We challenge and support our students to get the best academic results
At BSB we aim to make learning so much more than a set of grades or numbers but, at the same time, we acknowledge that we have a duty to our students and their parents to ensure students get the very highest exam grades they can.
Expectations are high, students are given targets and our academic and personal development teams provide a wealth of advice and support along the way.
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Teaching at BSB is a privilege
Our students are ambitious and keen to learn and teachers are able to really focus on how best to engage each and every student and deepen their understanding of the various subjects. Lessons are not about delivering content. Instead, we expect lessons to be varied, thought-provoking and encourage independent thinking and curiosity.
As students move through the school there is, inevitably, more focus on formal external examinations, but our expectations of what good teaching looks like do not alter.
Every student is different
There is an expectation for BSB teachers to shape approach and content to individual student needs. Students with specific educational needs will be supported by our student support department and teachers will implement strategies in the classroom to make certain every student maintains a high level of progress.
All students need to be challenged, from the most able to those who may find a particular subject more difficult. Our teachers will always look to differentiate material and approach, to meet the requirements of each and every student, acknowledging that understanding can be unlocked in a variety of ways and may occur at different moments along the student’s educational journey.
A stimulating curriculum that prepares students for life
In Early Years we follow a curiosity approach to learning, which is an inquiry, play-based curriculum that ignites the children’s natural curiosity to explore the world around them.
In Primary our model takes upon an inquiry-based approach to learning that allows our students to develop key learning habits, which are taught explicitly through our curriculum during the full course of their education at BSB.
Our Secondary pathway follows the best of the English National Curriculum, whilst giving us the flexibility to allow students to complete the Spanish ESO qualification by the time they come to the end of Year 11.
All teaching at BSB is in English, with the exception of Spanish and Catalan lessons, which are designed for all student levels from absolute beginner to native expert. We also offer French and German throughout Secondary school.
Students sit exams in nine or ten GCSE subjects at the end of Year 11 and then have the choice of doing the IB Diploma or A Levels at our BSB Nexus campus for their final two years at school. These qualifications give our students access to universities all around the world, including in Spain. In Nexus, students also have the possibility of attending extra classes after school to help them obtain the extra points needed to access the very best Spanish University courses.
The IB Diploma is also offered at BSB City in Barcelona. The British School of Barcelona City Campus is an authorised school for the Diploma Programme as an IB World School. IB World Schools share a common philosophy — a commitment to high-quality, challenging, international education — that we believe is important for our students.
Ensuring a love for long life learning
Here, at BSB, we share an understanding of exactly how we want our students to develop as learners, realising the value of knowledge acquisition alongside skilful learning behaviours.
Linking across all key stages and campuses is our commitment to developing students’ capability to become life-long learners, empowering them with the healthy dispositions and positive attitudes which will allow them to flourish in school and beyond it.
Fundamental to this, we have developed teachers’ and students’ understanding of the importance of nine essential Learning Habits which provide the foundation for success at school and in life.
These form the bedrock of all aspects of school life ensuring that when they graduate from BSB, all students regardless of starting ability, emerge as empowered, independent young adults ready to take on the challenges that lie ahead.
BSB Learning Habits
The ‘BSB Learning Habits’ relate to four key areas: emotional engagement, critical and independent thought, strategic learning, and collaborative teamwork.
Having an inquisitive attitude to life.
Managing and controlling your own learning.
Benefitting from and contributing to the social world of learning.
Creatively exploring possibilities.
Locking your mind into learning.
Sticking with challenges that matter to you.
Standing back and taking stock of learning.
Working things out with clarity and accuracy.
Having and realising a vision to inspire positive change.
Outstanding Academic Performance
At BSB, our students consistently achieve exceptional academic results. Their performance at GCSE, IB, and A Level is significantly above national averages, with many students achieving the highest marks in specific subjects, not only in Spain but sometimes across Europe.
The 2024 exam results once again highlight our students' remarkable achievements. Their scores in IB, A Level, and GCSE exams have surpassed both national and global averages, and we’ve seen outstanding individual performances this year. Students taking the Spanish Access and PCE exams have also performed really well, getting excellent grades and one student receiving a scholarship for her good results. This academic performance reflects the dedication of our students and the expert support from staff and parents throughout their academic journeys.
As a non-selective and inclusive school, we take pride in offering every student an equal opportunity for success. Our value-added analysis shows that students consistently exceed expectations and make exceptional progress, regardless of their starting point. It has been incredibly rewarding to see so many students meet or surpass their goals, ready to embrace the next chapter with confidence.
In addition to strong academic results, our emphasis on developing key skills and learning habits ensures that our students are well-prepared for success at great universities worldwide.
2024 Results Highlights
A Levels Highlights
IB Highlights
100%
success for our IB contingent
19.4%
students scoring 40+ points
34.2
average point score
(30.32 World Average)
1
student achieved the maximum 45 marks
GCSE Highlights
Spanish Access and PCE results
2
students obtaining 3.87 and 3.66 out of 4 possible in PCE
2
students achieving 13.327 and 12.283 in Spanish Access
1
student gaining a scholarship for the University of Navarra
* PCE: Pruebas de Competencias Específicas (required exams to access to Spanish universities – for those courses with highest demand)
BSB students are world ready
A BSB education opens up an extremely exciting range of future possibilities and, as in previous years, this year our students have achieved places at a range of prestigious universities around the world.
In 2024, all our students have done exceptionally well to secure a place on the courses of their choice, especially in such an increasingly competitive environment.
The picture in terms of final destinations shifts a little every year. In 2024, 33% of our leavers going straight to university directly after graduation and have chosen to go on to study in the UK, gaining entry to some of the very best UK universities, including Cambridge, Newcastle, Warwick, Imperial College London, King's College London, Bristol and UCL (University College London).
The picture for Spain is equally strong with 43% of our graduates choosing to remain in Spain and gaining places and, in several cases, scholarships, as well as two Matrículas de Honor to excellent public and private universities including ESADE, Complutense Madrid, University of Barcelona (UB), IE University and La Salle, amongst others.
We also have 24% of our graduating students going to other European universities in The Netherlands, Ireland, France, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland and Germany, or travelling to US universities to continue their studies.
Whatever the chosen destination, our BSB Futures team are on hand throughout the year to help students and parents navigate the various applications processes and provide the guidance needed to help students get to where they want to go.
Outstanding Learner Awards
Every year, a number of our BSB students are recognised as the best performing learners from the international assessment boards, namely Pearson Edexcel and Cambridge Assessment International Education. They are presented with Outstanding Learner Awards for achieving the highest marks in a particular subject, spanning Spain, Europe, and, in some cases, globally.
Over the past decade, BSB students have achieved an impressive tally of seventy-one of these prestigious awards: 6 Tops in the World, 5 Highest Marks in Europe, 47 Tops in Spain and 13 High Achievements.
