British Montessori

The English Montessori School, often listed as British Montessori, is a British school in north Madrid founded in 1973 that pairs Montessori-rooted early years with the English National Curriculum and Pearson Edexcel exams. Joined the Cognita network in 2016.

Around 780 students from age 1 to 18 on the Calle Ganimedes campus, with a new Explorer campus opening in Moncloa-Aravaca in September 2025 for Year 3 to Year 11. Fees roughly 7,650 to 16,900 euros. Senior IGCSE and A Level results have placed the school in the top ten in the Community of Madrid in recent years.

Parents describe genuinely strong teaching in the early Montessori years and steady academic results higher up. Since the Cognita acquisition the recurring concern is teacher turnover and a shift in tone that some longer-tenured families have flagged. The new Explorer campus is the next test of whether the network is investing for the long term. Best fit for families who want a Montessori start that flows into a recognised British exam pathway, and who are comfortable with a schoolwide Cognita backbone.

• Independent reviews of The English Montessori School (TEMS) sit on a small base, with a polarised pattern across alumni and parents.
• One parent of a secondary pupil wrote 'we are very happy with the education our son receives at TEMS secondary school,' praising the UK curriculum, parent communication, COVID handling and the headmistress's combination of operational standards and humane environment.
• A second alumni-leaning reviewer awarded five stars for their own time at the school but said the institution has declined since ownership changes and faculty turnover, in their telling explaining the recent low ratings.
• A negative student review on the same listing called the rules petty (citing a ban on dangly earrings) and described the teaching system as subpar.
• Mumsnet-style expat threads on Madrid schools mention the school in passing without sustained commentary; Reddit returns nothing about TEMS specifically.
• Cognita acquired the school after its long-running independent ownership, and the change of operator is a recurring theme in the older reviews that have surfaced.