Cities / Barcelona / St. Patrick's International School
St. Patrick's International School
British curriculum school in Sant Joan Despí on the western edge of Barcelona, run by founder-principal Gemma Izquierdo. Early years and primary in full English immersion, with secondary added more recently. NABSS member, accepted by the British Council.
In brief
British curriculum school in Sant Joan Despí on the western edge of Barcelona, run by founder-principal Gemma Izquierdo. Early years and primary in full English immersion, with secondary added more recently. NABSS member, accepted by the British Council.
Small, family-run, marketed on full English immersion and an enrichment offer that includes Mandarin, swimming, mindfulness, robotics and yoga. Fees are notably lower than the established British names in central Barcelona, which is part of the appeal for families on the suburban side of the city.
Parent voice on the school day is warm: small classes, attentive teachers, happy children, and visible leadership from the principal. Two flags exist alongside that. Independent reviews have repeatedly been removed after legal letters from the school, which limits how much external signal exists. Staff feedback on culture and management is consistently negative, suggesting churn in the teaching team. Track record beyond primary is short, so families considering the senior years should ask hard questions about teacher retention.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 Books | 5 | €175 |
| Years 2-4 Books | 6 | €215 |
| Years 5-6 Books | 9 | €240 |
| Secondary Books | €425 | |
| Pre-Nursery/Early Years/Primary Tuition | €10,140 | |
| Secondary Tuition | €10,920 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Inscription - Pre-Nursery | 3 | €450 |
| Inscription - Early Years & Primary | 4 | €2,500 |
| Medical Insurance | €175 | |
| Annual Reservation | €350 | |
| Accident Insurance | €375 |
Reviews
Founder-led and still young, with the British curriculum running up through to an IB sixth form. The pitch parents respond to is the English immersion: small classes, English heard in the playground as well as the classroom, and Spanish and Catalan kept alongside rather than dropped. Sant Joan Despí setting in a pair of catalogued Catalan houses with green grounds and pools, which lands well for the early-years and primary end. The senior school is the newer half of the operation and reads as a school still settling into its full 3 to 18 shape.
Positives
- English immersion and languages. Full English immersion from early years, with children speaking English to each other and to teachers. Spanish and Catalan held in parallel rather than treated as add-ons.
- Small classes and pastoral feel. Class sizes stay small enough for teachers to know every child. Parents describe a warm, family-run atmosphere and children who are happy in the mornings.
- Setting and facilities. Three buildings on the Sant Joan Despí site, two of them catalogued Catalan houses, with four age-grouped playgrounds, gardens, and both an indoor and outdoor pool.
- British framework with IB sixth form. British curriculum end to end with an IB Diploma route at the top. NABSS member and inspected as a British school in Spain.
Considerations
- Founder-led management. Gemma Izquierdo founded the school and still runs it. Parents who like the school point to her hands-on leadership. The same closeness shows up in less flattering form when families have raised disputes, where the response has at times been slow and direct dialogue hard to land.
- Fees and billing clarity. Some parents talk about extras and line items that are harder to read than they should be. The published 3 to 18 range runs roughly EUR 11,250 to 22,250, with the senior end at the top of that band.
- Senior school maturity. The full 3 to 18 model is still relatively new. Early years and primary are the established core; the secondary and IB years are the part of the school with the shorter track record.
Leadership
Gemma Izquierdo
Gemma Izquierdo founded St. Patrick's International School to address a gap in Barcelona's education market. She emphasizes dedication, enthusiasm, excellence and effort in creating an affordable, immersive English program focused on developing each child's potential through diverse activities including yoga, piano, Chinese, and mindfulness. Her passion for education drives the school's commitment to building emotional intelligence and fostering international perspectives in students from an early age in a family-oriented environment.