Hastings School
🇪🇸 Madrid · Founded 1971 · British / IB · Ages 2-18
An established British-curriculum day school (founded 1971) across six small Madrid campuses, now Cognita-owned, offering a dual A-Level / IB Diploma sixth form and full English immersion from age two.
Curricula
British, IB
Age range
2-18
Languages of instruction
English, Spanish
Annual fees
SGD EUR 800-2,120/month (2026-27, billed over 10 instalments; lowest = Pre-Nursery, highest = Year 12-13 IB)
Enrollment
1,375
Boarding
No (day school)
IB authorised
DP
NABSS (National Association of British Schools in Spain) 2023
Inspected (no published overall graded band)
Accreditations
NABSS, Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel, IB World School
Tier Profile
We only tier dimensions backed by a public inspection verdict or verifiable accreditation. Other dimensions show a data flag — never a guessed score.
BrightKey's Assessment
Hastings School is one of the oldest British international schools in Madrid, founded in 1971 and part of the Cognita group since 2011. It educates roughly 1,375 students aged 2 to 18 across six dedicated campuses in the Chamartin, Arturo Soria and Conde Orgaz districts, each campus serving a specific age stage from Early Years through to the 'Nexus' sixth form.
The school follows the British National Curriculum, leading to IGCSE and then a choice at sixth form between A-Levels and the IB Diploma Programme. The IB Diploma is a relatively recent addition: the school's own materials describe a programme that is only into its early years of results, reporting an average IB score of 35, alongside 2024 outcomes of 47% A*-A at A-Level and 64% A*-A at IGCSE.
Instruction is in English, with full immersion in Early Years and Spanish language and social-science lessons introduced from Primary onward. Non-native English speakers receive additional EAL support, including separate teaching groups in Secondary where needed, which suits the school's internationally mixed roll of over 50 nationalities.
As a member of the National Association of British Schools in Spain (NABSS), Hastings is inspected under the NABSS regime rather than a UK BSO 'Outstanding/Excellent' framework; the most recent published inspection material dates from 2023 and notes that academic standards are high, but no single-word overall band is published, so the inspection dimension is rated A rather than S.
Why These Ratings?
Inspection & AccreditationA — Excellent
Inspected by NABSS (most recent published material 2023) and accredited as a Cambridge International and Pearson Edexcel centre plus an IB World School. NABSS inspection material reports that 'academic standards are high' but does not publish a verbatim 'Outstanding' or 'Excellent' overall band, so the dimension is rated A rather than S.
Strengths & Trade-offs
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.
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.
Is It Right For You?
Best 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.
Not Ideal For
- ✕Families needing boarding, as Hastings is a day school only.
- ✕Those wanting a long, proven IB Diploma results history.
- ✕Parents seeking the lowest-cost international option in Madrid.
- ✕Families preferring all children on one shared campus.
Curriculum
British National Curriculum from Early Years through IGCSE, then a choice at sixth form between A-Levels and the IB Diploma Programme. The school is a Cambridge International and Pearson Edexcel exam centre and an IB World School offering the DP; the IB pathway is recently established.
Fees
2026-27 monthly tuition runs from 800 EUR (Pre-Nursery) to 1,860 EUR (Year 12-13 A-Level) and 2,120 EUR (Year 12-13 IB), billed over 10 instalments. A non-refundable registration fee applies (950-1,850 EUR depending on stage), and lunches and bus transport are charged separately. A 20% sibling discount applies from the third-youngest child onward.
Admissions
Entry is by registration with the Admissions office across the six campuses; a non-refundable registration fee is payable per the published fee schedule, with sibling arrangements handled case-by-case by Admissions.
Campus Life
Six dedicated Madrid campuses span the Chamartin, Arturo Soria and Conde Orgaz districts, each serving a defined age band from Early Years (Paseo de la Habana, Sobradiel) through Primary (Bendicion de Campos, Azulinas) to Secondary (Lorenzo Solano Tendero) and the Hastings Nexus sixth form. Enrichment includes the Duke of Edinburgh Award.
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.
Sources
Every verifiable fact carries a public source — verify it yourself.
- Hastings School - official site (about, curricula, campuses, results) · 2026-06
- Hastings School - fees 2026-27 (incl. distinct A-Level vs IB pricing) · 2026-06
- Hastings School - IB Diploma Programme page (average score 35) · 2026-06
- Hastings School - inspection reports (NABSS, 2019/2021/2023) · 2026-06
- Good Schools Guide - founded 1971, Cognita-owned since 2011 · 2026-06
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