There are educational projects that are born from a business plan. And others that arise from a deeply human need. What is our story?
Eleven years ago, a small family in Granada was searching for something that simply did not exist: an education where children’s development would be truly respected, and where learning would not mean pressure, comparison, or haste, but natural growth, confidence, and curiosity.
In January 2015, we opened our doors with just three children in a small space in the city center. That initiative—driven by a family who trusted a different way of understanding childhood—would eventually become the first Montessori school in Granada. A few months later, we moved to our permanent location and became Centro Montessori Galápagos, named in honor of our founder’s love for the wild nature of those islands.
Today, we are Granada International Montessori School, a well-established educational community through which hundreds of students from more than 15 nationalities have passed. What began as a shared dream has grown into a solid educational project, supported by experience, structure, and a team of highly qualified Montessori guides who accompany each child’s academic, emotional, and social development every day.
A decisive step in our story: becoming an international school
One of the most important milestones in our journey came with obtaining international accreditation from the Middle States Association (MSA), making us the first school in Granada to achieve this recognition.
This accreditation involves a rigorous external evaluation process in which international experts analyze every aspect of the school:
- educational quality and student outcomes
- teacher training and professional development
- school leadership and management
- student wellbeing
- coherence of the educational project
- strategic planning and continuous improvement
Achieving this accreditation means demonstrating that the school meets international educational standards comparable to leading institutions around the world.
In practical and legal terms, this means that:
- we follow an international (and Montessori) curriculum,
- learning is delivered primarily in English within a true immersion environment,
- we fully comply with Spanish educational regulations,
- we ensure ongoing institutional evaluation and continuous improvement,
- and we provide an education recognized beyond the national context.
English is not learned as a subject; it is lived daily as the language of learning, communication and thinking.
Montessori: respecting the child’s natural rhythm
The creation of the school responded to an educational gap that existed in Granada. Many families were looking for an alternative where children would not need to adapt to the system, but where the system would adapt to the child.
Montessori pedagogy is based on a simple yet revolutionary idea: childhood is the most important stage of human development.
For this reason, our prepared environments are designed to foster:
- autonomy
- concentration
- critical thinking
- responsibility
- intrinsic motivation
- a love of learning
The Montessori guide does not constantly direct; instead, they observe, support, and trust. Children choose, explore, investigate, and build knowledge through direct experience.
This approach creates something difficult to measure but easy to recognize: confident, curious, and capable children.
A community, not just a school
One of the pillars of our project has always been the relationship with families. In Montessori education, we understand that parents are their children’s first educators. The school therefore becomes an extension of the home, creating a community where school and family work together in the same direction.
Many families describe the experience with one word that appears again and again: respect.
The peace of mind that comes from knowing their children are listened to, seeing them go happily to school, and watching them develop independence and self-confidence because their development has truly been respected.
Over the years, families who arrived searching for a school have also found a community.
Results beyond grades
Respectful education is often associated with lower academic demands. Experience shows exactly the opposite.
For several years, our students have successfully transitioned into secondary education with strong academic results. They leave prepared not only with knowledge, but also with essential lifelong skills: independent learning, organizational ability, critical thinking, resilience, and personal confidence.
Because when children learn how to learn, learning continues for life.
Eleven years later
We continue growing. We continue learning. We continue improving. But our essence remains unchanged.
We are still that small project born from the trust of families who believed another kind of education was possible. Eleven years later, every child who walks through our doors reminds us why we began, and where we want to continue going.
