Learning Difficulty Inclusive International Schools in Madrid
Inclusive International Schools
International Schools in Madrid with Dedicated SEND Teams
Learning support and SEND provision at Madrid's leading international schools
Many of Madrid’s leading international schools have invested in dedicated SEND teams. These teams include learning support coordinators, specialist teachers, and in some cases on-site counsellors. They identify early signs of learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, ADHD, and autism, adapt classroom strategies, and provide day-to-day support for students who learn differently.
There is, however, an important distinction between school-based learning support and a formal psychoeducational assessment. A school’s SEND team can observe, screen, and accommodate. They cannot provide a clinical diagnosis of dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, ADHD, or autism. They also cannot produce the independent documentation that exam boards require when applying for access arrangements such as extra time, rest breaks, or the use of a reader or scribe.
For students in the International Baccalaureate, access arrangements must be supported by evidence submitted through the Inclusive Access Arrangements system on IBIS. For students following British curriculum programmes leading to IGCSE and A Level qualifications with Cambridge International or Pearson Edexcel, reports must meet the standards set by JCQ. For students preparing for the SAT, the College Board requires documentation submitted through the Services for Students with Disabilities process. In every case, the documentation must come from a qualified, registered educational psychologist, not from the school itself.
This is where Global Education Testing works alongside school SEND teams rather than in place of them. The school identifies the concern. Global Education Testing Madrid provides the comprehensive psychoeducational assessment, the formal diagnosis where appropriate, and the independent report that gives your child the exam access arrangements and learning support they are entitled to.
The American School of Madrid is a K-12 international school in Pozuelo de Alarcón offering the American curriculum alongside the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in the Upper School. The school’s Learning Support team works across all divisions, providing services in reading, writing, mathematics, and executive function. Notably, the American School of Madrid requires psychological assessments with recommended accommodations as part of the admissions process for any family seeking learning support, and reviews current students before progression into Middle and Upper School to determine whether the school can continue to meet their needs.
This makes an independent psychoeducational assessment from Global Education Testing relevant at two distinct points. The first is at the admissions stage, where families need a comprehensive report identifying dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, ADHD, or autism, together with the accommodations the school will be expected to provide. The second is during the IB Diploma years, when access arrangements must be supported by evidence submitted through the Inclusive Access Arrangements system on IBIS.
Aquinas American School is a Catholic co-educational school in Pozuelo de Alarcón serving students from PreK through Grade 12. The school offers the American High School Diploma alongside the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, which it has delivered since 2016, and the Título de Bachillerato for Spanish students. Graduates progress to universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, and across Europe.
For students at Aquinas American School preparing for university entrance, a formal diagnosis of dyslexia, ADHD, autism, or any other specific learning difference opens the door to access arrangements across all three exit pathways. The IB Diploma requires documentation through IBIS. SAT testing administered by the College Board requires documentation submitted through the Services for Students with Disabilities process. Global Education Testing provides the comprehensive psychoeducational assessment that supports applications across each of these systems.
Brewster Madrid operates two campuses in the Spanish capital. The Chamberí Campus, the only K-12 American school in downtown Madrid, sits in the heart of the city, while the La Moraleja Campus to the north offers a historic building set within forested grounds. Both campuses deliver the American High School Diploma with Advanced Placement courses, alongside the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme for students in grades 11 and 12. The school traces its lineage to Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, founded in 1820.
Brewster Madrid’s educational model places strong emphasis on individualised instructional support and social emotional learning, with teaching teams meeting regularly to review each student’s progress. School-level instructional support is the starting point. A formal diagnosis of a specific learning difference, delivered through a comprehensive psychoeducational assessment from Global Education Testing, is what unlocks formal access arrangements for AP examinations administered by the College Board and for the IB Diploma Program.
Brighton College Madrid opens in September 2027 as the first European outpost of Brighton College, the British independent school which has consistently ranked among the highest performing schools in England. The Madrid school will deliver the English National Curriculum from Early Years through Sixth Form, with pupils preparing for GCSE and A Level qualifications, the standard British pathway to university entrance worldwide.
For pupils at Brighton College Madrid following the British curriculum, access arrangements at GCSE and A Level must meet the requirements set by JCQ, the body representing the major UK examination boards. The evidence required includes a comprehensive psychoeducational assessment carried out by a qualified educational psychologist registered with the Health and Care Professions Council in the United Kingdom. Global Education Testing produces reports that meet JCQ standards in full, with assessments delivered by HCPC-registered educational psychologists. Families relocating to Madrid ahead of the school’s opening can secure assessments now to ensure accommodations are in place from day one.
British Montessori is a British international school in the Northwest Sierra of Madrid, with campuses in the Villalba and Alpedrete area, around 40 kilometres from central Madrid. The school combines the Montessori method in the infant section with the English National Curriculum from primary through to sixth form, leading to IGCSE and A Level qualifications. British Montessori is fully authorised by the Comunidad de Madrid as a British school in Spain, is a member of the National Association of British Schools in Spain, and operates as a recognised examination centre for Cambridge International and Pearson Edexcel. Graduates have progressed to leading universities including Cambridge and Imperial College.
The Montessori pedagogy in early years often surfaces learning differences earlier than conventional classrooms. Access arrangements at British Montessori then apply from Year 10 and Year 11 IGCSE upwards through to sixth form A Levels, with documentation requirements set by JCQ across both Cambridge International and Pearson Edexcel examinations. Several British Montessori families have already chosen Global Education Testing Madrid for their child’s assessment, with reports delivered at both primary and secondary stages.
Located in Tres Cantos to the north of Madrid, Casvi International American School delivers a distinctive combination of the American curriculum integrated with the full International Baccalaureate continuum. The school is authorised to offer the IB Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme, and Diploma Programme, with students able to choose between the IB Diploma and the American High School Program at sixth form. Accreditation comes through the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, and the school appears on the Forbes list of the 100 best schools in Spain.
For students at Casvi following either the IB Diploma or the American High School Program, exam access arrangements run through different systems. The IB requires documentation submitted through IBIS, while the College Board administers SAT testing through its Services for Students with Disabilities process. Both routes require a comprehensive psychoeducational assessment carried out by a registered educational psychologist. Global Education Testing provides assessments that meet the documentation requirements of both pathways.
Colegio Brains operates across multiple Madrid campuses including Brains La Moraleja in Alcobendas, Brains Arturo Soria, and Brains María Lombillo. The school delivers a bilingual education combining the Spanish curriculum with the International Baccalaureate, offering the PYP, with MYP applicant status and DP authorisation across its senior school. Instruction takes place predominantly in English, with German, French, and Mandarin introduced from primary years.
For families at any Brains campus considering a formal assessment for dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, ADHD, or autism, the resulting report serves two purposes. It informs the school’s own internal support planning, and it provides the independent documentation required for access arrangements in the IB Diploma Program. Global Education Testing Madrid delivers comprehensive psychoeducational assessments remotely, allowing Brains families across the school’s network to access HCPC-registered educational psychologists without geographic constraint.
Colegio San Patricio is a Catholic bilingual school with more than 60 years of history in Madrid, operating three campuses. The Serrano and La Moraleja campuses serve nursery and primary students, while the El Soto de la Moraleja campus in Alcobendas houses Secondary and High School. At sixth form, students choose between the Spanish National Baccalaureate and the IB Diploma Programme delivered either in English or bilingually. The school is part of Inspired Education and consistently ranks at the top of El Mundo and Forbes school rankings in Spain, with IBDP average scores well above the global average.
For students preparing for the IB Diploma at El Soto, formal access arrangements such as additional time, supervised rest breaks, or the use of a word processor must be supported by documentation from an educational psychologist external to the school. Global Education Testing Madrid produces reports that meets and exceeds IB requirements, providing the diagnostic clarity San Patricio families need to secure accommodations for their child.
Dragon American School sits in Torrelodones to the northwest of Madrid, set in a natural environment between two protected parks. The school holds an unusual triple accreditation, authorised by the Spanish Comunidad de Madrid, accredited by NEASC for the American curriculum, and recognised by Cambridge International. This allows students to graduate with up to three qualifications: an American High School Diploma, the Spanish Bachillerato, and Cambridge IGCSE and A Level qualifications, opening direct routes to universities in Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The triple-credential structure makes access arrangements at Dragon American School more complex than at most international schools. Cambridge IGCSE and A Level examinations follow the standards set by JCQ. The College Board administers SAT and AP testing through its own Services for Students with Disabilities process. Each pathway requires its own evidence. Global Education Testing Madrid tailors its 20 to 30 page diagnostic assessment, grounded in DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 criteria, to each specific exam board and future academic pathway, producing a single comprehensive psychoeducational report that satisfies the documentation requirements of Cambridge International, JCQ, and the College Board.
ESC American School is a specialist boarding and day school in Villaviciosa de Odón offering an American curriculum to students in grades 7 through 12. The school delivers the US High School Diploma with NEASC accreditation and is recognised as 100 per cent accredited in Spain. ESC sits within ESC Campus Madrid, one of the largest sports-focused educational complexes in Europe, with high performance basketball and football programmes integrated alongside the academic curriculum.
The combination of high performance sport and academic study at ESC American School often surfaces learning differences late, when the demands of advanced coursework, college applications, and SAT preparation begin to expose patterns of difficulty that classroom accommodation alone cannot resolve. Global Education Testing Madrid produces a 20 to 30 page diagnostic assessment, anchored in DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 criteria, that delivers a formal diagnosis of ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, or autism and tailors the documentation to the College Board’s Services for Students with Disabilities process for SAT and AP accommodations.
Hastings School is a long-established British school in central Madrid, founded more than 50 years ago and operating across five campuses including Paseo de la Habana, Bendición de Campos, Azulinas, Lorenzo Solano Tendero, and Sobradiel. The school delivers the English National Curriculum to students aged 3 to 18, with examinations through IGCSE and a sixth form Nexus programme offering both A Levels and the IB Diploma Programme, which Hastings introduced in 2022. Students at Hastings achieve IB Diploma average scores well above the global average and progress to leading universities worldwide.
Access arrangements at Hastings apply across every examination stage, from Year 11 IGCSE through to A Level and the IB Diploma. IGCSE accommodations through Cambridge International or Pearson Edexcel follow JCQ standards. A Level accommodations also follow JCQ. IB Diploma evidence is submitted through IBIS. Global Education Testing Madrid has worked with Hastings families across multiple year groups and produces a 20 to 30 page diagnostic assessment, built on DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 criteria, tailored to whichever combination of examining systems a Hastings student faces.
International College Spain in La Moraleja is the only school in Madrid authorised to deliver all three International Baccalaureate programmes in English, from the Primary Years Programme through Middle Years to the Diploma Programme, across students aged 3 to 18. Part of the Nord Anglia Education group, the school operates global collaborations with The Juilliard School, UNICEF, and MIT, and has consistently produced IB Diploma scores well above the global average with strong progression to leading universities including Cambridge, University College London, Harvard, and Stanford.
ICS operates a dedicated SEN team across both primary and secondary that includes occupational therapists and speech and language specialists, and learning support needs are assessed at point of entry. Several ICS families have already chosen Global Education Testing Madrid for their child’s assessment, drawn by the need for independent documentation that meets IB requirements across the PYP exhibition, MYP assessments, and the Diploma Programme. The Global Education Testing Madrid diagnostic report runs to 20 to 30 pages, grounded in DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 criteria, and is tailored specifically to the IB system at the level appropriate to each student.
The International School of Madrid is a family-owned British school founded in 1971 and based in the Chamartín residential area of central Madrid. The school serves more than 950 students aged 2 to 18, following the English National Curriculum with the addition of Spanish language and Spanish social studies. ISM offers a distinctive sixth form combination of Advanced Level British subjects and Spanish curriculum subjects, preparing students for entry to universities in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Spain.
The International School of Madrid operates a Learning Support Department that works closely with tutors to address each student’s needs at every stage of the school, from primary through to IGCSE and A Level. Global Education Testing Madrid has provided psychoeducational assessments for students at ISM across Year 9, 10, and 11 IGCSE preparation as well as sixth form A Level pathways. The 20 to 30 page diagnostic report, anchored in DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 criteria, is tailored to the JCQ standards that govern access arrangements for both Cambridge International and Pearson Edexcel examinations.
Kings College operates three campuses in Madrid: an infant school in Chamartín, King’s College School La Moraleja for students aged 3 to 16, and the main King’s College campus in Soto de Viñuelas in Tres Cantos for students from pre-nursery to Year 13. The school delivers the English National Curriculum, with IGCSE examinations through Cambridge International, GCE A Levels through Pearson Edexcel, and the option of the IB Diploma Programme at sixth form. Kings College graduates progress to Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College, LSE, and other leading universities worldwide. The school holds Outstanding ratings across all categories in successive British Schools Overseas inspections.
Access arrangements at Kings College apply from Year 10 IGCSE upwards, with documentation requirements identical across both Year 11 IGCSE examinations and sixth form A Level and IB Diploma examinations. Global Education Testing Madrid has worked with Kings College families across all three campuses and produces a 20 to 30 page diagnostic report, grounded in DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 criteria, tailored to JCQ for Cambridge International and Pearson Edexcel and to IBIS for the IB Diploma, with all three routes addressed in a single document.
Runnymede College is the oldest British international school in Madrid, founded in 1967 by Arthur and Julia Powell. Located in La Moraleja and currently led by the founders’ son Frank Powell, the school serves more than 1,150 students aged 2 to 18, delivering the English National Curriculum with IGCSE examinations and A Levels. Runnymede graduates regularly secure places at Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, Imperial College, and other leading universities in the United Kingdom and worldwide.
Runnymede approaches SEN provision on a case-by-case basis. Several Runnymede College families have already chosen Global Education Testing Madrid for their child’s assessment, with assessments delivered at IGCSE preparation stage as well as in advance of A Level examinations.
SEK Ciudalcampo sits in San Sebastián de los Reyes to the north of Madrid as part of the SEK Education Group, which has more than 130 years of history and operates more than 10 schools across Spain, France, Ireland, and the Middle East. Ciudalcampo delivers the full International Baccalaureate continuum, PYP, MYP, and DP, integrated with the Spanish national curriculum, for students from 4 months to 18 years. Baccalaureate students choose between the Spanish National Baccalaureate and the IB Diploma Programme in Spanish, English, or bilingual format.
SEK El Castillo is located in the Villafranca del Castillo area to the northwest of Madrid and was the first school in Spain to introduce the three IB programmes when founded in 1977. The school offers the IB Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme, and Diploma Programme integrated with the Spanish national curriculum, and additionally holds NEASC accreditation to offer the American High School Diploma track. The school operates day school provision alongside an international boarding option, attracting students from 15 nationalities.
The triple-track structure at SEK El Castillo creates parallel access arrangements pathways at every stage from MYP upwards. IB Diploma students submit evidence through IBIS. American High School students follow the College Board’s Services for Students with Disabilities process for SAT and AP. Spanish Bachillerato students need documentation for EvAU. Global Education Testing Madrid has worked with SEK El Castillo families across multiple year groups, with the 20 to 30 page diagnostic report grounded in DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 criteria and tailored to whichever combination of the three pathways a SEK El Castillo student will follow.
Access arrangements at St George Madrid apply from Year 11 IGCSE through to the IB Diploma. IGCSE accommodations follow JCQ standards through Cambridge International or Pearson Edexcel. IB Diploma accommodations run through IBIS. Several St George families have already chosen Global Education Testing Madrid for their child’s assessment, with the 20 to 30 page diagnostic report built on DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 criteria and tailored to bridge both examining systems in a single document delivered well in advance of examinations.
Thames British School is located in Majadahonda, around 30 minutes from central Madrid, and forms part of the Thames British School Group with British international schools in the UK, Spain, and Poland. The school delivers the Cambridge International curriculum from Pre-Nursery through to IGCSE, with sixth form students choosing between Cambridge International A Levels and the IB Diploma Programme, which Thames was authorised to offer from September 2023. Accreditations include NABSS, Cambridge International Education, IB Diploma, and the Council of British International Schools.
The Global College is a sixth form school in central Madrid for students aged 15 to 18, delivering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme as its sole academic pathway. The school operates in partnership with IE University from a campus in Barrio de Salamanca, with international students housed in a residence ten minutes from campus. The Global College combines the IBDP with an entrepreneurship project, and its teaching faculty average 20 years of experience with many serving as IB examiners. The school accommodates mild to moderate SEN needs.
For Global College students requiring formal access arrangements on the IB Diploma Programme, documentation must be submitted through IBIS and must be current. Global Education Testing Madrid has worked with Global College families at the point of transition into the Diploma Programme, when prior assessments may need updating or a first formal diagnosis is required.
Virtus College is a specialist British Sixth Form College in Madrid offering International A Levels exclusively to students aged 16 to 18. The two-year programme allows each student to select four subjects from a range of 15, with university entry guidance built into the academic structure to align subject choices with university and career aspirations. The modular International A Level format permits assessment at multiple points across the two years, supporting deeper subject mastery and exam confidence.
Access arrangements at Virtus College all run through JCQ for International A Level examinations. Documentation for accommodations such as extra time, supervised rest breaks, or the use of a reader, scribe, or word processor must meet JCQ formatting requirements. Several Virtus students arrive having had earlier assessments at IGCSE stage that now need updating to remain current for A Level.