Parent
We attended this school before the change of ownership, and at that time everything was genuinely at a good level: strong teachers, stability, a clear program, and good communication with parents.
After the school was sold, the situation unfortunately became noticeably worse.
From September through January, essentially half a year, the children had constantly changing teachers. The originally planned teacher went on maternity leave, which is absolutely understandable and not an issue in itself. But after that there was a chain of replacements: a new teacher who didn’t work out, then a temporary substitute, then another search, and eventually a new permanent teacher.
At the same time, communication from the school clearly declined. Previously, new teachers were properly introduced and there were introductory calls with parents. This time, no such call was held. The teacher was simply assigned without any proper introduction.
And honestly, we don’t want to jump to conclusions, but it does feel like that introductory call may have been intentionally skipped. It later became clear that the teacher was not a native speaker, but Spanish-speaking. This was noticeable from the accent, which is naturally different from the British accent the children were used to. In the past, the school maintained a consistent standard and communicated changes openly. Here, it felt more like an attempt to avoid drawing attention and quietly move forward.
Half a year of constant teacher changes inevitably affects the quality of education. It’s difficult to expect consistent progress for the children in such conditions.
At the same time, parents were understanding about the situation. We were not asking for anything excessive. The request was very reasonable: if the quality of the service objectively declined over a significant period, it would be fair for the school to offer some form of goodwill gesture, for example a partial discount.
This was discussed with the school director, but she was in a temporary role and could only pass our questions on to the corporate management. The responses we received were very formal and dry: simply “no”, without any real explanation, even when we directly asked why.
And this is probably the most disappointing part. It’s not really about the money. No one was asking for a refund or anything disproportionate. It’s about a basic principle: if the quality of a service drops for an extended period, it’s reasonable to acknowledge it and offer some form of compensation. This is about responsibility, standards, and attitude.
At the same time, we have no complaints about the long-standing teachers at the school. It’s clear they are doing their best and maintaining a good level. The concerns are entirely related to the new management and their approach to parents.
7 other reviews for St. George Barcelona - (Reviews aren't verified )
Showing 6 reviews by parents and students.
Parent
My son has attended a few international schools , and private schools. This school has the most Fantastic teachers , head teacher and staff . There is no other school we have attended with such Amazing education and teachers who work so hard and help our children so beautifully . We are always able to ask for help, contact any member of staff and get rapid response , my sons learning has been stunning g , due to the absolute joy and presence of the teachers. He is thrilled to get to school each day and inspired by them all . During lockdown we had an unbelievable experience of wonderful online classes which my son thrived and enjoyed . They helped us families through , with constant communication and uplifting activities online , assemblies. The school completely goes by it’s school motos , and make sure that children treat others beautifully . Miss King the head teacher and ... read full review
Parent
We moved to Barcelona and chose the school online because they advertised it as a family-centric community (it isn’t), not elitist (it is somewhat), very good academically (it is fine, but not excellent), and promoting social emotional learning skills (absolutely not.) The facilities for primary students are very crowded and there were 26 students jammed into a small classroom. While it was fine academically, it was clear teachers were burned out, and what’s more, the bullying in primary was worse than anywhere we’ve ever seen. Not only were the bullies not given meaningful consequences, but they managed to turn many people in the class against my child based on a couple of particularly awful bullies’ persuasion. Even though I repeatedly asked the teachers and head of school for help and intervention for my child who was emotionally tortured and walking in tears to and from schoo... read full review
Parent
We've been part of this school community for two years with our 7-year-old daughter, and it has been a wonderful experience. The standout for us is the emphasis on emotional well-being and how they empower every child’s self-esteem. The way they foster connections between kids of all ages creates such a friendly atmosphere. Academically, the growth has been incredible; our daughter is now fluent in English and easily connects with native-speaking peers. We recommend it 100%!
Parent
Amazing school. My son entered in year 12 for the ib programme and we couldnt be happier with all aspects of the school
Parent
A Great school with very good teachers and curriculum.
Parent
We were very much looking forward to our four-year-old son starting his reception course at the beautiful St George's school. Our son was more excited than us and pleaded for us to go early so we would be the first one waiting by the gate every morning.
After 2 weeks, things started to change. One day I received a call from the school asking if I knew where our son was! He had left school without them noticing. Luckily, my wife was outside the school early for the afternoon pickup and saw him leaving.
This incident, and the thought of what might have happened, was shocking, but the response from his teachers was even more concerning. Both Miss G and Miss B blamed our four-year-old son for the incident and told us it happened because he doesn't listen to them! They never apologised. Miss B said they would strengthen the security of the school to make sure this wouldn’t happen ag... read full review
