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Sierra Bernia School

Spain, Alicante

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English
Fees Fees not listed
Ages 3 - 18 years
Pupil numbers 100
Type Co-educational
Opened 1973
Bus Service Yes
Academic offering
Curriculum British Curriculum, Pearson Edexcel IGCSE
Taught languages English, Spanish, French
Typical class size 12
Strengths STEM, Visual and Creative Arts, Languages
Clubs Arts and Creative, Social and Hobbies, Lifestyle and Wellbeing
Stages Early Years, Primary School, Secondary School, Sixth Form
Introduction

Sierra Bernia School is a private, coeducational day school on the Costa Blanca outskirts of Alfaz del Pi, serving pupils aged 3 to 18. It offers a British curriculum with infant, junior, and secondary sections. Infants learn through activity to build self-awareness, social skills, and confidence in a lively, supportive atmosphere. Juniors study Mathematics, Languages, Humanities, and Sciences. The secondary program prepares students for GCSE, IGCSE, and GCE A levels, with a clear pathway to higher education in Spain or abroad. Founded in 1973, it is Costa Blanca's longest-established British school and highly regarded locally. The school is privately owned, fully authorised by the relevant ministries for foreign nationals and Spanish citizens, and undergoes NABSS inspections; it is an associate member of COBIS and NABSS. Facilities include a Science Laboratory, Art Room, Library and Computer Suite, ample space, and sports installations. Extracurricular activities include modern singing, surf-skate, chess, and tennis.

Av. Sant Rafel, 8, 03580 L'Alfàs del Pi, Alicante, Spain

The Essentials

Sierra Bernia School has 100 pupils, typical class sizes of 12, instruction in English.

Location
The school is on the outskirts of Alfaz del Pi on the Costa Blanca, near the Benidorm–Altea coast road and the motorway. Pupils travel from Javea, Moraira and Calpe to the north and Campello, San Juan and Alicante to the south. A coastal school bus service is provided between Calpe in the north and Benidorm in the south, stopping at various points en route.

Stages
Ages 3 to 18, organised into Infant, Junior and Secondary sections.

Type
Private, coeducational day school.

Pupil Nationality Mix
Pupils are from all nationalities.

Additional learning support
A Tutor provides pastoral care and monitors pupils with special educational needs; small year-group numbers enable personalised attention.

Country affiliation
British

Bus service
A coastal school bus service is provided between Calpe in the north and Benidorm in the south, stopping at various points en route.
Diving Deeper

Uniform Requirement
Up to year 11, pupils wear a navy blue and white uniform, including a polo shirt, jumper, trousers (boys) or knee-length navy skirt (girls), and flat formal black or navy shoes (sandals allowed). Uniforms must be purchased from LA CASA DEL CAMARERO (Benidorm). Hair should be neat; makeup is not permitted; jewelry is restricted to a watch and small plain studs.

Food Options
Dining services offer a school dinner menu.

Governance and Ownership
The school is privately owned and independent, funded by fee-paying parents and not state-funded. It is fully authorised by the relevant ministries for foreign and Spanish nationals and undergoes NABSS inspections; it is an associate member of COBIS and NABSS.
Fees
Tuition and application fees
- Sierra Bernia School does not publish a public schedule of tuition or registration (application/enrolment) fees by year group or by term. External school directories list the school but note that tuition amounts are not publicly disclosed.

Application / registration fee
- No separate application or registration fee amount is published in the school's admission materials or entry form; an online entry form and an admissions process are available but no fee figure is listed.

Tuition fees by school year (per term / per year group)
- The school does not provide a public breakdown of tuition fees by year group or per term. No specific EUR amounts for day-school tuition (per term or per year) are published in the school's public materials.

Billing schedule and payment terms
- No publicly posted, itemised billing schedule or standard tuition payment terms (for example: number of instalments, due dates, discounts for single annual payment) are available in the school's publicly accessible admissions or policies pages. The school's admissions process is open year-round.

Boarding fees
- Sierra Bernia School operates as a day school; it does not list boarding provision or boarding fees. No weekly or full-boarding fee schedule is published because boarding is not offered.

Other costs and regular extras (published amounts where available)
- iPad / technology pack options (device packs and financing): several device-pack price points are published for school technology packs. Examples listed include EUR 435.32, EUR 544.32, EUR 573.32, EUR 590.03, EUR 699.03 and EUR 728.03 depending on configuration and insurance options; financing offers (0% interest promotional financing) are available through CaixaBank Consumer Finance and CETELEM with an opening commission noted in the pack material. These amounts relate to the device/pack options rather than tuition.
- Extracurricular activity fees (monthly amounts where published):
- Modern singing (CANTO MODERNO): EUR 35/month.
- Surfskate: EUR 40/month.
- Chess (AJEDREZ): EUR 35/month.
- Tennis: EUR 40/month for one day per week or EUR 70/month for two days per week.
These are published extracurricular monthly fees for the 2024/25 activities listing.
- Uniform costs: a uniform is required up to Year 11 and uniforms must be purchased from the named supplier (LA CASA DEL CAMARERO, Benidorm). No retail prices for uniform items are published on the school materials.
- Dining / school meals: the school publishes dining service information and a downloadable menu/meal PDF, but specific per-meal or per-term meal pricing is not published in the available public materials.
- Transport (school minibus): the school operates its own minibus routes covering the La Marina Baja area and provides operator contact details; specific fares or route-by-route prices are not published in the publicly available transport page.
- External exam charges: external directories indicate that the school lists additional costs for external exams, but a published, itemised schedule of exam entry charges could not be located in the school's public materials.

Refund information
- No published refund policy, timetable for refunds or conditions for refunding fees is available in the school's public admissions or policy pages.

Fee payment options
- Financing for the technology/iPad packs is offered through named finance partners (CaixaBank Consumer Finance and CETELEM) and includes mention of an opening commission and optional insurance; these financing arrangements are specific to device packs.
- The school's public pages do not publish a standard list of accepted payment methods for general tuition (for example: bank transfer, direct debit, credit card) or the typical tuition payment mechanisms and instructions. For transport and extracurricular services, operator and contact details are provided for direct enquiries.

Summary of limits to available fee data
- There is no public, itemised tuition fee schedule by year group or per term available in the school's published admissions materials. The only specific prices published in school materials relate to optional items and services (technology packs and selected extracurricular monthly fees). Third-party school directory listings and local guides similarly note that standard tuition fees are not publicly disclosed. Because standard tuition, registration, billing schedules, refund terms and boarding fee amounts are not published, a full per-term and per-year fee breakdown cannot be provided from publicly available materials.
Academics

Sierra Bernia School teaches British Curriculum, Pearson Edexcel IGCSE for students aged 3 to 18.

Curriculum
The school provides infant, junior, and secondary education. Infant teaching emphasizes learning through activity and play, developing self-awareness, social skills, and confidence in a lively, supportive atmosphere. Junior years cover Mathematics, Languages, Humanities, and Sciences. The secondary curriculum is directed toward British examinations: GCSE, IGCSE, and GCE A levels. The school prepares pupils for higher education in Spain or abroad after achieving success at IGCSE. Pupils are encouraged to consider future careers; past pupils have gained places at colleges and universities in Europe and the USA.

Student Teacher Ratio
Small class sizes enable personalised attention to all pupils.

Higher Education Progression
Attention is given to pupils who wish to enter further or higher education in Spain or other countries after success at the IGCSE level. Pupils are encouraged to consider future careers; in the past pupils have gained college and university places in Europe and the USA.
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
The school prioritizes a happy working environment where children of all nationalities gain academic success. Integration among multinational and bilingual pupils is encouraged, and participation in local community events is promoted.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)
The school has a fully qualified support teacher for dealing with pupils with specific learning difficulties.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
Spanish is taught as a second language for students of different nationalities, and Spanish lessons are offered alongside the British Curriculum to meet Spanish curricular requirements (Lengua, Sociales, Valenciano).
Parent Experience

History
Founded in 1973, Sierra Bernia School is the Costa Blanca's longest-established British school and is highly respected within the community. It is a privately owned coeducational day school offering British education to pupils aged 3 to 18 from all nationalities, located on the outskirts of Alfaz del Pi with a coastal bus service between Calpe and Benidorm. The school's priority is to provide a happy environment where children of all nationalities achieve academic success and to promote integration among multinational and bilingual pupils and participation in local community events. The school has a science laboratory, an art room, a library and a computer room, with ample outdoor play space, shaded areas and sports facilities. It is fully authorised by the relevant ministries for foreign nationals and Spanish citizens and undergoes NABSS inspections to ensure adherence to the British education system, and it is an associate member of COBIS and NABSS.

Community
Community life at Sierra Bernia School centers on active participation in local events and the cosmopolitan Costa Blanca context. The school promotes integration among multinational and bilingual pupils and engages with the Alfaz del Pi and wider Benidorm area through school activities. School news has highlighted regional cultural events such as Fallas and seasonal celebrations like Easter, reflecting the school's involvement in local traditions.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
The school has a Science Laboratory, an Art Room, a Library and a Computer Suite. There is adequate playground space for all ages, shaded areas and sports installations.

Sports Facilities
There is adequate playground space for all ages, shaded areas and sports installations.

Academic Facilities
The school has a Science Laboratory, an Art Room, a Library and a Computer Suite.

Extra Curricular Facilities
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES WITH FLOW 2024/25: 1) Modern singing — Thursday 16:00–17:00; for ages 7–16; 35 €/month. 2) Surfskate — Tuesday 16:00–17:00; for ages 3–5; 40 €/month. 3) Chess — Wednesday 16:00–17:00; for ages 5–12; 35 €/month. 4) Tennis — Monday to Friday after school and Saturdays mornings; Guila Tennis Club (Alfaz); for ages from 2021 born to adults; 40 €/month for 1 day/week; 70 €/month for 2 days/week. Starts from 16 September. If you would like your child to attend an extracurricular activity, please ask in the office.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
The school is privately owned, coeducational, day school offering British education from 3 to 18 years to pupils of all nationalities. It was founded in 1973. The Secondary education curriculum is directed towards British examinations: GCSE, IGCSE and GCE 'A' levels. The small number of pupils in each year group enables teachers to provide individual and personalised attention.

Arts & Creative
The school offers after-school extracurricular activities including modern singing for ages 7–16, surf-skate for ages 3–5, chess for ages 5–12, and tennis. Activities run after school and may involve local clubs. Participation can be arranged in the school office.

Cultural & Language
The school operates as a European centre of education, integrating multinational and bilingual pupils and encouraging participation in local community events. Languages are included in the Junior year groups as part of the curriculum.

Social & Hobbies
The school offers after-school extracurricular activities including modern singing for ages 7–16, surf-skate for ages 3–5, chess for ages 5–12, and tennis. Activities run after school and may involve local clubs. Participation can be arranged in the school office.

Community & Service
The school participates in local community events. This participation supports integration among multinational and bilingual pupils as part of the school's community engagement.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
The school seeks to provide a happy working environment where children of all nationalities gain academic success. A multinational and bilingual pupil body is supported by small year-group sizes that enable personalised attention. Pastoral care is provided by Tutors who monitor pupils with special educational needs at both ends of the spectrum. Infant teaching uses activity-based learning to develop self-awareness, social skills, and confidence in a lively and supportive atmosphere.
Languages

Language Provision
French begins in nursery and includes a three-year compulsory course and a two-year optional course culminating in the Edexcel IGCSE Foreign Language examination. Spanish Language and Literature is taught in Years 7–9 with three hours per week; the syllabus includes reading, writing, speaking and listening, with materials such as SGEL texts and a focus on grammar linking to English, Spanish, and Valenciano.

Bilingual Teaching
The school is privately owned and offers British education for ages 3 to 18 to pupils of all nationalities, with a multi-national and bilingual student body.

Immersion Programs
Spanish is taught as a foreign language with immersion for non-native speakers, who are integrated into mainstream lessons from the start; Valenciano is taught, and French is taught from nursery with a strong emphasis on spoken language and grammar.
Admissions

Admissions
1. Registration is open year-round. The register period is open all year round. This allows families to begin the admissions process at any time. To start the process, contact the school by telephone or email to arrange an appointment to learn about the education project, the installations, and the services offered by the school.

2. To register, arrange an information appointment by contacting the school by telephone or email. This meeting provides details about the education project, the school's facilities, and the services available.

3. Documents required to register vary by age group: Infants—Photocopy of the DNI or NIE card of the parents or guardians, the family book where the child is listed, vaccinations certificate up to date, and four passport photographs. Primary/Secondary—Photocopy of the DNI or NIE card and the family book, the reports and evaluations from the previous year, a certificate for transfer from the previous school/college, vaccinations and medical certificates up to date, and four passport photographs. Sixth Form—Photocopy of the DNI card or passport of the parents or guardians, the family book, a certificate for transfer from another college, the qualifications of the previous course, and for those in the first year of the sixth form a photocopy of the file showing that Secondary Education has been attained, vaccinations and medical certificates up to date, and four passport photographs.
School Events
The school has not added events
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