The Olive Tree School Verified listing

The Olive Tree School is an International British School located in Sant Pere de Ribes, between Sitges and Vilanova i la Geltrù in The Garraf region around 40 km to the south of Barcelona. We teach the English curriculum as established by the British government.

We provide education for children from 3 years of age to 16:

Pre-school or Kindergarten classes (Nursery and Reception in the British system) for 3 to 5 years
Saplings is the name of our pre-school. The Saplings children have their own 700m garden with a vegetable plot, mature trees, and a landscaped playground offering ample opportunity for outdoor learning. The classrooms are spacious and designed to stimulate the imaginations of our youngest pupils.

''Thanks to Maz, Head of Saplings, for the incredible work she has done with our daughter. Her dedication, enthusiasm, and availability have been truly remarkable.''

Mar Rodríguez & Toni Peltonen, parents August 2024

Primary Years 1 to 6 (K2 to Grade 5 in the US system) for 5 to 11 years
The teachers deliver the curriculum using project based learning rather than standard text books. Children take an active role in hands-on activities which promote inquiry and problem-solving from an early age. This creative approach engages pupils and helps them to develop academically and emotionally in an atmosphere of warmth and kindness.

Our classes are limited to a maximum of 20 pupils ensuring an excellent teacher to pupil ratio. All Primary classes benefit from a teaching assistant which ensures that our learning model is very much pupil-centred with every child following their own learning path and meeting their own education challenges on a daily basis.

Secondary Years 7 to 11 (Grades 6 to 10 in the US system) for 11 to 16 years
Pupils are encouraged to aim high, working together collaboratively. By fostering teamwork and the development of social skills pupils engage communicatively in their learning journey. Teachers act as mentors, guiding learning and promoting pupil autonomy. Respect and responsibility are promoted as core values.

At Age 16 our pupils take the IGCSE exams and our record of results is outstanding and well above the UK average.

Our school is inspected every four years by NABSS, The National Association of British Schools in Spain, as is required of all British Schools in Spain. Our last inspection in November 2024, a copy of which is available on our website.

‘’The good leadership and management are evident in the consistency of expectations across the school, notably in the quality of teaching and learning and behaviour. These areas are strengths of the school.’’ NABSS inspection report November 2024

We are proud of the warm, family atmosphere of our school where kindness is appreciated and respect for classmates and teachers is a basic requirement. This contributes to our emphasis on pupil welfare. A child's emotional development is their foundation for life and is essential to future fulfilment.

We hold regular Open Days for parents interested in registering their children. We are currently registering pupils for academic year 2025-26.