Barcelona-Based, World-Oriented: Celebrating 60 Years at St. Peter’s School
Sponsored by St PETER’S SCHOOL.
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Class photo from 1969, image courtesy of St. Peter’s School.
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60th anniversary gala, image courtesy of St. Peter’s School.
St. Peter’s School was founded in Barcelona in 1964 as the first international school in Catalunya. Its founders—Josep Maria Ginjaume, Mariano Garriga, and Jaime Lerma—envisioned an innovative educational model that was ahead of its time: a co-educational environment where boys and girls learned together, and where English, rather than the more dominant French, served as the main language of instruction.
Today, the school welcomes around 600 students aged one to 18 and continues to be guided by its motto: “A step beyond.” This philosophy reflects the school’s commitment to equipping students with the tools they need to meet today’s challenges but also those of the future. According to Academic Director Lourdes Barceló, two values have remained constant over the decades: an unwavering drive for innovation and a strong sense of community. Despite its international character, St. Peter’s maintains deep roots in Barcelona, cultivating a welcoming environment where both local and international families feel at home and remain engaged for many years.
Roughly half of the students come from Barcelona and nearby areas, while the other half represents a diverse range of over 40 nationalities. This cultural blend enriches the educational experience and positions English as the shared language of communication, while still preserving close ties to Catalan culture. Catalan and Spanish are part of the official curriculum, and local traditions such as Carnaval and Sant Jordi are celebrated alongside global festivities like Halloween and International Day.
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60th anniversary gala, image courtesy of St. Peter’s School.
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Celebrating 60 years in Barcelona, image courtesy of St. Peter’s School.
Innovation is the main pillar of St. Peter’s School. A team of external experts in fields such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and education technology regularly collaborates with the academic leadership to incorporate emerging global trends into the school’s curriculum. These insights are transformed into subjects and projects that promote critical thinking, hands-on experimentation, and real-world connections. Notable initiatives include a space program that involves sending a satellite into the stratosphere, and a science lab for children from infancy to age five, inspired by a model developed by the University of Vic (Barcelona).
This forward-thinking approach permeates every aspect of the school’s curriculum and is deeply inspired by the concept of “factfulness”—the use of data and evidence to analyze knowledge critically and without alarmism. At St. Peter’s, they strive to help students distinguish between what is true and false, what is relevant and what is trivial. This mindset forms one of the strategic pillars of its educational model. Across all disciplines, students are encouraged to think critically, to ask clear and meaningful questions, and to build informed, evidence-based opinions. Rather than relying solely on memorization or traditional exams, the learning environment fosters deep understanding through inquiry, analysis and dialogue—empowering students to interpret information thoughtfully and articulate their perspectives with clarity and confidence.
Today, St. Peter’s School continues to look forward, while also learning from best practices in both local and international contexts—from public and private institutions to educational systems worldwide. The school remains firmly committed to delivering an education that is innovative, rooted in its community, critically engaged and globally connected.
You can learn more about St PETER’S SCHOOL at stpeters.es and you can follow on social media for the latest updates on X @stpetersbcn, Facebook @stpetersbcn1964, Instagram @stpetersbcn, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Sponsored by St PETER’S SCHOOL.
