International Recognition

BSB, one of the best British schools in the world

Our latest inspection as a British School Overseas (BSO) rated The British School of Barcelona as Outstanding in every category. This is the highest recognition that an international educational centre can receive and grades BSB as one of the best British schools in the world.

This places BSB as one of the only five schools in Spain that are currently recognised as outstanding by the English Department for Education (DfE), and the only school in Catalunya to have gained this prestigious accreditation from the British Government.

The inspection, run by Penta International, highlights the quality of education, the strong sense of community among staff, students and families, and the global educational standards of our school.

View/Download the full BSO Report

View BSB in the official list of accredited British schools overseas

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What sets us apart
Accreditations
BSO Highlights 2021

“The British School of Barcelona (BSB) offers a top-quality British education that meets the needs of its students, engages them in their learning and provides a real sense of school community.”

– The British School of Barcelona, BSO Report 2021

What sets us apart

Excellent, broad, balanced and highly personalised curriculum

A child-centred school where everyone feels happy and safe

An inclusive school that actively promotes global perspectives

Access to best universities in Spain and around the world

A clearly established vision and strategic direction

A wholehearted BSB Community

An internationally recognised school

We hold numerous major accreditations from leading international bodies in recognition of global quality, innovation and excellence in education.

Our membership with world-renowned organisations is a kitemark of good governance, which reflect the high standards and ethos expected of a first-class British international education.

In January 2022, we achieved the Wellbeing Award for Schools (WAS), which formally recognises our effective approach to emotional wellbeing and mental health within our school community.

Find out more about our commitment to wellbeing

Accreditations

British Schools Overseas Inspection

Wellbeing Award for Schools

National Association of British Schools in Spain

Barcelona International Schools Association

Cambridge Assessment International Education

International Baccalaureate
(at BSB Nexus)

Pearson Edexcel Qualifications

Council of British International Schools

The Heads' Conference

Penta International

Asociación de Colegios Privados e Independientes

The Good
Schools Guide

“Students throughout the school are highly motivated learners and display high levels of English.”

– The British School of Barcelona, BSO Report 2021

British School Overseas (BSO)
Highlights 2021

The curriculum at BSB is excellent:

The school provides an excellent, broad and balanced curriculum. The curriculum is well planned across all year groups.
The curriculum has been innovatively designed around transdisciplinary learning throughout, in order to develop independent and resilient learners.
Students are provided with many opportunities to develop their learning habits through a project-based curriculum.
Transition within the school and into the secondary part of the school is positive and well established.

The quality of teaching and assessment is outstanding at BSB:

Outstanding practice is evident throughout the school.
Teachers are confident, knowledgeable and have warm and effective working relationships with students. There is a lot of use of praise and encouragement.
Classrooms are attractive, and provide environments that really support learning and promote high standards.
Lessons encourage students to apply intellectual, physical or creative efforts and to show interest in their work.

Standards achieved across the school are excellent:

Students across all year groups make consistently very good progress, which is illustrated in the examinations and progress tests results.
During their early years at the school, students make consistently good progress and by the end of the primary years, achieve at or above UK national averages.
Students continue to make excellent progress across the secondary school. Students consistently achieve above UK averages in GCSE examinations.
By the time they leave school, they have the personal and social skills needed to move successfully to the next stage of their lives.

The Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development is a significant strength:

Students report that they are proud of their school and that the atmosphere of the school is one that is warm, empathetic and that teachers are “happy you (students) are here”.
Care and guidance of students at all levels is exemplary. Wellbeing of the students is a clear focus of the school and many practices are in place to support this.
Students enjoy coming to school, feel that their voice is heard and are appreciative of their teachers. There are excellent student-teacher relationships: behaviour is exemplary.
Transition points across the school are managed very systematically and effectively.

The welfare, health and safety of the students is excellent:

The school’s arrangements for the welfare, health and safety of students are outstanding and ensure that all students, staff and visitors are well cared for.
Students of all ages report that they feel safe in the school.
The school has effective policies and procedures in place for safeguarding and child protection.
The school meets the requirements of the standard, the regulatory requirements and the cultural obligations of the host country.

A strong positive sense of school community and parental engagement:

The school values the importance of forming strong links with families and they provide an important contribution to the school's self-evaluation.
Parents and students have opportunities to engage with the school and their opinions and perspectives are respected.
Regular parent meetings and gatherings allow parents to be involved in their child’s learning, discuss student progress, future choices, and ways to support children at home.
The general attitude of the parents towards the school is very positive and supportive.

The quality of leadership and management at BSB is excellent:

As a group, the senior leadership team is successful in delivering a child-centred school.
The leaders provide and pursue a clearly established vision and this informs the strategic direction of the school.
Strategic planning for the future is realistic and rigorously challenging.
As a result, significant progress has been made in school improvement over the last few years.

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