Runnymede College — selective British day schooling in La Moraleja

Runnymede College is an independent, family-run British day school for ages 2–18 in La Moraleja, Alcobendas, north of Madrid. Its main qualification route is IGCSE followed by A-levels, not the IB Diploma. It is a relevant choice for a pupil who can meet selective academic entry requirements and wants that British route.

The welcome page reports 1,090 pupils, while the February 2025 inspection gives 1,153. Ask for the current roll if size matters. Runnymede has no boarding; compare King’s College Soto if residence is needed, or American School of Madrid for a different day-school curriculum.

Stages and languages

Pre-Prep covers Pre-Nursery through Year 3. Pre-Nursery begins at age two, with the second birthday required before 31 August of the entry year. Nursery runs 08:50–15:50, includes a hot lunch and an afternoon rest until the third term, and expects children to be toilet trained. Reception entrants need a basic understanding of English. Early Years uses Read Write Inc phonics and weekly Spanish; the inspection notes that English is an additional language for almost all these youngest pupils.

Prep covers Years 4–8. The school describes a dedicated preparatory-school structure with form tutors at both ends of the day. French, drama, computer science and personal, social and health education (PSHE) are part of the offer. A school iPad is provided from Year 3.

Senior covers Years 9–13. Year 9 follows a broad English National Curriculum with 15 disciplines, according to the inspection. Pupils then take at least 11 GCSE or IGCSE subjects. The curriculum page identifies mathematics, English and French as core subjects, alongside Spanish and Sociales, Spanish social studies. Art is a GCSE; other subjects are described as IGCSE. The 2025/26 handbook gives weekly homework expectations of 7½–8 hours in Year 9 and 12 hours in Years 10–11.

Sixth Form, Years 12–13, leads to A-levels. Pupils typically take three or four; the inspection says most start with four and may drop one in Year 13. Published subjects include art, biology, chemistry, drama, English literature, French, geography, history, Latin, mathematics, further mathematics, music, physics and Spanish. The handbook also names economics and business studies. Request the current subject blocks rather than assuming every combination is available.

All Sixth Form pupils take IELTS, an English proficiency examination, at the end of Year 12. An Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is optional. Many Sixth Form French students take DALF C1, according to the inspection.

Teaching is in English except for Spanish, Lengua, Sociales and French lessons. The school aims for native-level English. Supplementary English may be available in Years 10–11 before IGCSE; confirm suitability, timetable and any charge.

Selective admission

Start with an enquiry and a visit with the headmaster or assistant head. Tests follow if space is available. Year groups use a September–August birth-year cycle: children born on or after 1 September enter the following cohort. The policy states no exceptions and no accelerated placement.

The process and policy specify:

Entry point	Requirements
Pre-Nursery–Reception	Age requirements above; basic English for Reception
Years 1–3	Short mathematics and English assessments, plus a recent report
Years 4–8	Mathematics and English; the process page mentions CAT4 in Year 5, while the policy says from Year 7
Years 9–10	Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT4), mathematics, English and a school report
Year 11	No new entrants; the two-year IGCSE course must be completed at Runnymede
Year 12	At least eight GCSEs at A or above; mathematics, English, CAT4, headmaster interview, latest report and mock results where available
Year 13	No new entrants

Year 12 offers are conditional on final GCSE results. The policy’s wording is A or A*, consistent with the older letter-grade scale; ask how the school assesses other grading systems. Confirm the CAT4 requirement for the intended Prep year because the two published pages differ.

Tests normally take place at school, with remote testing only exceptionally. Results are not shared with parents. A waitlisted child may need to retest after 12 months. Siblings take the same assessments; waiting-list priority may be possible but is not automatic.

The headmaster issues the offer. Acceptance requires the non-refundable enrolment fee and a contract signed by all holders of parental responsibility, or proof of sole custody. Disclose learning needs, special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) and allergies before testing. Admission depends on whether the school can provide the required support.

Campus and daily arrangements

The postal address is Calle Salvia 30, 28109 La Moraleja; senior pupils enter at Salvia 40. There is no parent parking on site. The 2025/26 senior handbook places La Moraleja Metro, Line 10, zone B1, about six minutes’ walk away.

Senior registration is 08:50, dismissal 16:00 and bus departure 16:10. Two late buses at 17:30 serve Madrid and La Moraleja. Changes to bus bookings must be made before 14:00.

A new 3,000 m² Prep building and Frank Murphy Memorial Library opened in summer 2024. Published facilities include a laboratory, SEND department, music rooms, performing-arts space and an Early Years forest-school area. Sports-facility descriptions evolved between the 2025/26 and 2026/27 handbooks; ask what the pupil will use now.

The handbooks describe free clubs during school hours and separately booked after-school activities. Uniform is supplied by El Corte Inglés in Sanchinarro. Senior pupils use school iPads, and mobile phones are prohibited on site.

Fees for 2026/27

The published fees are subject to annual review. Tuition is charged for three terms.

Fee	2026–27
Enrolment (one-off, on enrolment)	€3,500
Re-registration, per child	€600
Medical insurance	€40
School outing (one-off)	€115

The €600 re-registration payment is credited against the following year’s first-term tuition, so do not add it to that full tuition again. Medical insurance covers accidents and illness at school.

Term	Amount
First	€920
Second	€645
Third	€645

Lunch totals €2,210 annually. It forms part of the Nursery day; ask whether it is compulsory in the intended later year.

Year group	Per term
Pre-Nursery	€3,100
Nursery–Reception	€3,700
Years 1–3	€4,450
Years 4–8	€5,800
Years 9–11	€7,150
Years 12–13	€7,900

Our annual calculations are €17,400 for Year 7 and €23,700 for Sixth Form. With lunch, those become €19,610 and €25,910. New pupils also pay €3,500 enrolment, before transport, insurance, outings or examinations.

Transport, 2026/27

Origin	First term	Second	Third	Annual
La Moraleja / El Soto de la Moraleja, one way	€440	€330	€330	€1,100
La Moraleja / El Soto de la Moraleja, two ways	€770	€580	€580	€1,930
Elsewhere, one way	€680	€510	€510	€1,700
Elsewhere, two ways	€1,180	€890	€890	€2,960

The school uses “elsewhere” for the wider transport category. Confirm the actual stop and applicable rate.

Examination charges remain labelled 2025/26

Exam	2025–26
IGCSE, per exam	€215
A-level, per exam	€570
AS and EPQ, per exam	€290
DALF B2	€225
DALF C1	€280
IELTS	€280

These are historical examination prices, not confirmed 2026/27 charges. Four A-level examinations at those rates total €2,280, before IELTS or other examinations. The page labels one item “DALF B2”; confirm the examination and current tariff.

The researched fees page does not specify a sibling discount, means-tested fee remission or refund rule. Fundación Runnymede’s fundraising for a local pupil to attend a British university is not a school-fee discount. Obtain withdrawal terms if a relocation may end mid-year.

University preparation and support

The university pages describe UK applications through UCAS, US applications with records, references and often SAT testing, and Spanish university access. Their UK guidance gives 15 October for Oxbridge and medicine applications; check the deadline for the actual application cycle.

For Spain, the school describes three or four A-levels converted to a mark out of 10, and assistance with convalidación and homologación, the recognition of studies and qualifications, plus the Credencial de Acceso, the university-access credential. Some courses require PCE subject examinations. Confirm the requirements for the student’s subjects, nationality and intended degree.

The preliminary 2026 A-level release of 17 August covered 92 Year 13 pupils: 79% took at least four A-levels, 54% of grades were A or A pending remarks, 85% were B or above*, and 80% had secured a first-choice university place. Reported destinations were 54% UK, 22% Spain and 16% US. Named counts included St Andrews 12, ICADE 7, LSE 5, UCL 5, Oxford 4 and Imperial 3. These school-reported destinations should not be confused with the larger offer counts on homepage graphics.

Penta International’s British Schools Overseas inspection of 10–12 February 2025 found the school met the standards, with a judgement valid for three years. This is external inspection evidence, not a promise of individual outcomes.

Published support includes section SEND coordinators, a counsellor, a full-time educational psychologist and a nurse with a wellbeing and safeguarding role. Share current reports and confirm a specific support plan before relying on admission.

Our view

Choose Runnymede for selective, English-medium day schooling with a clear A-level route and a substantial Spanish-speaking school community. It is not suitable if the family needs boarding, an IB Diploma or new entry directly into Year 11 or 13.

Friendly orientation, not an application. Dates, fees, and programme details move. Confirm everything with the school.