Private international school in Barcelona

At Highlands School Barcelona we adapt the teaching of maths to different learning styles, using the deductive method. We cover every mathematical concept with the aim of making the most of each pupil’s capacity to learn at this stage. We use active learning strategies, with a range of calculation techniques and varied materials to explore how numbers are composed and decomposed.

This approach, recognised by maths educators, supports each pupil’s development individually, enriching their learning and deepening their mathematical understanding.

The aim of this programme is to develop individuals who can navigate a complex, constantly changing world, equipping them with the tools they need to be critical thinkers and informed citizens.

It is designed to teach our pupils how to evaluate information critically. We show them how to judge the credibility of a source or an opinion, which is essential in today’s world.

They learn to identify the arguments put forward in different contexts, from academic texts to everyday debate and discussion. This calls for practice in skills such as:

• Analysis
• Reasoning
• Reflection
• Forming judgements

Music education plays a fundamental part in pupils’ social and cognitive development from an early age.

Because we recognise how important it is, we not only offer music lessons within the English curriculum but also extend the time devoted to this area. In this way our pupils have the chance to develop a deeper, richer musical ability.

Some of the programmes we offer:

• Choir
• Music Week
• Shows and concerts
• Highlands Got Talent

This programme, supported by the Pineda Foundation (Fundación Pineda), gives pupils effective strategies to make the most of their independent study, such as the PASERR method. These strategies are used both in extra-curricular activities and in the classroom, through the tutorial action plan. Thanks to this approach, our pupils develop key skills such as:

• Taking notes efficiently
• Using mind maps to organise ideas
• Writing clear, concise summaries
• Managing their time effectively
• Using their school planner to plan and organise tasks

These skills are essential for achieving excellent academic results and for success throughout their school career.

Our form tutors, working closely with the guidance department, have developed a unique programme designed to guide pupils through their learning and support their all-round development. This personalised approach makes sure that every pupil receives the support they need to fulfil their potential.

At Highlands School, a private school in Barcelona, we have an emotional education programme built into our tutorial action plan. It supports our pupils’ physical, emotional, intellectual and social growth, encouraging communication and improving the way everyone gets on together, through the joint work of teachers, pupils and families.

This programme helps children and young people to:

• Get to know and trust themselves
• Understand others
• Recognise and express emotions and ideas
• Develop self-control
• Learn to make responsible decisions
• Value and look after their health
• Improve their social skills
• Recognise and name their moods

We follow Christ with joy, seeking truth and goodness with passion, and we support our pupils in their Christian life.

As well as religious education lessons and other faith activities, we have a school chaplain and consecrated staff for this stage.

In 3º de Primaria (age 8–9) we prepare our pupils, during school hours, to receive their First Holy Communion.

Through physical activity and sporting competition, our pupils develop essential virtues such as creativity, teamwork and perseverance, and take up active, healthy lifestyles. Our training programmes allow them to specialise in a range of sports and to take part in organised competitions.

Thanks to our modern facilities, the school offers a wide range of sports built into its curriculum, including:

• Football
• Basketball
• Volleyball
• Padel
• Table tennis
• Badminton

We complement this with after-school clubs in our sports facilities, which are an extension of the all-round education we offer every pupil.

At Highlands School Barcelona we combine the local curriculum with the International Primary Curriculum, and we are accredited as a Cambridge International School.

Our pupils have the opportunity to sit the Cambridge Primary Checkpoint at the end of Primary.

As well as Global English, 60% of subjects are taught in English: Science, Music, ICT, SpeakArt and Physical Education, so that pupils learn to think and communicate in English across different fields.

We also encourage language immersion through culture, with international events and celebrations such as Jeans Day and Thanksgiving.

We also offer international experiences at prestigious schools in the United States, Ireland and Switzerland, thereby expanding our students’ education and global exposure.

At our school we strengthen pupils’ communication skills with our own public speaking programme, which develops the oral skills they need to speak in public with confidence. We offer activities such as the Spelling Bee, public speaking events, presentations and opportunities in drama and production, enriching pupils’ ability to communicate effectively.

At our school we give pupils the tools they need to thrive in the digital world. Through a practical, all-round approach, we offer training in a range of technological areas, including:

• Programming
• Robotics
• Content publishing and management applications and software
• Control systems
• Touch typing
• Searching for and selecting online resources
• Confident use of the Office suite

We shape our pupils’ will and emotions by helping them acquire virtues, which we work on through campaigns and classroom activities adapted to each year group. We focus on a set of virtues we consider fundamental to their development, devoting each term to two of them: order, friendship, respect, generosity, effort, obedience, fortitude, responsibility, gratitude, honesty, joy and humility.

Through formative discipline, our teachers work so that children discover day by day the values behind the rules, so that they act out of conviction and not because a set of regulations has simply been imposed on them. In this way pupils come to understand the meaning and importance of respecting and keeping the rules, and how this builds a good school community.