Hastings School vs Runnymede College
🇪🇸 Madrid · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
Both carry a public inspection verdict: Hastings School is NABSS (National Association of British Schools in Spain) "Inspected (no published overall graded band)" and Runnymede College is British Schools Overseas (BSO) "BSO-inspected (Feb 2025; no single verbatim graded band published)" — a rare pairing where an official quality rating can be compared head-to-head. 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 | Runnymede College | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | British / IB | British |
| Ages | 2-18 | 2-18 |
| 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 3,100-7,900 per term (2026-2027), i.e. roughly EUR 9,300-23,700/year across three terms; one-off enrolment fee EUR 3,500 |
| Enrollment | 1,375 | 1,140 |
| Boarding | Day only | Day only |
| Inspection rating | NABSS (National Association of British Schools in Spain): Inspected (no published overall graded band) | British Schools Overseas (BSO): BSO-inspected (Feb 2025; no single verbatim graded band published) |
| Accreditations | NABSS, Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel, IB World School | British Schools Overseas (BSO), HMC, IAPS |
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.
- ✓Consistently elite exam outcomes (57% A*-A at A-Level and 67% A*-A / 7-9 at IGCSE in 2025)
- ✓Strong university pipeline including Oxbridge, Harvard, LSE, Imperial, UCL and a large St Andrews cohort
- ✓Long-established heritage as Madrid's oldest British school (founded 1967) with deep NABSS roots via its founder
- ✓Full English National Curriculum continuity from age 2 to 18 on one campus
- ✓Recognised British quality assurance via a 2025 BSO inspection plus HMC and IAPS affiliations
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 (up to EUR 7,900 per term in Sixth Form plus a EUR 3,500 enrolment fee)
- !Single curriculum pathway (British only) with no IB Diploma alternative offered
- !No published verbatim inspection band, limiting external comparability of the BSO outcome
- !EAL support is not documented in public sources, leaving non-English-speaking applicants uncertain
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.
- • Academically ambitious families targeting Oxbridge, Russell Group or top US universities
- • British and international families wanting a continuous English-curriculum education from early years to A-Level
- • Expatriate families based in or near La Moraleja / northern Madrid
- • Pupils who thrive in a selective, results-driven British environment
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: 2025 university destinations included Oxbridge, Harvard, Carnegie Mellon and Berklee in the US, and St Andrews (thirteen pupils), LSE, Imperial, UCL, Bath and Warwick in the UK, with several pupils entering medicine and IE University noted as the preferred Spanish destination.
More Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose Hastings School or Runnymede College?
Hastings School is best for: Families wanting an established British curriculum with an IB Diploma option.. Runnymede College is best for: Academically ambitious families targeting Oxbridge, Russell Group or top US universities. 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 Runnymede College?
Hastings School: EUR 800-2,120/month (2026-27, billed over 10 instalments; lowest = Pre-Nursery, highest = Year 12-13 IB). Runnymede College: EUR 3,100-7,900 per term (2026-2027), i.e. roughly EUR 9,300-23,700/year across three terms; one-off enrolment fee EUR 3,500. Verify against each school's own published fees; some figures are sourced from third-party aggregators.
What curricula do Hastings School and Runnymede College offer?
Hastings School: British, IB. Runnymede College: British. Hastings School inspection: NABSS (National Association of British Schools in Spain) "Inspected (no published overall graded band)". Runnymede College inspection: British Schools Overseas (BSO) "BSO-inspected (Feb 2025; no single verbatim graded band published)".
Do Hastings School or Runnymede College offer boarding?
Hastings School: day school only. Runnymede College: 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 →