Scuola Statale Italiana di Madrid is the Italian Foreign Ministry's state school in Chamberí, one of the oldest and largest Italian schools abroad with a history of almost a century. The school calls itself bilingual and bicultural: its Italian and Spanish components are fully integrated. Levels: primary school (two streams of 30 hours and one full-day stream of 40 hours, 16 classes), middle school (three streams, 9-10 classes) and a four-year scientific liceo (three streams, 11-12 classes) with tracks in advanced science, history and society, and computing. A paritaria kindergarten also operates in the building, so children can follow the whole path from 3 to 18. In January 2026 there were 759 students: 338 in primary, 218 in middle school and 203 in the liceo; of these 149 Italian, 219 Spanish and 390 with dual citizenship. The language of instruction is Italian; Spanish language, literature, and Spanish history and geography are studied under the local curriculum, and English and Latin as subjects.
Key facts
Tuition
≈ $847–1 130 a year
750–1 000 EUR
Programmes
Italian programme
Languages of instruction
Italian
Languages taught
Spanish, English, Latin
About the fees Family contributions for 2026-2027: primary school 1030 EUR per year (280 EUR enrolment and three payments of 170, 280 and 300 EUR; 990 EUR if paid in full by 30 June 2026), liceo 1300 EUR (300 EUR enrolment and three payments of 160, 400 and 440 EUR; 1260 EUR in one payment). Excluding enrolment: 750 EUR in primary and 1000 EUR in the liceo. Families with three children at the school get 20% off, with four or more 40% (excluding enrolment and lunch). Middle school contributions are in a separate document on the site.
Admissions Applications for first classes for 2026-2027 were accepted by email from 4 to 25 March 2026, signed by both parents; late applications are considered after those submitted on time. Current students and children from the Italian kindergarten of Madrid have priority. If places are short, points apply: Italian citizenship (5), transfer from another Italian school (4), a sibling at the school (3 each), children of former students (2), relatives up to the 4th degree of current students (1), last year's waiting list (1); the consulate may add up to 3 points for children of Italian civil servants. First primary class is for children turning 6 by 31 December 2026, early entry up to 30 April 2027. Liceo applicants from schools with a different curriculum are admitted after supplementary exams in missing subjects. The list of admitted students is published on the site, with a waiting list if places are short. Students of many nationalities attend, most of them Spanish or with dual citizenship.
Stages and year groups Italian levels currently offered: scuola primaria (5 years, 30 or 40 hours), scuola secondaria di primo grado (3 years, 33 hours), a four-year liceo scientifico (35 hours) with scienze, storico-sociale and informatica tracks. The liceo ends with the esame di Stato, which gives access to all Italian universities. Local track: the school maps its classes to Spanish levels (primary, ESO, bachillerato), and all levels include Spanish language and literature and Spanish history and geography; for admission to Spanish universities the school handles the paperwork through UNED. The kindergarten (paritaria since 2011) is a separate school in the same building.
Address Calle Agustín de Betancourt 1, 28003 Madrid (Chamberí)
Accreditations and programmes verified against official registries
MAECIIt is an Italian state school abroad: Italy's foreign ministry names it on its list of state schools, and the curriculum and the diploma are Italian.
school is in an official registryconfirmed by a school document, by membership or by taking part in a networkclaimed by the school, no confirmation, not counted in the scoreGuide to all organisations → What stands behind each entry
MAECIItaly's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI)
An Italian school abroad: a state or paritaria school, the Italian curriculum, the esame di Stato exam and a diploma with the same legal value as in Italy.
What the badge means for this school. This is an Italian school abroad: it teaches the Italian curriculum, and Italy's foreign ministry names it on its list of state or paritarie schools - so Italy recognises its exams and diploma. The entry is not a quality inspection. Which stages are recognised and what the school charges are on this page and on the school's own website. The entry stands in the organisation's public register - anyone can check it.
Register to check for yourself, and the full guide →Italian programme
The Italian school curriculum taught in Italian: scuola dell'infanzia, primaria, secondaria di primo grado (scuola media) and the liceo, ending with the state exam, the esame di Stato, and the Italian diploma.
What this means for this school. The curriculum is set by the Italian state: the school is an Italian state school abroad or a paritaria school, recognised by Italy. Exams follow Italian rules and the diploma has the same legal value as in Italy, giving access to Italian universities. The host country's curriculum usually runs alongside, and students receive two certificates.
Exams and destinations from the school's official website
The school publishes nothing about where its leavers go: no share going on to university, no exam results, no list of universities.
Facilities from the school's official website
·Swimming poolnot stated on the website
·Sports hallnot stated on the website
✓Laboratories
✓Theatre or assembly hall
✓Library
✓Catering
·School transportnot stated on the website
·Boardingnot stated on the website
Campus: The school occupies one multi-storey building in Chamberí, which also houses the paritaria Italian kindergarten. There is an assembly hall with a theatre stage that hosts Italian writers and cultural figures, a library, labs, a canteen (the menu is published monthly) and an infirmary staffed by a nurse from 8:15 to 16:15. Primary school runs from 8:15 to 14:15, full-day classes until 16:15; middle school has 33 hours a week, the liceo 35 hours. The school is a CILS exam centre for Italian as a foreign language.
Clubs and activities: Sports Club · Dalla scena al SET (theatre and film project) · Nuova scena italiana nel mondo (theatre project) · English Courses · Muchomasqueidiomas (after-school language classes) · Sunrise (after-school activities)
Teaching staff from the school's official website
·Teachers listed by namenot published
·Teacher qualificationsnot stated
·Number of teachersthe school does not say
·Students per teacher or class sizenot stated
The Italian Foreign Ministry pays the salaries of all teachers and staff on Ministry contracts and Ministry-supported local contracts, and funds teachers' project hours. In primary school Spanish and Spanish social sciences are taught by separate teachers, other subjects by Italian teachers by subject area.
Safety and wellbeing from the school's official website
·CCTVnot stated on the website
·Security staffnot stated on the website
·Access controlnot stated on the website
✓Nurse or medical room
✓Counsellor
✓Child protection policy
·Staff trainingnot stated on the website
✓Anti-bullying policy
The infirmary is open from 8:15 to 16:15; the nurse collects medical and allergy information and gives medication under school rules. The school psychologist offers counselling by appointment, prevention of school difficulties and emotional education; parents may opt out of individual sessions. The site has an anti-bullying section, a safety plan and an equality plan.
Reviews
No reviews yet. The community rating counts towards the score once a school has five verified reviews - until then we do not show a zero, so as not to mislead.
Criteria breakdown criterion weight in brackets
Academics and programmes (16%)72 Community rating (16%)no dataparent reviews are needed: the criterion switches on at the fifth verified one Exams and destinations (12%) scored on disclosed data55 Safety and wellbeing (12%) scored on disclosed data75 Accreditation and verifiability (10%)85 Teaching staff (10%) scored on disclosed data55 Facilities (10%) scored on disclosed data80 Clubs and activities (8%) scored on disclosed data76 "Scored on disclosed data" stands where we count only what the school has written about itself on its own site: exams and destinations, safety and wellbeing, teaching staff, facilities, clubs and activities. A low score here means the school does not write about this, not that the school does not have it: a school with good security and a sparse site will score low. A school can fill in its profile, and the score will be counted again.
The score is counted from 8 of the 9 criteria.Only those with checkable data count: programmes and accreditations from official registers, the fee from a published price list. Where it says "scored on the median", the school has no data and the middle of the list is put in its place, so that a gap gives no advantage. Admissions, teaching staff and reviews come in as their data arrives.
The full methodology → Similar schools in the country
Madrid, Spain · Private