F.A.Q.
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Montessori Education
At a Montessori school, children learn at their own pace using hands-on materials, in mixed-age classrooms with long, uninterrupted work periods. At GIMS there’s no single lesson delivered to the whole class at once: the guide introduces each activity individually or in small groups, when the child is ready for it.
The method was developed by Italian physician Maria Montessori in the early 1900s, based on scientific observation of children.
No. Children choose their work, but within a carefully prepared environment and clear limits: they decide which activity to do and how long to spend on it, choosing from what the guide has set out for their stage. At GIMS, freedom comes with responsibility, care for the materials and respect for others.
In Montessori education, progress isn’t measured with tests and grades, but through the guide’s daily observation and records of each child’s work. At GIMS, we combine that observation with regular assessments and daily activities, and share progress reports with families frequently through Transparent Classroom.
Mixed-age groups are central to the method: younger children learn by watching older ones, and older children consolidate what they know by helping others. At GIMS, Children’s House brings together children aged 3 to 6, Lower Elementary children aged 6 to 9, and Upper Elementary children aged 9 to 12.
Admissions
GIMS takes children from age 3 in Children’s House up to age 12, the elementary stage.
The first step is to contact the school on (+34) 958 50 85 38 or at admissions@montessorischoolgranada.com to book a visit or an information meeting. After that, the school holds an interview with the family and may invite the child to spend an observation day in the classroom. The process ends with submitting the enrolment documents.
The GIMS school year starts in September, which is when new families join. It’s best to apply early, in February-March, when applications open for the following year. Mid-year entry is possible under certain conditions; please ask us for any particular needs your family may have.
Yes. Each classroom has a limited number of places, because a Montessori environment works best with a set group of children and a balanced mix of ages. GIMS currently has a waiting list for the next two school years, so it’s best to get in touch early to put your child’s name down and receive enrolment information in good time. Priority goes to siblings of enrolled students, to families with a firm commitment to Montessori philosophy, and to bilingual or native English-speaking families.
Annual fees at GIMS range from €6,500 to €7,000 for the 2026-27 school year, depending on the stage, lunch and any additional services. GIMS is a private, fee-paying school with no public funding. Fees are adjusted slightly each year, and sibling discounts are available.
Bilingual education
At GIMS the curriculum is taught in English, as the school follows the US education system. Each classroom has an English-speaking Montessori guide, who leads the learning, and a bilingual assistant who speaks both Spanish and English.
In Elementary, a Spanish teacher also teaches Spanish language and culture.
In Children’s House, the assistant leads a Spanish reading time, and children are introduced to reading and writing in both languages.
Young children typically pick up a second language through immersion in everyday classroom life, with no prior knowledge needed. The first weeks, support is offered through classroom friends who can translate when needed, the bilingual classroom assistant, and further help from the teacher.
Yes. In Children’s House, children are introduced to reading and writing in both English and Spanish, using Montessori materials such as sandpaper letters and the moveable alphabet, and the assistant leads a Spanish reading time. In Elementary, a dedicated Spanish teacher teaches Spanish language and culture.
School life
The school day at GIMS runs from 9am to 2pm. Early drop-off is available from 8.30am, and children can stay for lunch and the extended day until 3.30pm. The day is built around a long morning work period, a hallmark of Montessori education.
Yes. Lunch is cooked fresh every day in the school’s own kitchen. The menu is largely plant-based, with plenty of pulses and fresh vegetables, some of them grown in the school garden and harvested by the children themselves. A vegetarian option is also available.
After-school activities at GIMS are organised by the Parents’ Association and run after the extended day, so children can stay at school until around 5pm.
No, GIMS doesn’t have a school uniform. In a Montessori environment children move freely, work on the floor and outdoors, and learn to dress themselves, so what matters is that clothes are comfortable and easy for them to manage alone. Choosing what to wear is also part of building independence and respecting each child’s individuality.
GIMS keeps families up to date through Transparent Classroom, an app built for Montessori schools where guides record each child’s work and share photos and regular updates. There is also a WhatsApp group for school-wide announcements and a separate group for each classroom. The school’s policies are set out in the Family Handbook (montessorischoolgranada.com/handbook).
Accreditation
It means GIMS has passed an external review by the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS), a US accrediting body with over a century of history that accredits schools in the United States and abroad. Keeping accreditation requires meeting its standards and undergoing regular review.
The review covers, among other things, the educational programme, how the school is run and its plan for continuous improvement.
Yes. GIMS is a foreign school registered in Spain under Royal Decree 806/1993, which regulates schools that teach another country’s education system. In GIMS’s case that system is the American one, so the school follows a US framework rather than the official Spanish curriculum.
Yes. Under Spanish regulations (Royal Decree 889/2022), students from a foreign education system don’t need their studies formally recognised to join primary school or any year of ESO before the fourth: the receiving school places them, taking their age into account.
The usual destinations after Upper Elementary at age 12, are local public or private secondary schools in Granada, or schools abroad. We have an agreement with Encuentro Educación, that gives priority to our graduates.
In Upper Elementary, children learn to plan their own work, research topics in depth and present what they’ve learned: skills that ease the move to secondary school. In the final year, the school makes sure every child has covered the full curriculum and mastered its content.
Location and Contact
GIMS is at Carretera de La Zubia, 12, 18150 Gójar, Granada, Spain. Gójar is a town in the southern part of the Granada metropolitan area. The approximate distance from Granada city centre is a 10 minute drive
By car, it’s a short ride. By public transport, there is a bus line stopping in front of the school, and another that stops very close.
No, GIMS does not have a school bus service, but we can help families arrange car-sharing.
Call (+34) 958 50 85 38 or email admissions@montessorischoolgranada.com to ask for information or book a visit. You’ll find more here, at montessorischoolgranada.com.
