Hastings School vs International College Spain
🇪🇸 Madrid · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
Hastings School holds a public inspection verdict (NABSS (National Association of British Schools in Spain) "Inspected (no published overall graded band)"), while International College Spain operates in a market with no public inspectorate — so the former has a verifiable official quality anchor and the latter is judged on accreditation depth. On cost, Hastings School has the noticeably lower entry fee — a material difference for budget-conscious families. See the table below for the figures, and verify against each school's own published fees.
Key Facts
| Hastings School | International College Spain | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | British / IB | IB |
| Ages | 2-18 | 3-18 |
| Languages of instruction | English, Spanish | English |
| Annual fees | EUR 800-2,120/month (2026-27, billed over 10 instalments; lowest = Pre-Nursery, highest = Year 12-13 IB) | EUR 12,957-27,258/yr (2026/27) |
| Enrollment | 1,375 | 1,000 |
| Boarding | Day only | Day only |
| Inspection rating | NABSS (National Association of British Schools in Spain): Inspected (no published overall graded band) | — |
| Accreditations | NABSS, Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel, IB World School | IBO, CIS, NEASC, Nord Anglia Education |
Strengths
- ✓Long-established (1971) and Cognita-backed, giving institutional stability and group resources.
- ✓Dual sixth-form pathway lets students choose between A-Levels and the IB Diploma.
- ✓Full English immersion from age two with structured EAL support for non-native speakers.
- ✓Age-dedicated campuses keep each stage in a setting scaled to its pupils.
- ✓Internationally diverse roll (over 50 nationalities) within a British-curriculum framework.
- ✓Exceptional IB pedigree - the 13th school worldwide to offer the IB Diploma, teaching it since 1980
- ✓Only school in Madrid delivering the full IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP) in English from age 3 to 18
- ✓Dual international accreditation from CIS and NEASC plus IB World School authorisation across all three programmes
- ✓IB results above the global average - 2022 cohort averaged 36 points with three perfect 45 scores
- ✓Highly international community of roughly 1,000 students from more than 70 nationalities, backed by the Nord Anglia network
Trade-offs
- !The IB Diploma is newly established with only an early track record of results.
- !No single published 'Outstanding/Excellent' inspection band to evidence top-tier quality.
- !Six-site model means siblings of different ages attend separate campuses.
- !Senior fees (especially the IB stream) sit at the higher end of the Madrid market.
- !Premium fee structure rising to over EUR 27,000 per year at Diploma level
- !Single-campus, non-selective international school without the scale of a multi-site selective system
- !No published, independently verified recent (post-2022) IB average located in public sources
- !No graded state inspection band exists in Spain, so external rating relies solely on accreditation cycles
Best Fit For
- • Families wanting an established British curriculum with an IB Diploma option.
- • Internationally mobile families needing strong English immersion and EAL support.
- • Students aiming for university entry via either A-Levels or IB.
- • Parents valuing age-specific campuses over a single large all-through site.
- • Internationally mobile families wanting an English-medium IB pathway from early years to university
- • Students aiming for the IB Diploma at a school with one of the longest IB track records in the world
- • Expatriate families based in or near the La Moraleja and northern Madrid corridor
- • Families who value rolling admissions and the ability to join mid-year
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
School-reported, unverified: the school states that '100% of our students go on to university' in most years.
School-reported, unverified: ICS cites IB outcomes above the global average with more than 20 percent of students achieving 40+ points, supporting progression to selective universities; no independent university-destination breakdown was located in public sources.
More Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose Hastings School or International College Spain?
Hastings School is best for: Families wanting an established British curriculum with an IB Diploma option.. International College Spain is best for: Internationally mobile families wanting an English-medium IB pathway from early years to university. The right choice depends on target curriculum, budget, and family priorities — the two are not linearly comparable.
How do fees compare between Hastings School and International College Spain?
Hastings School: EUR 800-2,120/month (2026-27, billed over 10 instalments; lowest = Pre-Nursery, highest = Year 12-13 IB). International College Spain: EUR 12,957-27,258/yr (2026/27). Verify against each school's own published fees; some figures are sourced from third-party aggregators.
What curricula do Hastings School and International College Spain offer?
Hastings School: British, IB. International College Spain: IB. Hastings School inspection: NABSS (National Association of British Schools in Spain) "Inspected (no published overall graded band)".
Do Hastings School or International College Spain offer boarding?
Hastings School: day school only. International College Spain: day school only.
Questions parents ask
This comparison is BrightKey's independent assessment using verifiable public data only. University-placement figures are school-reported and not independently verified. BrightKey takes no payments from schools. Our method →