The British School of Barcelona

What The British School of Barcelona does

The British School of Barcelona (BSB) is a private international school operating four campuses in the Barcelona metropolitan area — BSB City in Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, BSB Castelldefels, BSB Sitges, and the upcoming BSB Maresme in Cabrera de Mar (opening September 2026, capacity for up to 700 students). The school delivers a British-style education to over 2,000 students aged 2 to 18 from more than 70 nationalities, following the English National Curriculum and offering IGCSE, A Level (Cambridge/Edexcel), and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme pathways. Operations are supported by 236+ teachers and learning support assistants plus 300+ total staff, with education technology infrastructure including iSams/SIMS MIS, Evolve, CPoms, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, Forsta, Lightspeed, and the Cognita Connect parent portal. The school's technology backbone is standard K-12 SaaS rather than proprietary platform development.

BSB generates revenue primarily through annual tuition fees billed on a quote-based, subscription model, with secondary revenue from Summer School and Holiday Camps across Sitges, Castelldefels, and Barcelona (open to non-BSB students aged 3-16). The go-to-market is sales-led direct admissions: families complete online applications, submit school reports and references, and students undergo age-appropriate assessments before enrollment. The school maintains extensive brand-building channels including a multilingual website, Instagram presence, open days, the inaugural Festival of Education Spain (June 2026, 260+ attendees), and earned media coverage in Forbes, El Mundo, ABC, La Vanguardia, and School House magazine. BSB is operated as part of the Cognita group of independent schools, leveraging shared group systems, professional development, and the Cognita Careers recruitment platform. The school is the only institution in Barcelona holding the British Schools Overseas 'Outstanding in Every Category' inspection status (October 2024).

Name

The British School of Barcelona

Legal name

The British School of Barcelona

Website

https://britishschoolbarcelona.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The British School of Barcelona is a private British international school operating four campuses across the Barcelona metropolitan area (Barcelona, Castelldefels, Sitges, and Maresme opening 2026), delivering English National Curriculum education with IB and A Level pathways to over 2,000 students aged 2-18 from 70+ nationalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-12 International Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Pre-College Summer/Winter Academic Programs (High School Students) (EDAIAIAD)

Keywords

• International school education
• British curriculum
• Private school tuition
• IB diploma programme
• Primary secondary schooling

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: BSB operates as a private school with tuition-based education services. The school offers education from Early Years (2 years) through Pre-University (18 years). Fees information is available on the school's fees page.
2. Summer School and Holiday Camps: Additional revenue from summer programmes and holiday camps open to both BSB and non-BSB students aged 3-16.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The British School of Barcelona (BSB) is a private international school delivering British National Curriculum education to students aged 2 to 18 across campuses in Barcelona, Castelldefels, and Sitges, with a fifth campus (BSB Maresme) opening in September 2026. The school offers full-time education programs across Early Years, Primary, Secondary, and Pre-University stages, including GCSEs, A Levels and the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme, supplemented by a Summer School and Holiday Camps programme open to BSB and non-BSB students.

Product overview

The British School of Barcelona is a private international school offering a comprehensive British-based education from Early Years (ages 2-5) through to Pre-University (ages 16-18). The school operates across four main campuses in Barcelona, Castelldefels, and Sitges, with a fifth campus (BSB Maresme) opening in September 2026. The educational programme is built on the English National Curriculum and offers multiple pathways including GCSEs, A Levels, and the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme. The school provides a holistic educational experience through its Enrichment Programme, Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Summer School, and technology-focused initiatives including AI Ambassadors and Festival of Technology. Parent engagement is facilitated through the Cognita Connect platform. The school has been rated 'Outstanding in Every Category' by the British Schools Overseas inspection and serves over 2,000 students from more than 70 nationalities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BSB City: Main campus in Barcelona's Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district, offering Early Years to Pre-University education (3-18 years). Comprises Lucà Campus and Esperança Campus.
• BSB Castelldefels
• BSB Sitges
• BSB Nexus
• BSB Maresme

Products and services

• Early Years Programme Early Years education for children aged 2–5 years, providing a play-based start to learning and holistic development under the English National Curriculum. Targeted at families seeking a British international early years education in the Barcelona area.
• Primary Education Primary education for students aged 5–11 (Years 1–6), focused on holistic development alongside academic excellence within the English National Curriculum. Targeted at families enrolling children in British international primary schooling.
• Secondary Education Secondary education for students aged 11–16 (Years 7–11), offering GCSEs and preparation for pre-university studies, following the English National Curriculum with international orientation.
• Pre-University Programme (BSB Nexus) Bridge to university and beyond for students aged 16–18, offering International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme and A Levels with pathways to universities in Spain and worldwide.
• BSB Summer School and Holiday Camps Summer school and holiday camp programme running from 25 June to 31 July, open to BSB and non-BSB students aged 3–16 across Sitges, Castelldefels and Barcelona locations, with activities available in both English and Spanish.

Quantifiable outcome

• IB Diploma average score of 35 points (Class of 2026), well above global average of 30.58
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered secondary, core and minor.

• EducationScapesecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 June 2026Partnered with EducationScape to co-host the inaugural Festival of Education Spain at BSB Castelldefels, bringing together over 260 educators and education professionals.
• Wellington College EducationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 June 2026Partnered with Wellington College Education and the Festival of Education team to bring the celebrated Festival of Education event to Spain for the first time at BSB Castelldefels.
• Common Sense District RecognitionsecondaryOthers · 5 December 2023BSB received Common Sense District Recognition, demonstrating commitment to digital citizenship and safe technology use in education.
• CNN International - Call to Earth DaysecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2023BSB joined CNN International's environmental initiative Call to Earth Day, demonstrating commitment to environmental education and sustainability.
• SRT International University FairsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 November 2023BSB hosts SRT International University Fair, connecting students with universities worldwide for higher education guidance.
• Cognita SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSB is part of the Cognita family of schools - a global group of independent schools. Cognita provides educational leadership, shared resources, professional development, and group-wide systems including Cognita Connect parent portal and the Cognita Careers recruitment platform.
• Cambridge AssessmentcoreTechnology or IntegrationExamination board partnership for administering Cambridge exams (IGCSEs, A Levels). BSB offers Cambridge qualifications alongside IB Diploma Programme.
• PearsoncoreTechnology or IntegrationExamination board partnership for Edexcel qualifications. Supporting BSB's dual pathway university entry options.
• International Baccalaureate (IB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSB is an authorized IB World School offering the IB Diploma Programme. The school achieved average IB score of 35 points (Class of 2026).
• National Association of British Schools in Spain (NABSS)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSB is a member of NABSS, working with education authorities including the Spanish Ministry of Education for regulatory compliance.
• COBIS (Council of British International Schools)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSB maintains membership in COBIS, the professional network for British international schools worldwide.
• Gran Via ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPool and sports facilities partnership at Castelldefels campus for Summer School activities including swimming lessons.
• Sitges Surf ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeach activities partnership at BSB Sitges Summer School, providing paddleboarding and surf activities for students.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Benjamin Franklin International School: Private non-profit K-12 international school in Barcelona offering IB and American curriculum. Overlaps directly with BSB on the IB pathway, age range, and target demographic in the Barcelona market.
• Swiss School Barcelona: Swiss international school in Barcelona offering multilingual education with German, English, and Spanish tracks. Directly comparable to BSB in targeting internationally mobile families seeking premium, multilingual K-12 education in Barcelona.
• Lycée Français de Barcelone: French international school in Barcelona covering primary through secondary with the French baccalaureate. Competes with BSB for multilingual, internationally oriented families in the same metropolitan catchment.
• American School of Barcelona: Private international K-12 school in Barcelona offering an American-style curriculum to a similar expat and local affluent family base. Directly competes with BSB for the same metropolitan pool of internationally minded families seeking premium private education.
• St. Peter's School Barcelona: British-curriculum international school in Barcelona serving ages 2-18, closely comparable to BSB in curriculum philosophy, age coverage, and target family profile, with overlapping admissions geography.
• Agora International School Barcelona: International K-12 school in the Barcelona metro with multilingual education and IB pathway, part of the Globeducate group. Comparable to BSB in scope, curriculum, and target expatriate/affluent local market.
• Deutsche Schule Barcelona: German international school in Barcelona covering primary and secondary with German Abitur and international pathways. Competes with BSB for the same pool of expatriate and multicultural families in the Barcelona market.

Regional players

• British Council School Madrid: British international school in Madrid historically affiliated with Cognita group, offering a comparable English National Curriculum pathway. A regional Cognita-network peer rather than a direct Barcelona competitor.
• King's College Madrid: British international school in Madrid offering a comparable English National Curriculum and university-preparation focus. Operates the same British-school-in-Spain model as BSB but in a distinct market.
• Hastings School Madrid: British-curriculum school in Madrid, previously led by BSB's current Executive Principal. Operates a similar British international model to BSB but in a different Spanish city, making it a strong geographic/curriculum comparable.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/britishschoolbarcelona
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/british-school-of-barcelona

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 The British School of Barcelona