otherwise a place will be offered from the waiting list as it becomes available.