Learnlife Barcelona

Learnlife runs its own learning model built around personal learning plans and competencies, rather than a single fixed curriculum. It's closest to the American curriculum and aligns with the local Ministry of Education standards.

All learners can gain the American High School diploma. At the Urban Hub, learners can also obtain the ESO. We also offer Advanced Placement courses to help learners progress to their chosen destination.

1. NEASC accreditation (all three hubs). Accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the international accrediting body. This recognises our learning design and assessment, not just our buildings.
2. American High School Diploma. Qualifying secondary graduates at schools can earn the American High School Diploma, recognised internationally.
3. Spanish recognition (ESO and Bachillerato). At the Urban Hub, qualifying learners' transcripts are homologated by the Spanish Ministry of Education: Explorers and Creators to ESO, and Changemakers to Bachillerato.
4. Advanced Placements. We offer a range of AP courses for learners that are confirmed each year.
5. Pathways support. Each learner's mentor helps them plan for university, vocational training, a gap year, work or starting a business, supported by their Learning Vitae, a living portfolio of who they are and what they can do.

Local Spanish accreditation is fully in place at the Urban Hub. We expect this at the Eco and Village Hubs in 2027.

We welcome children from ages 6 (age 5 if they turn 6 before the end of the new year) through 18 in small mixed-age groups that feel more like real life than a row of desks.

1. Primary (ages 6 to 12). Adventurers, Discoverers and Pioneers learn numeracy, literacy, languages, humanities and science through hands-on, project-based learning. The focus is on keeping a love of learning alive while building strong foundations.
2. Secondary (ages 12 to 18). Explorers, Creators and Changemakers go deeper through studios, passion projects and real-world challenges, while preparing for the qualifications and pathways that come next.

There are no traditional exams or grades. Instead, children show what they've learned through:

1. Learning Vitae - A living, dynamic tool, similar to a portfolio, that offers a holistic view of each learner's growth. It provides clear insights into where learners are in their journey and includes evidence of their achievements.
2. 360 assessments - Learners reflect, share their growth and receive feedback on their learning by presenting to their parents and mentor at the end of each cycle (term).
3. Showcases - A celebration where learners present their best work to the whole community and answer questions about their learning in a market-style format. It's honest, personal, and moving to experience.

Learning works best when a child wants to learn and enjoys learning. That belief sits underneath everything we do.

Traditional education is built on control: timetables, standard subjects, the same path for everyone. We build on agency instead. Children make real choices about how they learn, with structure and support around them. The structure serves the child rather than boxing them in.

A few principles guide the day:

1. Personal to each child. Every child has a learning plan shaped around who they are and where they want to go.
2. Relationships first. A child learns when they feel safe, seen and supported. Belonging comes before everything else.
3. Real over abstract. Learning is tied to real projects and real-world challenges, so it means something.
4. Ownership. Children learn to take charge of their own learning, which is the skill that lasts a lifetime.
5. Mastery over age. Children progress when they're ready, based on what they've actually learned, not just their birthday.

Five values shape our community. They're the aspiration for everyone, the adults as much as the children, and they show up in how we work together every day.

1. Positive relationships. Every child is genuinely known. Relationships come first, because a child learns best when they feel safe and seen. One-to-one mentoring sits at the centre of daily life.
2. Empathetic collaboration. We work alongside one another with real regard, and we read behaviour as communication rather than character. Our community agreements are made together and revisited together. Respect is the shared norm, so bullying has no place to take root.
3. Growth through adventure. Real learning comes from curiosity, considered risk and making something real, rather than covering content for a test. Children move from a personal interest to a contribution they can share with others.
4. Fair communities. Every child has standing, a voice and equal access, whatever their background or starting point. The social contract is built together, not handed down.
5. Authentic trust. Trust is given freely rather than earned through compliance. It's the foundation the whole community stands on.

None of the five stands alone. Together, they create a positive and supportive learning culture in which your child can thrive.

1. A Top 10 Shortlisted School in the World's Best School Prizes 2026 - Learnlife is the only international school in Barcelona to be shortlisted in the World's Best School Prizes. The winner is announced in November.
2. Montesorri STAR Endorsement, 2025 - Learnlife received the Montessori STAR Endorsement for its child-centred approach to education.
3. HundrED Spotlight on Child-Centred Learning, 2025 - Learnlife was recognised for reimagining how learning is assessed by empowering young people to demonstrate growth and mastery through meaningful, relevant outputs, moving beyond standardised testing.
4. HundrED Spotlight on Gamified Curricula, 2024 - Learnlife's 'Stages of Autonomy' framework was recognised for autonomous learning and helping children become lifelong autonomous learners.
5. HundrED Global Collection, 2023 - Learnlife was selected from over 3,000 applicants as one of the top 100 global education innovations in HundrED's Global Collection 2023.
6. The Future School, University College London Institute of Education - Learnlife is featured as one of six global school archetypes in this research thinkpiece.

Each hub has its own setting and spaces, designed for hands-on, real-world learning rather than rows of desks.

The Urban Hub in central Barcelona has fully equipped studios for multimedia, carpentry, fashion and textiles, arts, 3D printing and programming, cooking and music. The Hub also has a science lab, a maker space and open, adaptable areas that change with the work.

The Eco Hub in Castelldefels makes the most of its beachfront and pine forest setting, with indoor and outdoor learning spaces designed for nature-based, adventure-driven days.

The Village Hub near Sitges has a science lab, a carpentry and maker space, a kitchen studio, a visual arts space and a large roof terrace, with a sports court and rooftop garden. The Hub is located 5 minutes' walk from a large park with sports facilities, a forest and play area. The spaces are purpose-built to support the way children actually learn: together, hands-on, and with room to move.

Your child can bring their own lunch, or you can purchase it through our supplier. Daily, weekly or monthly options are available. If your child is aged over 14 and you give consent, they can leave the Hub to buy lunch on their break.

We offer financial assistance to families who cannot afford our full-price tuition. The amount available depends on which school you are applying to and how much has already been allocated to families.

We are an inclusive and welcoming school with families from over 30 nationalities. We celebrate individuality and each child's superpowers.

If your child has a diagnosed learning difference or emotional support need, or our team identifies that extra support is needed, we will discuss this with you. We will co-create a plan with you, and there may be an additional fee dependent on the level of support needed. This will be discussed with you and agreed in advance of enrolling.

Extracurricular activities are organised by parents for our primary-aged learners at the Eco Hub in Castelldefels.

We don't run extracurricular clubs for our secondary programmes, and that's a deliberate choice.

We want children to be part of their own local community outside hub hours. Many of our learners play for sports clubs, train in music or dance, or pursue their own interests in the towns where they live. We think that's healthy. It keeps children rooted in their neighbourhood and connected to friends beyond Learnlife.

During the day, our focus stays on personal learning and passion projects, so the hours children spend with us count.