About Us | Sotogrande International School

45 Years of Academic Excellence

Sotogrande International School was founded over four decades ago. We offer academic excellence and life-changing experiences to children from 6 months in the Early Years division to 18 years in the High School Baccalaureate and A Level division. Both Day and Boarding School students receive the tools they need to excel confidently in their personal and academic endeavours.

Welcome from the Executive Head

A very warm welcome to Sotogrande International School.

It is a privilege to lead a school recognised internationally for its commitment to excellence, innovation and student wellbeing. At SIS, we believe education should inspire young people to discover their strengths, pursue their passions and develop the confidence to make a positive difference in the world.

Our vibrant community of over 1,300 students represents more than 80 nationalities, creating a truly international environment where diversity is celebrated, perspectives are broadened and lifelong friendships are formed. We are proud to be an inclusive school where every child, from 4 months to 18 years of age, is known, valued and encouraged to achieve their personal best.

As one of Europe's leading international schools, we offer both the full International Baccalaureate continuum (PYP, MYP and DP) and A Levels, providing students with pathways that align with their aspirations, strengths and future ambitions.

What makes SIS distinctive is our commitment to developing the whole child through four pathways of excellence: Academics, Sport, the Arts and Innovation. Here, success is never defined by a single measure. Instead, every student is encouraged to discover their own strengths, pursue meaningful ambitions and develop the confidence to shape their own future.

Students benefit from outstanding academic programmes, elite sports pathways in golf, tennis and swimming, entrepreneurial initiatives and an exceptional arts programme. We are particularly excited about our new Centre of Excellence for the Performing Arts, creating limitless opportunities for creativity, performance and artistic expression.

Our students consistently achieve outstanding results and progress to many of the world's leading universities, including Ivy League institutions in the United States, Oxbridge and Russell Group universities in the United Kingdom, as well as prestigious destinations across Spain, Europe and beyond.

We are equally proud of our boarding community. Our modern boarding houses provide a welcoming and supportive home away from home, where students develop independence, resilience and a truly global perspective.

Above all, SIS is a community where happiness matters. We know young people flourish when they feel supported, challenged and inspired. Our ambition is not only to help students achieve academic success, but to develop compassionate, confident and internationally minded individuals who will make a meaningful contribution to the world around them.

I look forward to welcoming you to our community and sharing what makes Sotogrande International School unlike anywhere else. Once you experience it, it speaks for itself.

Maryssa O'Connor
Executive Head of School

Achieving Excellence

SIS is proud of our graduates’ academic achievements and their progression to top universities around the world. Our success reflects the quality of our strong academic programmes and the unrivalled pastoral guidance we offer, both of which enable our students to excel.

We believe nurturing happy children encourages them to achieve the highest exam results and our experience has shown that the happier individuals are, the better they perform. At our school, children gain fantastic exam preparation, excellent exam grades and the ability to apply what they have learned on a practical level.

Our Mission: Student Success through Connected Learning

At SIS, we aim to capture the essence of our main objectives in our Mission. The learner is placed at the centre of our child-centred ethos, which is at the core of our methodology and informs everything we do.

The theories underpinning our vision are outlined in our mission, goals, and values and relate to the desired outcomes for our learners. Finally, the idea of ‘connected learning’ reflects the school's aim to create a prosperous and collaborative student community.

Finding Your Authentic Voice

A COMPLETE EDUCATION FOR EVERY STUDENT

We care deeply about our students and support them through a comprehensive range of pastoral services. Personal Advisors (Secondary School) and Class Teachers (Primary School) are key points of contact for parents and their children. These staff members ensure children are supported, encouraged and nurtured daily throughout their schooling.

We encourage students to develop practical habits, which include having a personal vision and building strong leadership, management, and learning skills.

A Complete Education for Every Student

Our school aims to foster self-motivation and the desire to succeed. Our goal is for our students to find their authentic voice by discovering and expanding their abilities while attending to their passions. To fulfil this objective, the school's interdisciplinary programmes integrate core academic subjects into a rich curriculum that fosters wide-ranging skills, intercultural awareness, a spirit of inquiry, a sense of community service and an understanding of global stewardship.

The school applies a child-focused, holistic learning philosophy as we believe in developing confident young people who have an enduring love of learning and seek excellence. Our educators aim to nurture our student body to have lively, inquiring minds so they can think rationally, creatively and analytically.

The SIS community represents 50 nationalities. In a world where borders are disappearing, the incredible diversity of our student body offers a rich, multicultural experience. Children develop an understanding and appreciation of others, which leads to acceptance, tolerance and respect for the values held by people from different cultures, races, and religions, as well as compassion for those who choose to follow a different, but similarly peaceful, way of life.

Download our Values Poster

Developing Leaders & Global Citizens

At our school, a significant part of our school’s identity is giving back to others; therefore, students are taught to think about themselves in terms of “me” and “we”. The concept of helping people is at the centre of the IB curriculum and remains at the heart of the school’s ethos. One of the ways in which learners assist their community is by becoming global citizens who use education as an instigator of positive change.

As a result of this vision, in 2010, we set up an independent NGO called the Kindred Project. The project offers real-life opportunities for our students to make a difference to those in our global family and currently support projects in Ecuador, India, Morocco, Spain and Uganda.

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Safeguarding & Child Protection

Sotogrande International School recognises that child welfare is paramount. The school takes safeguarding seriously and prioritises the well-being of all children.

We recognise our duty to protect everyone in the school community. Members of Sotogrande International School understand that they have a personal obligation to act when there is a risk of harm and direct their concerns to the Safeguarding Team. Specially-trained team members will then work with external agencies to ensure the safety of those in need.

Safeguarding children and young people means protecting them from abuse or neglect. It also means working with other organisations to support families. We aim to create a school environment where students feel safe, healthy and well-supported.

Child-Centred Approach to Global Education

Our school offers a personalised approach to learning and encourages children to open their hearts and minds to the joys of education. Our robust methodology leads to excellent results each year, with an average score of 34 points for the IB Diploma.

Academic excellence is the central focus of our provision. Whilst the school is independent of Spanish National curriculum requirements (with the notable exception of Spanish language and Social Studies, compulsory for Spanish Nationals), we are an authorised IB World School and thus follow an internationally-recognised curriculum.

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About Our School