Every parent’s dream is to build a strong education foundation, which will help their children become more creative and innovative with the transforming developments of the world.

Having said that, to provide strong excellence in the early ages of the children, parents seek such schools where their children get a structured pedagogical curriculum that assists a successive career in their future.

Along with a structured curriculum, everyone wants their children to learn fundamental values like Respect, Loyalty, and Friendship for being responsible citizens of the country and the world. While saying so, the children don’t learn all these values at their college; they learn all these fundamental values during school.

The school shapes the children into a better and successive human beings. Moreover, integrating the fundamental values and structured curriculum helps the children get their desired future path. While imbibing excellence, the schools adopt a British curriculum in their schools.

Furthermore, when anyone apprehends about British curricula, they begin reminiscing the British empire with its long list of honors, triumphs, and inventions.

Apart from it, the British empire is also widely known for its education system.

The country has been providing one of the world’s best educations for centuries that helps the pupils learn the mixture of tradition and innovation that makes the students culturally diverse.

Catering to the comprehensive and innovative curriculum, the International School of Madrid (ISM), located in the heart of Spain’s capital, Madrid, has followed the British curriculum from the early years foundation stage.

The school’s 80 Percent syllabus emphasizes the British curriculum as it helps the pupils to get global platforms all over the world. And 20 percent of the syllabus focus on Spanish languages, literature, and culture, which prepare students for their future pedagogies.

In the quest for ‘The 5 Best International Schools in Spain 2022’, we catered to the International School of Madrid (ISM). We interviewed the Head Teacher, Mr Richard Cook, where he shared the school’s inception journey and its future endeavors.

To get detailed information about the institute, dive down.

The Blooming Seed

International School of Madrid (ISM) is a British school located in the center of Madrid, the capital of Spain, and was founded in 1971. From the Early Years Foundation Stage at age two to the Sixth Form at age 18, where students study for A-levels, the school adheres to the complete British curriculum (equivalent to a Spanish Bachillerato, a French Baccalaureate or the 1st year of university undergraduate in the US).

Although the school’s students enroll in universities all over the world, including the United Kingdom and the United States, about 20 percent of the curriculum is dedicated to the Spanish language, literature, and culture so that those students who wish to stay in Spain are well prepared for the future. This is in addition to the British curriculum.

The institution celebrated its 50th – anniversary last year. With almost 800 pupils, the school has maintained its family atmosphere; it has expanded from a small school to one of Madrid’s first international institutions while producing exceptional academic outcomes.

Declaracion De Vision Y Mission

When we ask Mr Cook about the vision and mission of the institute, he says, “Our mission is to prepare our students to be engaged citizens who can thrive in any city or country in which they might live in the future. We educate children of many races, beliefs, and languages, so they may live in peace and harmony, appreciating and understanding each other’s backgrounds and cultures. Currently, we have students from over 35 different nationalities within the school, which allows us all to learn from one another.”

Sliding down further, he states, “We believe in practical, hands-on learning that prepares pupils for the real world. Our theme is not ‘I teach; you learn’ as much as ‘We are all here to learn from each other.’ The school’s motto is ‘Respect, Loyalty and Friendship,’ which includes the importance of good manners and correct social behavior, as well as positive discipline, in which we teach children to figure out the benefits of this discipline for themselves. We also encourage self-expression, along with individual skills and talents, as well as outstanding academic achievement; our pupils excel in sports and the arts.”

An Eager and Enthusiast Educationist

Richard Cook is currently in his 18th year at the ISM; before that, he spent several years as a primary school teacher in London and as part of a UK government programme to increase academic attainment through arts-related activities.

Until 2014, he worked as Deputy to ISM’s founder, Anne Mazón, where he quickly learned the importance of knowing every child individually – by their names, skills, interests, strengths, and areas for development.

He gained the ability to be a ‘hands-on head,’ to be an active participant in all facets of school life, and to understand the immense power of forgiveness and patience. Richard is not just the current head teacher but also the Executive Secretary of NABSS and a seasoned inspector of British schools (National Association of British Schools in Spain). He plays a crucial role in defending and advancing British education in Spain because he is an executive committee member.

Advancements in Education through E-Learning

Technology plays an essential role in school life. The school has three computer suites, interactive screens, and computers. The school has started implementing a 1:1 device programme in 2021, ensuring that every student in grades 3 to 9 can access a tablet or computer for research.

Every student has a Google Classroom account, and the school has subscriptions to many educational websites, such as Pearson’s Active Learn and Oxford’s Oxford Owl.

International Exposures

While mentioning the advancements, Mr Cook mentions the global exposure for the students, asserting that he postulates, “Over 35 nationalities are represented at our school, and we regularly learn about these countries and their cultures. Many of our students choose to spend one term or one year of their school life temporarily in another country, such as France or England. Careers events expose pupils to universities from around the world and around 20 per cent of our students each year go on to study in universities outside of Spain or the UK.”

Envision the Future the School Desires!

While envisioning the future, Dr Cook notes, “The school will always be a family school. Our values will never change. However, we will keep enhancing our facilities, increasing our use of technology and adapting our curriculum to ensure that it meets the st needs of 21 -century learners and citizens of the future.”