← Back to homeThe English Montessori School
Madrid, Spain · est. 1973 · Private
Illustration · Madrid
The English Montessori School, or TEMS, is a private British school in Aravaca, Madrid, founded in 1973 and part of the Cognita group. It has 780 pupils aged from one to eighteen, classes of no more than 25, 79 teachers and 13 assistants, and 11 pupils per teacher. The languages of instruction are English and Spanish, with French as the third language. The curriculum is the National Curriculum for England complemented by the Spanish one and enriched with Montessori philosophy; in the upper years there are three routes: the IB Diploma Programme, A Level and the Spanish bachillerato. There are four campuses, all in Aravaca: Voyager House for the youngest, Discovery House from Nursery to Year 2, Explorer Campus for Year 3 - Year 11 and Nexus Navigator for Year 12 and Year 13. The school publishes its results: in 2026, 87 per cent of 244 IGCSE entries achieved a pass grade or above, and 35 per cent of A Level grades were A* and A; in 2024 everyone passed the EvAU. Leavers go on to Imperial College London, Bristol, Warwick, King's College London, Delft, IE and the University of Navarra. Extracurricular life is built around trips - abroad, around Spain and skiing - and the Duke of Edinburgh programme. In summer Discovery House runs an English camp for children from eighteen months to twelve years, open to pupils of other schools as well.
Key facts
Tuition
≈ $7 208–15 884 a year
6 380–14 060 EUR
Programmes
IB · DP · Cambridge · A-Level
Admits from
1 year · Pre-School
Languages of instruction
English, Spanish
Students per teacher
11 pupils per teacher
Class size
up to 25 pupils
Registration fee
≈ $678
600 EUR
Summer camp
Yes, open to all
About the fees Fees are monthly, over ten months from September to June, and may also be paid in a single annual payment. The 2026-2027 scale: Pre-Nursery (1-2 years) 638 EUR a month, Nursery (3) 638, Reception (4) 706, Year 1: 833, Year 2: 933, Year 3: 1004, Years 4 to 6: 1073, Years 7 to 9: 1152, Years 10 and 11: 1173, the first and second year of the Spanish Bachillerato (Years 12-13) 1173, and Years 12 and 13 on A Levels and the IB Diploma Programme 1406 EUR a month. That works out at 6380 to 14060 EUR a year. A monthly materials charge is separate: Infants (Nursery - Year 2) 137 EUR, Juniors (Years 3-6) 147, Seniors (Years 7-13) 159, and it covers materials, books, digital platforms, excursions, school medical insurance and the services of the nurse and the educational psychologists. Lunch is 178 EUR a month from Nursery to Year 13, cooked in the school's own kitchen, and is compulsory up to Year 11. The bus costs 175 EUR return and 131 one way. Wraparound care: mornings from 7:30 cost 132 EUR, from 8:00: 98, and evenings 16:30-18:00: 115. Sibling discounts: 5 per cent for the second child, 25 for the third, 40 from the fourth; an annual payment before 1 September earns 1 per cent. One-off charges: a registration fee of 600 EUR (non-refundable), a place reservation fee of 400 EUR (deducted from the first invoice) and a deposit of 300 EUR for families paying monthly, returned when all the family's children leave the school. The school points out that Spain has state and regional tax deductions for educational expenses.
Admissions The school sets out admission in seven steps: a conversation with the admissions officer and a check of available places, a visit on an open day or a private tour, the application, an assessment and interview, a time-limited offer of a place, the documents together with payment of the fee, and confirmation of enrolment. From Year 1 to Year 13 all children take an assessment and interview to show a sufficient academic level; under the admissions policy this is a conversation with the head of section or the headteacher and a written or online test, including a language one. A child must command the languages of instruction well enough to cope with lessons; the school discusses support for English as an additional language with each family individually. The youngest children are admitted without a formal assessment, on the basis of what parents report about their development. If there are fewer places than applicants, priority goes to siblings of pupils and former pupils, then by length of registration, children of alumni, test results and the previous school's reference; there is a waiting list.
Stages and year groups Grades Pre-Nursery (age 1) - Year 13. The school divides a child's journey into stages: Infants aged 3-6, Juniors 7-10, Seniors 11-15 and the pre-university stage 16-18, where A Levels, the Spanish Bachillerato and the IB Diploma Programme are on offer. The youngest, from one to three, attend the pre-nursery at Voyager House. The curriculum is the National Curriculum for England, complemented by the Spanish curriculum and enriched with Montessori philosophy. Classes are capped at 25 and the ratio is 11 pupils per teacher. Uniform is worn up to and including Year 11; Years 12 and 13 do not wear it.
Address Calle Sopelana 11, 28023 Aravaca, Madrid
Accreditations and programmes verified against official registries
IB · DP · authorised programmeCambridge · A-Level · authorised programmeCognita · school is part of the networkschool 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
IBInternational Baccalaureate
A Swiss non-profit, working since 1968. Its programmes are among the most widely recognised school programmes in the world. Authorisation is granted stage by stage, so a school with the final stage does not necessarily run the younger ones; which stages this school holds is set out in the line below.
What the badge means for this school. The school is allowed to run this programme and to award its certificate. This is a confirmation of the programme, not a judgement on the school as a whole. The entry stands in the organisation's public register - anyone can check it. At this school: DP (ages 16-19). DP is the final stage, ages 16 to 19: six subjects plus a compulsory core of theory of knowledge, an extended essay and CAS. The diploma is accepted by universities all over the world, and in a number of countries it counts for admission on the same footing as the local leaving certificate.
Register to check for yourself, and the full guide →CambridgeCambridge International Education
Part of the University of Cambridge. It allows a school to teach the Cambridge programmes and to enter pupils for the exams. There are four stages and they are authorised separately: primary, lower secondary, IGCSE and A Level. If the stages are known they are named in the line below; if that line is missing, the school does not publish them, and the Cambridge registry does not show stages either - it gives only the name of the centre, the country and whether private candidates are accepted. Cambridge calls what it does registration rather than accreditation, and the network holds about ten thousand schools.
What the badge means for this school. The school is allowed to run this programme and to award its certificate. This is a confirmation of the programme, not a judgement on the school as a whole. The entry stands in the organisation's public register - anyone can check it. At this school: A-Level (ages 16-18). A-Level is the senior years, and their results are what British and many other universities admit on.
Register to check for yourself, and the full guide →Cognitaschool network
A group of schools launched in 2004; the legal entity in the footer of the site is Cognita Holdings Limited. The site names 90 schools in 21 countries, 14 curricula and more than 22,000 staff, and the numbers agree on all the pages read. The section on a school joining the group speaks of working with the owners of schools and of integrating the school, but does not say outright whether the school passes into ownership; the word "franchise" does not appear on the site. The majority owner of Cognita itself is named as Jacobs Holding AG.
What this means for this school. The network owns or operates the school. Its accreditation and programme authorisation the school obtains separately, in its own name.
Exams and destinations from the school's official website
Exam results In 2026 pupils sat 244 IGCSE entries: 87 per cent at a pass grade or above, 29 grade 9s, and two pupils achieved four grade 9s each. At A Level in 2026, 35 per cent of grades were A* and A. For 2024 the school gives more detail: 98 per cent passed A Level, 58 per cent of grades were A* and A, 74 per cent A* to B; 100 per cent passed the EvAU with an average mark of 8.57 out of 10 and a best result of 13.25 out of 14. Language exams: 73 per cent of 36 entries passed C1 Advanced, 78 per cent of 37 passed C2 Proficiency, 93 per cent passed DELF B1 in Year 12 and 85 per cent DELF B2 in Year 13. The school does not publish IB Diploma results.
Where leavers go: Imperial College London · University of Bristol · University of Warwick · University of Portsmouth · Radboud University · University of Surrey · King's College London · Delft University of Technology · IE University · Universidad de Navarra · Universidad Francisco de Vitoria
The school names universities on its home page (the 2026 A Level cohort) and on its academic results page; it publishes neither the share of leavers going to university nor a full list.
Facilities from the school's official website
·Swimming poolnot stated on the website
·Sports hallnot stated on the website
·Laboratoriesnot stated on the website
·Theatre or assembly hallnot stated on the website
·Librarynot stated on the website
✓Catering
✓School transport
·Boardingnot stated on the website
Campus: Four campuses in Aravaca, Madrid, all with the postcode 28023. Voyager House on Calle Motrico 3 is a Montessori environment for the youngest, from age one. Discovery House on Calle Ganímedes 7 takes Nursery to Year 2, ages 3-6, with an emphasis on independence and hands-on work. Explorer Campus on Calle Sopelana 11 is a new 11151 square metre building for Year 3 - Year 11 (ages 7-15). Nexus Navigator on Calle Zumárraga 6 is the pre-university building for Year 12 and Year 13. Hot lunch is cooked in the school's own kitchen, there is a cafeteria for those who bring their own food, and a school bus.
Clubs and activities (5): Duke of Edinburgh's International Award · Residential trips abroad · Trips around Spain · Week-long ski trip for senior pupils · Extracurricular activities by registration
Summer camp: the school runs its own camp and takes children from outside as well
The 2026 summer camp runs from 29 June to 24 July at Discovery House on Calle Ganímedes 7, for children from 18 months to 12 years, entirely in English. Families can book the whole camp or by the week, Monday to Friday, half day or full day with lunch. Each week has its own theme (circus, nature explorers, fair, secret agents): art, science, water games and a party on Fridays. Groups of up to 10-12 children, smaller for under-threes; staff are primary, early years and physical education teachers. The camp is open to children from other schools as well. The school gives the price in a leaflet, not on the page. There are also camps for half-term, Halloween and Easter.
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 sizein the key facts above
The school publishes its staffing in figures: 79 teachers and 13 assistants, a ratio of 11 pupils per teacher, classes of no more than 25. Named are the headteacher Jonathan Gunzi, the deputy headteacher and head of Infants Abigail Kay, the head of upper school Leah McFarlane, the head of bachillerato Beatriz Mera, the head of Juniors Cynthia Davies and the business manager Jorge Nieto. The school does not state teachers' qualifications.
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 school calls children's safety its first priority and publishes a set of policies: safeguarding and child protection with procedures, a safeguarding notice in the entrance hall, anti-bullying, pupil supervision and lost or missing children, health and safety, first aid, risk assessment, preventing radicalisation, and a mobile phones and devices policy for the youngest. There is a school psychologist, Natalia Guijarro, and a school nurse, Laura Bello; their services are included in the monthly materials fee together with school medical insurance. The school does not name security staff or video surveillance.
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%)86 Community rating (16%)no dataparent reviews are needed: the criterion switches on at the fifth verified one Exams and destinations (12%) scored on disclosed data80 Safety and wellbeing (12%) scored on disclosed data75 Accreditation and verifiability (10%)90 Teaching staff (10%) scored on disclosed data55 Facilities (10%) scored on disclosed data70 Clubs and activities (8%) scored on disclosed data73 "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