Escola L'Horitzó

What Escola L'Horitzó does

Escola L'Horitzó is a private K-12 school in Barcelona (Passeig de la Bonanova, 7, Sarrià-Sant Gervasi) operated by the Fundació Privada per a la Investigació i la Promoció Escolar, serving approximately 250 students from infancy through age 16. Founded in 1968 by Montserrat Ballús and Josep Oliveras, the school delivers a proprietary pedagogical model inspired by Maria Montessori and Célestin Freinet, centered on project-based learning (the DCP framework), experiential off-campus learning (the JAF program including international trips to the USA and Taiwan), and a maximum 8:1 student-teacher ratio. The curriculum integrates STEAM education, robotics, programming, computational thinking, and AI creation across all levels, supported by digital infrastructure built on Google Workspace for Education with 3D printers, laser cutters, and interactive projection systems. All teachers are certified in Pentabilities and Socratic Dialogue methodologies.

The school's revenue model is anchored by undisclosed annual tuition fees covering the full educational program including meals and extended hours from 8:30 to 17:30 with no homework policy. Supplementary revenue streams include the Estiu ELH summer camp (€225/week for external students, €156/week for current/former students) and an After School program of extracurricular activities (English, aquatic, sports, music, capoeira, judo) priced €43–€92/month depending on activity and student status. Distribution is direct: families enroll via Google Forms, school visits, and open house events, with the Grup de Famílies ELH driving community-led word-of-mouth referrals. The school maintains pedagogical alliances with five U.S. progressive schools (High Tech High, NEIA, Workshop Middle School, Acera, Latitude High), academic partnerships with Tufts University CEEO and NuVu, and technology integrations with LEGO Education, DataCamp, Cambridge English, and Google Workspace. Operations are governed by a Patronat board; Marc Oliveras serves as Director General and Anna Valero as Pedagogical Director.

Name

Escola L'Horitzó

Legal name

Escola L'Horitzó, Fundació Privada per a la Investigació i la Promoció Escolar

Website

https://escola-horitzo.cat

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Escola L'Horitzó is a private Barcelona K-12 school (founded 1968) serving ~250 students aged 0–16 through a proprietary project-based, Montessori/Freinet-inspired pedagogy with an 8:1 student-teacher ratio, AI-integrated STEAM curriculum, and international learning exchange programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Annual tuition fees for enrolled students covering full educational program including lunch, extended hours from 8:30 to 17:30, and no homework policy.
2. Summer Camp Programs: Summer school programs (Estiu ELH) offered June 29 to July 31, 2026, priced at €225/week for non-students and €156/week for students/alumni, including meals.
3. After-School Activities: Various extracurricular activities including English classes, baby aquatic, swimming, baby sport, baby music, capoeira, judo, and prenatal water training, priced monthly from €43-92 depending on activity and student status.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Escola L'Horitzó delivers continuous private education for children aged 0–16 (Infant, Primary, and ESO/Secondary) built on a proprietary project-based learning methodology (DCP) and experiential off-campus learning program (JAF) with international exchanges. The offering includes a STEAM/AI-integrated curriculum, English immersion, a maximum 8:1 student-teacher ratio, no-homework policy, and extended hours from 8:30 to 17:30 with meals. Supplemental paid offerings include after-school extracurricular activities (English, swimming, judo, capoeira, music, sport) and Estiu ELH summer camp.

Product overview

Escola L'Horitzó is a private school in Barcelona (Passeig de la Bonanova 7, 08022) founded in 1968, serving approximately 250 students from infancy (0 years) through Secondary/ESO (16 years). It operates a single unified educational program built around its proprietary pedagogical model, inspired by Maria Montessori and Célestin Freinet, emphasizing personalized education, project-based learning, peer-to-peer learning, and a maximum 8:1 student-teacher ratio. The core program is complemented by several integrated sub-products: the school's own STEAM methodology (with robotics, programming, computational thinking, and AI creation taught throughout all levels); the DCP project-based learning framework for interdisciplinary student projects; the JAF (Jornades d'Aprenentatge a Fora) experiential off-campus program including international JAFs; the After School extracurricular activity program; the Estiu ELH summer school; the EDC digital culture framework; a quarterly school magazine; and the Xerrades L'Horitzó public lecture series. The school extended its hours from 8:30 to 17:30 with no homework policy. The school is a founding member of Escola Nova 21 and maintains pedagogical alliances with schools in the USA (NEIA, Workshop Middle School, High Tech High, Acera, Latitude High) and collaboration with Tufts University, NuVu, and Lego Education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Escola L'Horitzó Core Educational Program (Infant to ESO) Continuous private schooling for children aged 0–16 covering Infant, Primary (EPO) and Secondary (ESO) education, delivered via the proprietary DCP project-based learning methodology inspired by Montessori and Freinet, with maximum 8:1 student-teacher ratio, no-homework policy, extended 8:30-17:30 hours including meals, integrated STEAM/AI curriculum, English immersion, and validated Socratic Dialogue and Pentabilities methodologies.
• After School Extracurricular Program Subscription-based extracurricular activities for children aged 0–16, running October through June, including English After School, Baby Aquàtic, Aqua Kids, Baby Sport, Baby Música, Capoeira, Judo, and prenatal water training, taught in some cases in English by specialist instructors at monthly subscription pricing from €51-92 depending on activity and student status.
• Estiu ELH Summer School Summer school program run from late June through late July, offering crafts, music, swimming, sports, games, robotics, and English activities with meals included. Differentiated weekly pricing for non-students (€225/week) versus current/former ELH students (€156/week), serving as an entry point for prospective families considering full enrollment.
• Xerrades L'Horitzó Public Conference Series Annual conference series held by the school and open to the public, featuring external speakers on educational innovation, pedagogy, AI, and personal development. Acts as a thought-leadership and community-engagement channel for the school.
• La Revista Trimestral (Quarterly Magazine) Quarterly periodical magazine produced by the school's editorial team covering school activities, educational philosophy, and reflections from the school's community.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of students pass university entrance exams (selectividad)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• High Tech High (HTH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 April 2018Pedagogical alliance with High Tech High (San Diego, California), a renowned educational institution. Both schools share similar methodological approaches and educational objectives. HTH, founded in 2000, represents excellence in progressive education. The alliance involves teacher exchanges, student exchanges, and collaborative educational projects. Students from both schools participate in annual exchanges.
• New England Innovation Academy (NEIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPedagogical alliance with NEIA (Marlborough, Massachusetts). NEIA's teachers participate in international conversations about JAF (Learning Days Outside). Students benefit from exchange programs and collaborative projects. Regular virtual exchanges and collaborative initiatives.
• Workshop Middle SchoolmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPedagogical alliance with Workshop Middle School (New York). Part of the school's network of international educational partnerships enabling student and teacher exchanges.
• Acera SchoolmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPedagogical alliance with Acera School (Boston, Massachusetts). Educational exchange and collaboration in progressive education methodologies.
• Latitude High SchoolmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPedagogical alliance with Latitude High School (San Francisco, California). Part of the school's international network for educational collaboration and student exchanges.
• NuVumajorTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with NuVu, a creative education innovation center in Boston founded by MIT professors. NuVu designs projects for youth aged 11-18 using multidisciplinary approaches including robotics, programming, manufacturing, electronics, and technology skills.
• Tufts University (CEEO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance with Chris Rogers' team at Tufts University's Center for Engineering Education and Outreach (CEEO). Students spend weeks in Boston working with the team, while CEEO staff periodically visit the school to test and improve their educational projects.
• Cambridge EnglishmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial Cambridge English exam preparation center. School prepares students for certified English language exams, one of the most valuable and widely recognized certifications worldwide. Students develop linguistic and communication skills for real life.
• Institute for Socratic Dialogue (ISD)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe Institute for Socratic Dialogue trains the school's teachers in the Socratic Dialogue method. The dialogue is the path to developing a reflective, respectful, and inclusive society centered on human rights. The methodology promotes critical thinking through reflexive questioning.
• PentabilitiescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAll teaching staff know and use Pentabilities methodology and tools. The approach identifies key skills not measured in traditional learning practices, defines them, and promotes them through evidence-based assessments. The five core skills are: Responsibility, Cooperation, Autonomy and initiative, Emotional management, and Thinking skills.
• LEGO Education / RobotixcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership since the 1980s for robotics and programming education. Collaboration with LEGO Education began in the mid-1990s. The school was recognized as a Future Ready School by ROBOTIX in 2026 and received STEM Learning School certification in 2018.
• Museum of Science, Boston (MOS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2016, the school works with the Museum of Science Boston for STEAM education. The collaboration focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics integrated interrelationally and transdisciplinarily, with emphasis on arts and humanities as indispensable elements in the scientific world.
• DataCampmajorTechnology or IntegrationThe school is the only non-university educational center working with DataCamp, specifically for AI projects taught at ESO level and related Python programming topics. DataCamp provides interactive learning for data science with courses in R, Python, SQL, and Spark.
• Habla Teacher InstituteminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe school has a collaboration agreement with Habla Teacher Institute for teacher training. Teachers also continuously participate in various types of training courses.
• LenoarmimajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLenoarmi provides ongoing training for the school's teaching staff for both aquatic and land-based activities for young children. Through Swimbo by Lenoarmi, families and students can enjoy extracurricular activities at the school itself.
• Fundació AliciaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school's kitchen professionals are advised by Fundació Alicia (Aliments i Innovació). Students also benefit from this collaboration through projects related to the school's urban garden.
• Càritas BarcelonaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration with Càritas through 'Escoles amb Cor-Educació en Valors' program. Students participate in social values education, prioritizing qualities like social justice and solidarity.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Col·legi Montserrat: Historic private K-12 school in Barcelona with progressive educational orientation; competes for similar families in the same city but operates with a different institutional model and longer traditional Catholic heritage.

Broad incumbents

• Brains International Schools: Spanish private K-12 school group with multiple campuses emphasizing bilingual/international education; competes for affluent, internationally-minded Barcelona families but with a less individualized pedagogical approach.
• Escola Pia de Catalunya: Large traditional private K-12 network across Catalonia with deep historical roots; competes for Barcelona private school families but operates a more traditional, broader religious-educational model.
• Jesuïtes Educació: Network of Jesuit private K-12 schools across Catalonia; established incumbent with multiple campuses competing for the same families, but with a religious/Ignatian pedagogical framework rather than ELH's progressive PBL approach.
• Agora Schools: Network of private K-12 schools across Spain with multiple campuses; broader incumbent competing in the premium private school segment with a more standardized and scalable offering than ELH's bespoke single-site model.

Direct peers

• New England Innovation Academy (NEIA): Innovation-focused progressive school in Marlborough, MA; ELH pedagogical alliance partner with active teacher/student exchanges and shared JAF methodology work, serving a comparable progressive K-12 niche.
• Acera School: Boston-area progressive K-12 school focused on STEAM and critical thinking; ELH pedagogical alliance partner, comparable on personalized progressive model and integrated technology curriculum.
• High Tech High: Network of PBL-focused K-12 schools in San Diego founded in 2000; ELH's flagship pedagogical alliance partner and the methodological reference point for Escola L'Horitzó's project-based model and JAF Internacionals.
• Workshop Middle School: NYC progressive middle school in ELH's international pedagogical network; comparable on PBL methodology, small learning groups, and student-centered pedagogy.
• Latitude High School: San Francisco progressive high school in ELH's international pedagogical network; comparable on project-based learning, interdisciplinary curriculum, and progressive educational philosophy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EscolaHoritzo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/escolahoritzo
• Facebookfacebook.com/escolahoritzo
• Instagraminstagram.com/escolahoritzo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/elh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Escola L'Horitzó