SEK International School Catalunya vs Zurich Schule Barcelona - Main Campus
SEK International School Catalunya and Zurich Schule Barcelona - Main Campus are both in Barcelona, about 37 km apart. Both schools offer IB programmes. SEK International School Catalunya also offers American, and Zurich Schule Barcelona - Main Campus also offers German. Published annual fees are close, at €7,740 - 9,360 for SEK International School Catalunya and €7,900 - 9,540 for Zurich Schule Barcelona - Main Campus. SEK International School Catalunya takes pupils from 0 to 18, and Zurich Schule Barcelona - Main Campus from 2 to 16. SEK International School Catalunya is the larger school, with around 1,020 pupils to Zurich Schule Barcelona - Main Campus's 300. Typical class sizes are 20 at SEK International School Catalunya and 23 at Zurich Schule Barcelona - Main Campus.
Located in the Els Tremolencs residential estate in La Garriga, Barcelona. La Garriga is in the Vallès Oriental region, about 30 minutes from Barcelona, and at the foot of the Montseny Nature Park. The campus spans 100,000 m2 with separate buildings for Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary and boarding, and includes a woodland area used as an extension of the classroom.
Location
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Stages
Stages
Early Childhood; Preschool; Primary; Secondary; Baccalaureate
Stages
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School type
School type
Private international school with international boarding. Full English-language immersion and trilingual education (Spanish/English/Catalan). The school covers all educational stages, from 4 months to 18 years. The school is the only institution in Catalonia accredited to deliver the full International Baccalaureate continuum (IB PYP, MYP, DP).
Tuition fees by year group (reported figures for the current academic year) - Early years / Nursery: approximately EUR 645 per month (≈ EUR 7,740 per year). - Primary School: approximately EUR 675–760 per month (≈ EUR 8,100–9,120 per year). - Lower Secondary (ESO / Middle Years): approximately EUR 765–795 per month (≈ EUR 9,180–9,540 per year). - National Baccalaureate: approximately EUR 820 per month (≈ EUR 9,840 per year). - International Baccalaureate (DP): approximately EUR 935 per month (≈ EUR 11,220 per year).
Per‑term amounts (illustrative): when annual tuition is billed in three equal term instalments, a useful planning figure is the annual amount divided by three (for example, an IB DP annual figure of EUR 11,220 corresponds to approx. EUR 3,740 per term when invoiced in three instalments).
Boarding fees - Boarding options offered: full boarding (monthly including weekends), weekly boarding (Monday–Friday), and flexi / specific‑day stays; full board and laundry and academic support are included in boarding services. - Reported full‑boarding cost (published third‑party listings): around EUR 7,500 per year (full‑boarding annual estimate).
Other recurring and optional costs - School uniform: SEK uniform is required; uniforms are sold via El Corte Inglés (cost borne by families). - School transport (bus): routes are supervised and available; transport is typically charged separately from tuition. - Extracurricular activities and music lessons: many extracurricular activities are charged monthly. Example published extracurricular rates include instrument lessons and activities such as: - One 30‑minute individual music class: EUR 69 per month; two 30‑minute individual classes: EUR 138 per month. - Group and sports activity monthly fees typically range from about EUR 39 to EUR 78 per month depending on frequency and activity. - Federation or competition fees and single annual charges (e.g., federation registration) are billed separately and may appear as a single non‑refundable charge in the autumn instalment (example: a federation file fee ≈ EUR 75). - Summer programme fees and short residential courses (when offered) are charged separately; example short‑course full‑board week fees have been published in the range of EUR 370–490 per week for specific summer programmes.
Billing schedule and payment terms - Published information for SEK schools shows two common billing patterns used within the SEK network: (a) tuition invoiced as three equal instalments (one per academic term) and (b) tuition collected as monthly instalments during the school year. Families should plan for either a termly or monthly instalment structure; some schools within the SEK group offer discounts for single annual payment. - Typical administrative practice within the SEK group is to bill tuition in advance; late or unpaid fees can affect continuation of enrollment and the release of academic records.
Refunds and withdrawal - No detailed, school‑specific public refund policy for SEK International School Catalunya is posted in the school's public pages. Group fee policies published for other SEK schools indicate that termly tuition payments are generally treated as non‑refundable once a student has attended classes for the term and that refunds or exceptions are handled on a case‑by‑case basis. Reports and transfer documents are typically withheld until outstanding fees are settled.
Fee payment options - Common payment methods used across SEK schools include bank transfer / direct bank deposit, direct debit, and debit/credit card (card payments may carry a commission). Employer payments and cheques are accepted in some SEK locations. Families typically receive invoices with the bank details or payment instructions.
Notes for budgeting - Tuition figures above are the principal component of school costs; add separate charges for boarding (if applicable), transport, uniform, extracurriculars, activity trips, examination fees and optional programmes (summer courses, music school, sports academy). Example extracurricular and music fees are published in the school's extracurricular programme documentation.
(End of fees overview)
Fee details
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Diving deeper
Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements
Boarding arrangements
Boarding is on campus in La Garriga, 35 km from Barcelona, at the foot of the Montseny biosphere reserve. Four accommodation options are offered: full boarding (full month including weekends), weekly boarding (Monday to Friday), and stays on specific days, with separate boys' and girls' boarding houses providing double or triple rooms. The two predominant languages in the boarding house are Spanish and English, and international students may access a language program for learning Spanish with personalised or small-group classes, including entry into officially recognised language exams. Boarders receive full-board meals (breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner), laundry service, and academic support from teachers and school counsellors.
Boarding arrangements
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Uniform requirement
Uniform requirement
The SEK Uniform has identified and stood our students apart for over 50 years. Second Baccalaureate-Diploma students may wear regular clothes instead of the uniform, but students are generally expected to wear the SEK uniform and to dress smart casual for certain occasions. Uniforms and sports kit are available for purchase on the El Corte Inglés website (uniform details are provided in the School Uniform and Sports Kit information).
Uniform requirement
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Food options
Food options
We have our own kitchens and prepare meals at the school. Meal planners are provided each term with daily dinner recommendations and nutritional analysis. Special dietary needs are catered for. EN ISO 9002 quality certification has been obtained.
Food options
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House system
House system
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House system
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Governance and ownership
Governance and ownership
SEK-Catalunya is part of SEK Education Group, with over 130 years of experience and history and more than 10 schools worldwide.
Governance and ownership
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Academics
Academics
Curriculum details
Curriculum details
SEK-Catalunya is a multilingual school teaching through English, Catalan and Spanish. 70% of the curriculum is delivered in English, 15% in Catalan and 15% in Spanish. From year 5 of Primary Education, a fourth language (French or German) can be studied. The school integrates the International Baccalaureate Programme continuum, teaching the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP). It provides full English-language immersion.
Curriculum details
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Student teacher ratio
Student teacher ratio
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Student teacher ratio
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Exam results
Exam results
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Exam results
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Higher education progression
Higher education progression
The IB Diploma provides access to universities worldwide.
Higher education progression
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Gifted and talented
Gifted and talented
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Gifted and talented
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Academic calendar
Academic calendar
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Academic calendar
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Wellbeing & support
Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning
Social & emotional learning
SEK-Catalunya's mission is to help students become proactive global citizens by providing learning experiences that focus on concept-based inquiry and reflection, helping them develop intellectually and emotionally. The school emphasizes emotional development as part of its educational aim. SEK Education Group's values include physical and mental health and respect for diversity, guiding classroom practice toward wellbeing and inclusion. The ethos supports individual students and their world and encourages responsibility and freedom within a pluralistic framework, fostering personal growth and social awareness.
Social & emotional learning
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Special educational needs (SEN)
Special educational needs (SEN)
The Department of Psychopedagogy and Guidance produces reports on student progress for teachers and families; it puts procedures in place for the detection and diagnosis of learning difficulties; it supports pupils with high educational abilities. In compulsory secondary education (ESO) and baccalaureate, it provides advice regarding university and international training options.
Special educational needs (SEN)
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English as an additional language
English as an additional language
Full English-language immersion. Trilingual Spanish/English/Catalan education. In boarding, the two predominant languages heard are Spanish and English, providing language immersion and bilingual/intercultural exposure.
English as an additional language
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Mental wellbeing
Mental wellbeing
SEK-Catalunya places importance on physical and mental health as part of its values. In the Boarding context, there is a Psycho-Pedagogical, Emotional and Social Focus, with staff trained to provide emotional support and a school psychologist as part of the Psycho-Pedagogical Department.
Mental wellbeing
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Safeguarding
Safeguarding
Boarding adheres to the school policy on Safeguarding of Young People / Child Protection; admitted students are subject to safeguarding policies. The Internal Regulations promote a calm, trusting, and empathetic environment for the SEK community.
Safeguarding
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Safeguarding policy
Safeguarding policy
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Safeguarding policy
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Facilities
Facilities
Facilities overview
Facilities overview
SEK-Catalunya is located in the Els Tremolencs residential estate in La Garriga, Barcelona, about 30 minutes from Barcelona and at the foot of Montseny Nature Park. The campus sits in quiet, secure surroundings with 30,000 m2 of buildings spread across 100,000 m2 of grounds, and a woodland area at the rear used as an extension of the classroom. It features intelligent classrooms and a dedicated science floor with physics, chemistry and natural sciences laboratories, plus a specialist library and a central exhibition space. A MakerSpace and robotics classrooms support project-based learning, alongside age-specific libraries for Nursery to Primary and for Secondary students. An Art Space hosts the Trinity College London Primary Musical Programme, with a Music School floor, instrument classrooms and a concert hall.
Facilities overview
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Sports facilities
Sports facilities
SEK-Catalunya has a full range of sports facilities on campus. It includes a heated, covered swimming pool and a sports centre with a multi-sports court for basketball, indoor football, artistic skating, hockey on skates and a climbing wall. There are open-air pitches and courts for basketball, handball, hockey on skates, football, padel and volleyball, plus covered facilities for taekwondo, ballet, modern dance, fitness and psychomotor activities. A woodland area supports outdoor activities such as hiking, cross country, slacklining, orienteering, abseiling, lateral climbing or bouldering, zip wires and rope bridges.
Sports facilities
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Academic facilities
Academic facilities
Intelligent classrooms provide the latest technology and teaching resources. A dedicated sciences floor includes two physics, chemistry and natural sciences laboratories, two classrooms, a specialist library and a central exhibition space. MakerSpace and robotics classrooms enable hands-on creation and programming. Libraries serve Nursery, Preschool and Primary as well as Secondary students. New Technologies include virtual environments, iPads, netbooks and a 3D printer; from Primary Year 6, Bring Your Own Device with charging lockers and a portal for applications. An Art Space supports Trinity College London's Primary Musical Programme, with a Music School floor and instrument classrooms and a concert hall.
Academic facilities
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Extra curricular facilities
Extra curricular facilities
An Art Space supports the Trinity College London Primary Musical Programme and a Music School floor with instrument classrooms and a concert hall. The woodland and nature spaces underpin outdoor and interdisciplinary activities, while extensive sports facilities support a broad sports program and outdoor adventure activities.
Extra curricular facilities
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Parent experience
Parent experience
History
History
SEK International School Catalunya was founded in 1995 as a private trilingual school (Catalan-Spanish-English) located in the Els Tremolencs estate in La Garriga, Barcelona; it offers international boarding on campus. It is part of SEK Education Group, which has over 130 years of teaching experience and nine schools worldwide. It is the only school in Catalonia accredited to teach all three International Baccalaureate Organisation programmes—the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP)—alongside the Spanish national curriculum. The SEK Group is rooted in a hundred-year family tradition of freedom and autonomy, free from religious, political or financial ties, and develops education through its own unique system and resources. Camilo José Cela University was established in 2000 to foster teaching, research and innovation.
History
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Community
Community
SEK-Catalunya is a private IB World School with a diverse community of cultures and nationalities who live, study, and call it home. Outdoor learning is central to the learning day, and the school offers numerous extracurricular and cultural activities to support all-round development. Activities include football, golf, horse-riding, and piano, as well as visits to museums and historic sites to connect with local culture. This immersive experience helps students develop as global citizens.
Community
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Parent teacher association
Parent teacher association
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Parent teacher association
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Extra-curricular
Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual
Academic & intellectual
The school provides a wide range of complementary activities designed to develop the individual personality and interests. Students can join the Debate Club and participate in MUN events, and there is an academic stay to NASA in Houston to broaden learning in science, technology and mathematics. Maker Space offers programming, robotics, multimedia design and 3D printing, with augmented reality. SEK-Catalunya is accredited to offer the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award.
Academic & intellectual
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Arts & creative
Arts & creative
Artistic activities include a School of Music linked to the Trinity College London, a drama group, and opportunities in arts, dance and photography. Students can unleash creativity through theatre, visual arts and performance. The School of Music provides linked programmes with Trinity College London.
Arts & creative
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Cultural & language
Cultural & language
SEK-Catalunya is a multilingual school, teaching through English, Catalan and Spanish. 70% of the curriculum is delivered through English, with 15% in Catalan and 15% in Spanish. From year 5, students can study a fourth language: French or German. Exchanges are available with the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada and the United States.
Cultural & language
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Social & hobbies
Social & hobbies
Cultural and recreational activities include outings to cinema, theatre and museums, cultural visits in Barcelona, and themed days at the boarding house. The programme also includes routes to other towns and cities and outings to sporting events. A broad extracurricular offering includes sports, arts, and cultural activities.
Social & hobbies
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Community & service
Community & service
Complementary activities are designed to care for the individual personality development. The learning goals include social commitment and service learning.
Community & service
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Leadership & professional
Leadership & professional
The Learning Adventures programme emphasizes leadership and entrepreneurial skills. Debate and public speaking are supported through the Debate Club and MUN events, offering opportunities to develop communication and leadership abilities.
Leadership & professional
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Lifestyle & wellbeing
Lifestyle & wellbeing
Sports activities on and off school grounds include swimming, football, padel tennis, basketball and volleyball, with additional outdoor options such as skiing, water sports and hiking. The boarding house is located in Montseny Natural Park, providing access to outdoor sports and nearby cultural and coastal activities in Barcelona. Mental and physical well-being is a core learning goal.
Lifestyle & wellbeing
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Language provision
Language provision
Language provision
Language provision
Languages of instruction are English, Spanish and Catalan; additional languages offered are French and German from Year 5. The school provides International Baccalaureate programmes (PYP, MYP and DP) alongside the Spanish national curriculum.
Language provision
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Bilingual teaching
Bilingual teaching
The school offers trilingual education in English, Spanish and Catalan. From year 5 of Primary, a fourth language (French or German) can be studied.
Bilingual teaching
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Immersion programs
Immersion programs
The curriculum is delivered primarily in English, with 70% of the curriculum taught in English, and 15% in Catalan and 15% in Spanish.
Immersion programs
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Reputation
Reputation
Awards
Awards
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Awards
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Accreditations
Accreditations
NEASC accreditation; CIS membership
Accreditations
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Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
STEP 1: Request information via the web, email or telephone. This initial contact helps the admissions team understand your child's profile and family needs. Limited places apply, so early inquiry is advised. You will receive information on available programmes and entry requirements. STEP 2: If you like, arrange a visit to the school with the admissions department. Visits provide an opportunity to meet the admissions team and see the facilities. You can ask questions about the programmes and the admissions timeline. Availability of visit slots may vary. STEP 3: Arrange interview and entrance test. The admission and documentation process is conducted through MY SEK Admissions. When applying for the admission test, essential information is required to create access to the platform. The Admissions Committee will review the information and schedule the next steps. STEP 4: Documentation upload and final decision. Tutors receive login credentials to provide and upload the necessary documents according to the stage. Documents must be uploaded before attending the interview. Required documents include identity documents for both parents and student, birth certificate, and progress reports; additional documents may apply per academic cycle. The final decision is issued by the Admissions Committee.
Admissions
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Scholarships
Scholarships
SEK Scholarships include multiple programs through the Felipe Segovia Foundation. SEK Excellence Scholarships provide 50% of the cost of SEK university baccalaureate education (IB or other Baccalaureate) over two years at SEK schools, including Catalunya Barcelona. SEK Scholarships for Sports Performance recognise student-athletes who represent their school in competitions, while SEK Scholarships for Sporting Talent reward high levels of sporting and academic achievement. Maria de Villotta Scholarship for Personal Effort supports a student to study at SEK schools; Felipe Segovia Award to Best SEK Student recognises outstanding scholars. Scholarships are awarded by a Scholarship Committee based on academic merit, portfolio and other criteria; documentation includes academic records, personal portfolios, and letters of recommendation; decisions and timelines are published by SEK Education Group's scholarship program.
