BSB past, present, and future came together for an afternoon of memories, laughter and fellowship during the BSB Alumni annual Summer Reunion, taking place on Monday, 5th June. We were thrilled to welcome students from a variety of years, all the way back to 2011 until present day, and for the first time ever a number of students graduating this year joined us to begin to get the BSB Alumni feel, start networking and build invaluable connections as soon-to-be BSB Alumni themselves.

BSB Sitges hosted this year’s School Improvement Network (SIN) meeting, an annual conference that brings together the Senior Leadership Teams of all Cognita Schools in Spain, Italy and Switzerland, plus members of the Cognita Europe Leadership, to draw the strategic planning for the future.

We are delighted to share that a reviewer from The Good Schools Guide International visited The British School of Barcelona this year, and that, as a result of their successful visit, they have published an impartial, straight-talking and thoroughly researched school review for each of our campuses. The Good Schools Guide is independent, forthright, well-informed and unbiased, which gives it unique authority and has earned the trust of parents and educational organisations worldwide. With 35 years of experience and over 1,450 reviews, it is a helpful guide for families who are considering the best education for their children.

In the midst of exam season, understanding the keys to success is the first step in the preparation process itself. Preparing for an exam goes far beyond studying content and relating concepts. It is a combination of several factors that, when well articulated, allow students to achieve the desired results. Family involvement, for example, is one of the essential components, and in this sense Spanish families are among the most involved in their children’s studies, according to the Indicator of Parental Involvement in Compulsory Education (IPPE), recently carried out by a group of universities and organisations as part of a research project funded by the European Commission.

The change from Year 6 in Primary to Year 7 in Secondary is not only an exciting moment in a young person’s life, but it can also be filled with a lot of anxiety and worry for parents, guardians, and children alike. At BSB, we work hard to make this process as smooth as possible for them with the help of our specialised staff members, who support our children as they start heading to another milestone in their life.

The need for profiles to include new skills such as public speaking is becoming increasingly apparent. According to research conducted by LinkedIn, only 25% of the population is comfortable speaking in public — an essential skill that is increasingly valued by businesses. Knowing how to communicate not only demonstrates confidence and self-assurance, but is also effective when presenting projects and leading teams.

Thanks to the €15 million investment in Barcelona from our Cognita Group to launch the BSB City project in the city of Barcelona, BSB reinforces its position as an international school of reference in Barcelona and Catalonia, being the only school in Catalonia to be rated as ‘Outstanding in every Category’, the highest recognition awarded by the British government.

On 30th March, we were joined by some of our partners for what could be described as our first Pre-opening event to learn first-hand about our largest project ever. The event brought together some of the best relocator agents, organisations, companies, nurseries, and senior members of most prestigious sports clubs in the city.

One of the things that many families look for when choosing a school for their children is an innovative curriculum that prepares students for the challenges of the world around them. Jon Locke, Executive Principal of The British School of Barcelona, proposes five key aspects that determine a school’s excellence.

Under the theme ‘Wellness in Your Studies, Life and Work’, the event featured twenty-five presentations and workshops by experts from a range of industries from up to eight countries, with the participation of more than thirty universities from around the world.