About Our School
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OUR STORY
The school where
you would have loved
to grow up
We believe every child can flourish with the right guidance. So we care for the whole child: mind, body, emotions, and spirit. And we nurture their natural love of learning.
Here is how it began
This is the place a family once dreamed of.
It all began in 2015, with a family who wanted something different for their children. Rafael Román and Olga Hernando dreamed of a school that didn’t exist yet, so they built it, guided by a motto that has never left them: “Children’s happiness is non-negotiable, and it can’t be put off, not for a single day.”
Our Vision
To empower children
Granada International Montessori School is a private school for children aged 3 to 12. We follow each child’s natural development and needs, in an environment prepared with care to be rich in diversity and to support who they are becoming. Our hope: that they grow into caring, socially responsible citizens of their community and of the world.
Montessori-trained team
Every guide and assistant is fully trained in Montessori.
A natural playground
They grow their own vegetables, dig in soft sand, climb wooden structures, and enjoy a natural garden.
Fresh, home-made lunches
Seasonal, local, and always with a vegetarian option.
Bilingual
We learn in English, and we live Spanish language and culture.
Our Mission
The mission of GIMS is to provide a holistic education to students of diverse cultures in a prepared environment, inaccordance with the principles of Montessori pedagogy: maintaining their innate love of learning, promoting independent thinking and fostering a constructive and respectful attitude.
Our Core Beliefs
Four beliefs shape everything we do, from how we design a classroom to how we walk alongside families. They all start from one conviction: children learn best when they feel safe, trusted, and free to explore.
A joyful childhood
Children learn best when they feel safe and motivated. That means being treated with respect, free to choose within clear limits, in an inspiring space where fear, shame, and guilt have no place.
Learning by doing
Our guides are Montessori-trained and lead by example. Children are the protagonists of their learning, working hands-on with purposeful materials.
Two languages, many cultures
Lessons and materials in English and Spanish, and a school that celebrates the cultures of its families. Understanding others is where peace begins.
The whole child
We nurture every side of development: academic, social-emotional, physical, and spiritual. A rigorous curriculum grounded in observation. Freedom to move. Mixed-age classes. Peace education.
The environment
Every classroom is designed to spark a love of learning.
- Materials are always available, and children choose freely within limits.
- In mixed-age classrooms, younger children learn from older ones, and everyone moves at their own pace.
- Furniture at their height, and workspaces on tables, rugs, and floor.
- Open areas for big projects and movement, and clear zones for language, sensorial, math, and practical life.
- Gardens, play areas, and a vegetable garden, designed around how children move, play, and grow together.
Our Students: Who they become
Every child leaves with their own story. These are the things we hope they all carry with them.
- Independent thinkers: Autonomous, self-disciplined, and ready to adapt.
- Fearless explorers: Adventurous, creative, and curious across every subject.
- Kind collaborators: Team players who care for others, for living things, and for the planet.
- Confident in two languages: At ease communicating in English and Spanish.
- Lifelong learners: People who take responsibility for their actions and their world.
In the press
OUR COLLABORATORS
This was all possible with the help of:
We partner with other Montessori schools, organizations, and influencers to promote mindful and comprehensive education.
