Main highlights of the British education system
Our educational vision is based on the British National Curriculum with the particularities and characteristics of a British international school in Spain.
The British education system enables students to actively explore, investigate, and practically apply knowledge and skills fostering a deep understanding of the different subjects they study.
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Structure and Key Stages
The table below shows the equivalencies between the British and Spanish education systems. It will help you understand the organisation and terminology used regarding the British education system compared to the Spanish one.
ACADEMIC CYCLES | AGE GROUP | BRITISH CURRICULUM | SPANISH CURRICULUM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) | 2 – 3
3 – 4 4 – 5 | Pre-Nursery
Nursery Reception | 1er ciclo Ed. Infantil
2º ciclo Ed. Infantil 2º ciclo Ed. Infantil |
| Primary Education Key Stage 1 | 5 – 6
6 – 7 | Year 1
Year 2 | 2º ciclo Ed. Infantil
1º curso Ed. Primaria |
| Primary Education Key Stage 2 | 7 – 8
8 – 9 9 – 10 10 – 11 | Year 3
Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 | 2º curso Ed. Primaria
3er curso Ed. Primaria 4º curso Ed. Primaria 5º curso Ed. Primaria |
| Secondary Education Key Stage 3 | 11 – 12
12 – 13 13 – 14 | Year 7
Year 8 Year 9 | 6º curso Ed. Primaria
1º curso Ed. Secundaria 2º curso Ed. Secundaria |
| Secondary Education Key Stage 4 | 14 – 15
15 – 16 | Year 10
Year 11 | 3er curso Ed. Secundaria
4º curso Ed. Secundaria |
| Sixth Form Key Stage 5 | 16 – 17
17 – 18 | Year 12
Year 13 | 1º Bachillerato
2º Bachillerato |
Hands-on learning approach and specialisation
Practical work helps students engage in their learning experience as they actively participate in projects, experiments, group research, workshops, and other activities, allowing them to explore through first-hand observation.
Pupils have the chance to deepen their understanding by practically applying the theory they’ve learnt. This sparks their curiosity and interest for learning, at the same time it promotes teamwork encouraging students to share ideas, collaborate with their classmates and communicate their findings.
Foreign language studies
English is a core subject in the British curriculum, but it also focuses on the study of different foreign languages such as French, German and others.
An essential aspect of our educational vision is the learning of a second and third language. In addition to English and Spanish, our students also start learning French as a second foreign language in the final stage of Primary Education (Year 5 and Year 6), continuing to studying it as a mandatory subject up to Year 11.
Our students can also study German or Chinese if they wish to once they reach Year 7. They can continue learning all these foreign languages as optional subjects once they reach Sixth Form.
Assessment and official examinations
Students will have to demonstrate the knowledge acquired over time by taking the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) at the end of Key Stage 4.
They may also pursue the AS/A-Level examinations for university admission.
