Cities / Barcelona / The Olive Tree School Barcelona
The Olive Tree School Barcelona
British curriculum school in Sant Pere de Ribes, south of Barcelona near Sitges, with top-tier fees.
In brief
Quick orientation: it's not in Barcelona proper. It's in Sant Pere de Ribes, between Sitges and Vilanova, about 40 minutes south of the city. Most families are Sitges-based.
Small school, around 200 pupils, ages 3 to 16. British curriculum, iGCSEs at 16. No sixth form, so plan for a move later.
The reputation locally is split, and worth knowing before you visit.
The good side is real. Parents talk about it like a family. Small classes (capped around 20), creative project-based learning, lots of arts and drama, warm staff. If you have a younger child or one who needs a gentler landing, this comes up again and again. According to one parent, "our daughter has flourished, not only academically but artistically, creatively and emotionally." The early years in particular get praise.
The concerns are also real and you'll hear them if you ask around. The recurring theme from critical parents is discipline and structure, especially higher up the school. One parent said it "often feels chaotic." Another said children are sometimes "wandering around the school without supervision." A few families have moved their kids out citing how behaviour issues were handled.
Worth noting: the school's most recent NABSS inspection rated behaviour "exemplary," and the school pushes back on the negative reviews. So there's a genuine gap between the inspection view and a slice of parent experience. Trust your own visit.
What I'd tell you to do: visit on a normal school day, not an open day. Ask specifically about how they handle low-level disruption and bullying. Talk to a current secondary parent if you can, not just primary. If your child is in primary and creative, this place could be a brilliant fit. If you're shopping for secondary, push harder on the questions.
Fees are mid-market for the area. Demand is manageable, not hyper-competitive.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten 1 (age 3) | 3 | €8,850 |
| Kindergarten 2 (age 4) | 4 | €9,500 |
| Kindergarten 3 (age 5) | 5 | €11,575 |
| Grade 1 (age 6) | 6 | €11,575 |
| Grade 2 (age 7) | 7 | €11,575 |
| Grade 3 (age 8) | 8 | €11,575 |
| Grade 4 (age 9) | 9 | €11,575 |
| Grade 5 (age 10) | 10 | €11,575 |
| Grade 6 (age 11) | 11 | €12,685 |
| Grade 7 (age 12) | 12 | €12,685 |
| Grade 8 (age 13) | 13 | €12,685 |
| Grade 9 (age 14) | 14 | €13,185 |
| Grade 10 (age 15) | 15 | €13,185 |
Reviews
A small British school in Sant Pere de Ribes, 40km down the coast from Barcelona, with a project-based, child-centred ethos and class sizes capped at 20. Founder-head Audrey Reeder is closely identified with the school, and the warmth of the place is the consistent thread in family feedback. Primary years draw the strongest praise; the secondary stretch is where the picture turns more mixed.
Positives
- Small, child-centred feel. Classes top out at 20 and families repeatedly describe a 'home away from home' atmosphere. Project-based learning, forest school sessions and trips into Barcelona for things like Egyptology exhibits or the Moco get singled out as why children come home enthusiastic.
- SEN and dyslexia support in primary. Several families who moved in after difficult experiences elsewhere credit the school with identifying and supporting dyslexia and other needs where previous settings missed them. Smaller groups and teaching assistants in lessons make this practical.
- IGCSE results. 71% of grades at A*/A (9-7) in 2024 IGCSEs, well above UK national figures. NABSS inspection the same year praised culture of care and exam outcomes at 16.
- Head's personal stamp. Audrey Reeder is hands-on and the school is built around her. Families describe her as accessible and quick to listen. The flip side is that the school's character rests heavily on one person.
Considerations
- Behaviour and discipline in secondary. Parents talk about inconsistent behaviour management in the older years, with claims that consequences are soft and disruption goes unaddressed. The school disputes the characterisation and points to a long-running restorative approach.
- Communication when things go wrong. Where complaints have arisen, several families describe slow, partial or evasive responses, and an instinct to push responsibility back onto pupils. The school responds publicly to most negative reviews and invites dialogue, but the pattern repeats often enough to register.
- Bullying handling. Isolated but pointed accounts of bullying that families felt was minimised, with advice to 'ignore it' rather than concrete intervention. The school rejects these characterisations.
- Secondary academic stretch. Results at 16 are strong, but a minority of families describe day-to-day academic pace as light and teachers as variable in their grip on the curriculum. Praise for the same teachers as warm and creative coexists with the criticism.
- Fees and extras. Annual fees of roughly EUR 8,850 to 13,185 sit at the lower end for British schools in the Barcelona orbit, but a non-trivial enrolment fee of EUR 2,750 (EUR 1,750 for siblings) applies on entry, and some families report ad hoc requests for additional payments through the year.
- Location. Sant Pere de Ribes is convenient for Sitges, Vilanova and the wider Garraf coast, but the school is about 40km from central Barcelona. Commuting from the city is not really viable.
Leadership
Audrey Reeder
Audrey Reeder is the founder and Headteacher of The Olive Tree School. She holds a B.A. Hons. in French and Spanish from Oxford University, as well as a PGCE in French from the same institution. She founded the school in 2010 and continues to teach in the secondary section. Her leadership is described as passionate with high aspirations for the school, focusing on a child-centred and inclusive environment. She is interested in art, history, and nature.
Academic results
- GCSE results 2015-2025 64% of pupils achieving grade 7 or above (A* or A) across all subjects, 94% achieving Grade 5-6 (B) or above.