Time and time again, Moving2Madrid has stressed the importance of location when searching for the best school for your child. Whether your child is attending nursery school and may require all-day care–or adapts to a rigorous preparatory curriculum–a well-located school can make a massive difference in the life of your household.
If your family relies on private transportation, connection to main roads allows working parents to leave their children at school on the way to the office–which can be a comfort when your children are starting a new school.
Schools that are conveniently located in respect to home make it infinitely easier to know your child’s teachers and peers, observe your child’s progress, and help your child adjust to a second language.
Madrid being a large city with an extensive public transportation system and network of roads and highways, many people commute for an hour or longer to arrive at work or school. However, if your family lives outside the busy downtown area your commute to school should take no longer than 20 minutes by car.
We have defined key criteria for the most conveniently located schools in the area:
- be close to both home and main roads
- provide extensive transportation
- and be accessible by public transportation.
And these are the schools that best meet them.
King’s College
Located at Paseo de Alcobendas, 5 King’s college is neighbor to other top private schools should you decide that one school doesn’t fit all your children’s needs exactly. The school is a mere 4 minute drive from International College of Spain, for instance, and no further than a 10 minute drive from almost any corner of the neighborhood. King’s winning point: multiple locations. A second campus in Soto de Viñuelas makes an international education more accessible for families living near Tres Cantos. Finally, the King’s College Infant school is located near Chamartin. A 20 minute drive from La Moraleja, the nursery school is not only close to home but very close to work. Parents who work in the city center can feel at ease, knowing that their youngest children are close-by.
Kensington School
Families living in Pozuelo and searching for a competitive bilingual education in the area need look no further than Kensington School. Offering a largely British curriculum and many subjects in Spanish, Kensington School facilitates your child’s integration into a new culture. Surrounded by sports facilities, shopping centers and public transportation Kensington’s central location within Pozuelo will ease your family’s transition into the neighborhood community and develop the kind of routine children need to thrive.
Neighbouring the Liceo Sorolla and the British Council School, Kensington is accessible by public and private transportation. Working parents can reach the city center within one hour by public transportation, and within 20 minutes by car. The Moncloa area is a 10 minute drive, and 10 more minutes will bring working parents anywhere else in the center.
SEK Santa Isabel
For families determined to live in the heart of Madrid, SEK Santa Isabel promises a bilingual education that is quite literally steps away from both work and home. With its address at Calle San Ildefonso 18, SEK Santa Isabel is a few blocks from the Atocha train station. Atocha connects Madrid residents to nine commuter rail (Cercanias) routes, and many high-speed cross-country trains–meaning that parents don’t have to compromise between work and family.
Wherever your family may live in the center, SEK is easily reached by the Metro. With Atocha as a stop on Metro Line 1, should your family live in Chamberi, you can bring your children to school within 30 minutes. And should your family live in the Salamanca neighbourhood, 30 minutes is plenty of time to walk to school.
Connected with Paseo de la Catellana, SEK Santa Isabel is a 10 minute drive for most residents of the center and no more than 20 if your family lives in the extremities of the Madrid city limits.
Wherever your family chooses to make your home, you can feel confident that there is an option for you. As always, we are here to help, reachable at email@moving2madrid.com