British School of Barcelona

The British School of Barcelona (BSB) is a private coeducational bilingual international school located in the Barcelona metropolitan area, Catalonia, Spain.

The British School of Barcelona
Location
Sitges & Castelldefels (Barcelona , Catalonia) Spain
Coordinates	41.272155°N 1.989335°E / 41.272155; 1.989335
Information
Type	Private, day school
Established	1958
Enrolment	Nearly 2000 students across all campuses
Campus	Non-residential, Suburban
Colour(s)	Navy Blue, Red, Grey and White
Website	www.britishschoolbarcelona.com

It operates as an all-through English International school, catering to students aged 2–18, and maintains four campuses located in Barcelona, Castelldefels, and Sitges.

The school holds formal recognition and accreditation from the British government for its adherence to the English National Curriculum. Additionally, it is accredited by the International Baccalaureate Organization to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP). Furthermore, the school is authorized to validate the Spanish ESO and Bachillerato (Secondary and Sixth Form) programs by both the Spanish Ministry of Education and the Catalan Department of Education.

Since 2007, The British School of Barcelona has been affiliated with Cognita, a global educational group.

The school holds the status of a founding member within the National Association of British Schools in Spain (NABSS).

History

Founded in 1958 as the Anglo-American School, the institution saw significant growth following the 1978 publication of the first Royal Decree recognizing foreign schools in Spain, which validated studies for Spanish pupils. This recognition played a pivotal role in attracting local families seeking British education and English language proficiency.

In 1999, The British School of Barcelona was established. In 2007, ownership was transferred to the Cognita Schools Group. In January 2016, Cognita Group acquired the International School of Barcelona in Sitges, which was subsequently integrated as a new campus under the brand of The British School of Barcelona in September 2016.

April 2018 marked the inauguration of BSB Nexus, the new Pre-University campus in Castelldefels. In September 2019, the school expanded its sports facilities with a new 9,000 square meters rugby and football stadium adjacent to the BSB Castelldefels campus.

In 2021, BSB opened the BSB City Foundation Campus for Early Years and Year 1 (3-6 years) in Barcelona (Sarrià-Sant Gervasi), becoming the fourth campus. Additionally, in October 2021, BSB launched a BSB Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Centre in Castelldefels, opposite the BSB Nexus campus, expanding existing lab space.

In September 2023, BSB opened the BSB City Main Campus, also in Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, extending its educational offerings to students up to 18 years of age in Barcelona.

Facilities

The school operates campuses located in Barcelona, Castelldefels, and Sitges, catering to children from the city and its environs.

• BSB Sitges: Offering education from Pre-Nursery to Year 6 (2-11 years old).
• BSB Castelldefels: Providing educational programs from Nursery to Year 11 (3-16 years old).
• BSB Nexus, in Castelldefels: Serving as a Pre-University campus for students in Years 12 and 13 (16-18 years old).
• BSB City, in Barcelona: Offering education from Nursery to Pre-University (3-18 years old).

Castelldefels

Sitges

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Campuses

School organisation and studies

The British School of Barcelona provides education to children starting from pre-nursery school age (2 years old, at BSB Sitges) and nursery school age (3 years old, at BSB Castelldefels and BSB City), extending up to university entrance (18 years old).

The curriculum at the school primarily adheres to the National Curriculum of England and Wales. Students progress to preparing for GCSE examinations, and upon entering Pre-University education, they have the option to pursue either Advanced Level examinations (A Levels) or the International Baccalaureate (IB Diploma Programme). Both programs encompass a core curriculum of subjects.

The Pre-University curriculum is designed to meet the requirements set forth by the Spanish and Catalan Governments, enabling students to fulfill the criteria necessary to attain Spanish qualifications (ESO and Bachillerato).

Furthermore, the school provides preparation for students to take the Spanish University Access exams (PCE or Pruebas de Competencias Específicas) required for admission to Spanish universities. These exams are administered by the UNED (Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia).