About TEMS
TEMS is recognised by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture and by Great Britain as a British international school in Spain with over 40 years of history.
We accept students aged between three and eighteen for a comprehensive and successful educational experience. Although most students are Spanish, there are many different nationalities among our students, making our school both global and cosmopolitan.
Our extensive experience in education, combining the Montessori method for children up to the age of six, the British education
system up the age of 16 and the Spanish Baccalaureate or A Levels in Years 12 and 13, ensures that our students receive an excellent education, equipping them for a successful future both professionally and personally.
Our students typically rank among the top students in external exams in Madrid’s Spanish and international schools. In addition to the high academic standards set by the school, we work to ensure that our students become more socially competent and committed.
Our history
Our beginnings as a Montessori school in Aravaca
TEMS was founded as an infant school by Milagros Alonso Ortiz in 1973. The original school was opened on Avenida Alfonso XIII in the centre of the city.
The Montessori philosophy always remained an essential part of Milagros’ approach. The school was ground breaking in Spain for this type of child-centred education.
TEMS is also one of the pioneering founder members of the National Association of British Schools in Spain (N.A.B.S.S.).
As the children grew older and since the parents were so satisfied with the programme, the school needed larger facilities. Our Montessori school in Madrid has moved several times to accommodate this growth and it is now permanently located in Aravaca.
New facilities have been added to the two buildings that were built for this purpose, to meet the children’s needs and accommodate the increase in the number of students. This has helped us to improve the academic and extracurricular programmes and meet the student’s ever-changing educational needs.
The English Montessori School is a private co-educational school which caters to the educational needs of students of the Spanish and International communities in Madrid.
Our study method
The English Montessori School follows a special three-pronged study method, with the international school combining education based on the Montessori method up the age of six, the British curriculum and the Spanish Baccalaureate or A Levels. This method ensures that our students are better prepared to succeed in their professional and personal future, throughout their careers.
By teaching in English as part of an international programme, we seek to:
- Promote each student’s constructive potential for self-development.
- Prepare them for the challenges of an increasingly complex and demanding society.
- Develop an awareness of global cooperation to promote peace and harmony.
To that end, we focus our educational tasks in the following areas:
- Intellectual
- Social
- Emotional
- Physical
- Ethical and Moral
Following the principles of the Montessori philosophy, all of our classes include tasks which cover these basic subjects: English language, Mathematics, Practical life (tasks related to everyday life), Art, Cultural themes, Environmental studies and Sensory/motor studies.
The Method
What is the Montessori Philosophy?
The Montessori philosophy is much more than a teaching system: it is an attitude towards teaching. It was created by María Montessori (1870-1952), an outstanding educator and medical doctor. Montessori devoted her life to the scientific study of education. Her aim was to align the educational process with a child’s natural development and to integrate all of their qualities: physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual.
The key principles of the Montessori philosophy are to:
- Respect the individual development of each child.
- Develop a mindset of trust, loyalty and guidance between the teacher and student.
- Encourage the student’s potential and individuality in a spontaneous, natural way to make them the driving force behind their own education.
- Develop personal abilities at critical moments during each stage of the child’s life.
- Provide a suitable school and classroom environment and appropriate materials for each different stage of the student’s development.
