SEK International Schools

What SEK International Schools does

SEK International Schools is a private, family-controlled Spanish educational group founded in 1892 and headquartered in Madrid. It operates 10+ international schools across five countries (Spain, Ireland, France, Qatar, Saudi Arabia) plus the SEK Global Campus online platform, serving 7,000+ boarding and day students from 80+ nationalities aged 4 months to 18 years. The group is anchored on the proprietary SEK Future Learning Model — a Smart Classroom / Intelligent Classroom pedagogical framework developed by founder Felipe Segovia Olmo in the 1990s — and the International Baccalaureate, which SEK pioneered in Spain in 1977.

The product portfolio spans early-childhood through university: 10+ bilingual/IB campuses, the SEK Global Campus online IB Diploma Programme (ages 16-19), Universidad Camilo José Cela (UCJC) for higher education, the SEK LAB educational startup accelerator, the SEK International Sports Academy, and Fundación Felipe Segovia. Recent additions (2024) include Beacon Private School (Bahrain) and New World International School (Oman), onboarded through a strategic partnership with JEO Capital Management. SEK is accredited by NEASC and CIS, certified as a B Corp (2023), and holds the Gran Cruz Alfonso X el Sabio.

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition fees across the campus network and online programmes; pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by location and programme. Distribution is direct: dedicated admissions teams per campus and a self-serve digital channel for the online IB. The group is led by President Nieves Segovia (representing the founding family), CEO Iván Martínez (since 2024), and UCJC Rector Héctor Escamilla (since 2023), with multiple wholly-owned Spanish subsidiaries (SEK Ciudalcampo, S.L.; SEK Santa Isabel, S.L.; SEK El Castillo, S.L.; SEK Catalunya, S.A.; SEK Atlántico, S.L.; SEK Alborán, S.L.) and a Saudi operating entity (Education Management Corporation Arabia for Education LLC) executing the operating model.

Name

SEK International Schools

Legal name

INSTITUCIÓN EDUCATIVA SEK, S.L.

Website

https://sek.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

1892

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

SEK International Schools is a private Spanish-founded (1892) K-12 educational group operating 10+ bilingual International Baccalaureate schools across Spain, Ireland, France, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman, plus an online IB campus and own university, serving 7,000+ students from 80+ nationalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

English Learner (EL/ESL/ELL) & Bilingual Education Programs (EDAJAGAB)

Keywords

• International K-12 education
• Bilingual schooling services
• International baccalaureate programs
• Online IB diploma
• Private school network

Headquarters

HQ city

Madrid

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Educational Services: Revenue generated from tuition fees for K-12 education across all SEK International Schools campuses, including boarding facilities at some locations. Also includes fees for the online IB Diploma Programme (Global Campus).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SEK International Schools delivers bilingual and international education to children from 4 months to 18 years through more than 10 physical campuses and an online Global Campus, anchored on the International Baccalaureate and its proprietary SEK Future Learning Model. Services span Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary education, the IB Diploma Programme (including 100% online), university-level studies at Camilo José Cela University (UCJC), the SEK International Sports Academy, and the SEK LAB educational startup accelerator.

Product overview

SEK International Schools is a comprehensive international education network offering a multi-school, multi-country portfolio of educational services. The core offering includes SEK International Schools (11 campuses across Spain, Ireland, France, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia) serving students from 4 months to 18 years with bilingual/IB programmes, supplemented by SEK Global Campus (online IB Diploma Programme for ages 16-19), Universidad Camilo José Cela (university level education), SEK LAB (educational startup accelerator), SEK International Sports Academy, and the Felipe Segovia Foundation. The SEK Future Learning Model and Smart Classroom approach underpin the pedagogical methodology across all institutions, with the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme being a flagship offering since 1977.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SEK LAB: Vertical accelerator for educational projects and startups
• SEK International Sports Academy
• SEK Global Campus
• Camilo José Cela University (UCJC)

Products and services

• SEK International Schools (K-12 international education network)
• SEK Global Campus (Online IB Diploma Programme)
• Universidad Camilo José Cela (UCJC)
• SEK LAB
• SEK International Sports Academy
• International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• 32.14 average IB score vs 30.88 global average (2025/26)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Camilo José Cela University collaborates with RFEF Academy through co-organised specialised university postgraduate courses including the University Expert Course in Applied Football Methodology Management. The partnership connects academic knowledge with federative and professional experience in Spanish football development.
• JEO Capital ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Strategic collaboration for expansion in Middle East. SEK Education Group officially welcomed Beacon Private School (Bahrain) and New World International School (Oman) to its global network under this partnership.
• Luis de la FuenteminorOthers · 1 January 2024National football coach and architect of Spain's 2026 World Cup victory participated in Europa Press Sports Breakfast at Camilo José Cela University, strengthening UCJC's role as meeting point between university, sport, media and institutions.
• Project Zero (Harvard Graduate School of Education)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Learning Outside-In project initiated by UCJC School of Education and SEK International Schools in collaboration with Harvard's Project Zero research centre. A pioneering initiative in Spain aimed at improving student wellbeing through learning pathways in natural and urban environments.
• MagisteriominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Joint initiative called 'Artificial Intelligence and Education' to promote dissemination of good use of AI in education, featuring national and international collaborators.
• Arrowsmith ProgrammeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaboration to bring Arrowsmith neuroeducation programme to SEK schools for cognitive development and learning enhancement, focusing on students' ability to access relevant, meaningful and global learning.
• Madri+d FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaboration for SIMO Education, where SEK-Lab awards prizes to the seven most entrepreneurial projects, supporting educational innovation and startup ecosystem.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Inspired Education Group: PE-backed global premium schools group with strong European and Mediterranean presence. Comparable to SEK on premium private-school positioning across multiple countries and focus on bilingual and international curricula.
• Dulwich College International: Network of premium British-curriculum international schools across Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Comparable to SEK on premium expatriate-targeted international schooling, multi-country footprint and emphasis on university preparation.
• Nord Anglia Education: Global network of premium international schools operating in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas with IB and bilingual programmes. Closest direct peer to SEK given multi-country premium-international-schools model and shared IB-curriculum focus.
• GEMS Education: Dubai-headquartered operator of premium international schools with a heavy Middle East footprint and growing European presence. Directly comparable on Gulf-market overlap (Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain) and premium IB/bilingual delivery.
• Globeducate: European premium international schools group operating bilingual and IB schools across multiple countries. Closely comparable to SEK on multi-country European footprint, IB delivery and bilingual curriculum positioning.
• International Schools Partnership (ISP): PE-backed operator of premium international schools across Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and Asia. Highly comparable multi-country premium-schools portfolio with active expansion strategy in markets where SEK also operates.

Emerging players

• Maple Bear Global Schools: Global bilingual-school franchise with strong presence in Latin America and selective expansion in Europe and Asia. Comparable to SEK on bilingual curriculum positioning but operates a licensing/franchise model rather than wholly-owned campuses.

Broad incumbents

• Universidad Europea: Spanish private university group with multiple campuses and strong sports partnerships. Comparable to SEK through UCJC, sharing Spanish private higher-education positioning, sports-academy integration and premium-branded delivery.
• Cognita Schools: Large UK-headquartered international schools group operating premium private and bilingual schools across Europe, Asia and Latin America. Comparable to SEK on multi-country premium-international-school positioning and proprietary pedagogy.

Regional players

• ACS International Schools: Operator of premium international schools in Europe and the Middle East with IB and American curricula. Comparable to SEK on premium international schooling and Middle East exposure, but does not directly overlap in Spain.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=s0EUWxKgqco
• Instagraminstagram.com/sekeducationgroup
• Xx.com/institucionsek
• Facebookfacebook.com/institucionsek

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SEK International Schools