Maxwell School

A small British-curriculum school in central Madrid, ages 3 to 16, run by founder-headteacher Linda Barbour and known for its tight-knit family feel.

Curriculum runs UK EYFS, IPC, IMYC and Cambridge IGCSE. The school is genuinely small, with low student-teacher ratios and a deliberately personal approach. Linda Barbour, the American founder, has led it since 2016 and has a reputation among visiting families for being open and direct in the way few heads manage.

Parents who moved here from larger British schools in Madrid often cite the move as a relief, mentioning kinder peer culture, strong pastoral care and teachers who actually know each child. Particularly works for children who think differently or who need closer attention. The trade-off is limited outdoor space at the central site, so sport tends to happen elsewhere, and the small scale means a narrower secondary cohort than the big-name British schools out in the suburbs.

• Reviews describe a small, family-owned British school in Chamartín with low pupil numbers and very small classes.
• Parents repeatedly call out warm staff and personal attention; one said children's experience was wonderful with strong academic and social progress.
• The Good Schools Guide review names children who think outside the box and those needing one-to-one support as the natural fit.
• Limited outdoor space comes up as the recurring negative; the school addresses it by using nearby venues for sport.
• The school says directly it can support ADHD/ADD even though it is not a SEN school, and Good Schools Guide notes it is hesitant on behavioural-issue admissions and uses one-year trials.