WELCOME TO LADY ELIZABETH SCHOOL
Welcome to The Lady Elizabeth School and thank you for considering our school for your child’s learning and growth. LES has a proud tradition of offering incredible learning opportunities to children of over 50 nationalities for over three decades.
Our Primary and Secondary schools are on a single campus in Cumbre del Sol, Benitachell, a privileged location on the Costa Blanca close to the popular resorts of Javea, Moraira, Calpe, and Denia.
At The Lady Elizabeth School we value and respect each child as an individual. Our aim is to empower each pupil by giving them ample opportunities to learn, serve others and pursue their passions.
The LES faculty is made up of experienced, caring, and passionate educators and one of the hallmarks of the school is the warm and genuine relationship between teachers and students.
Ultimately, a school serves the families who rely on it to provide for their children. We believe that our parents are our most valued partners and we count on their encouragement and ideas to work together to support our students.
We invite you to visit the school to see first-hand our engaging and dynamic learning community. I look forward to meeting you personally and showing you around the College.
Until then, my warmest regards.
Chris Akin, Head of School
PROMISES OF THE CENTRE
LES is an International Learning Community with global aspirations.
LES offers the best of both educational worlds: offering excellence in both the British and Spanish curriculum.
LES has a relentless focus on learning.
LES fosters a safe, motivated, and joyful school where learning really matters.
ABOUT THE SCHOOL
The Lady Elizabeth School was founded on September 14th, 1987 in two adjacent villas in Parque Esplendido, Jávea with only 14 pupils. The school expanded so rapidly during the first years after its inception that the original location became too small and they had to separate the Primary and Secondary school into two separate locations. It was in September 2018 that the two schools were finally reunited on the current campus at Cumbre del Sol, with 1,135 pupils currently enrolled, ranging in age from 15 months to 18 years and almost 200 teaching and support staff. The student body is made up of approximately 35% Spanish pupils, 30% British and the remainder from over 50 other nationalities.
The school follows the British Curriculum; older pupils take GCSE and A Level examinations in a wide range of subjects. Students have the opportunity to take the Homologación del Currículo Español to obtain the Graduado Escolar and Bachillerato, enabling LES graduates to gain access to tertiary education institutions in Spain and around the world. LES alumni have continued their studies in several different countries and the school is fostering strong links with the alumni body.
LES is a member of the National Association of British Schools in Spain (NABBS) and is a certified examination centre for Cambridge, EDEXCEL, AQA, ABRSM, and LAMDA examinations.
The school aims to foster the education of the whole child, which is why we offer strong sports and arts programmes, as well as opportunities for community service learning. Examples of this include the Duke of Edinburgh programme, Model United Nations events, the Makimei orphanage project in Kenya, school productions, beach clean-ups, and the Lady Elizabeth Sport Benitachell sports club, where pupils participate with other students from other local schools, and much more.
In addition to core subject teachers, Student Support services are available to students, including a school nurse, English as an Additional Language (EAL) support, Learning Support, and Pastoral Care.
LES teaching staff come predominantly from the UK, but also from Spain, Canada, Portugal, France, the Netherlands, and Australia, among others, only furthering the international emphasis we place on education.
LES parents are welcome to visit the school at any time and the school is committed to parent education. LES Amigos is a parents’ association specifically dedicated to contributing to the community by organising events designed to increase family involvement in the school’s social and academic events.
PROMISES OF THE CENTRE
The Lady Elizabeth School is committed to fulfilling our Mission. Our Mission is:
To provide an enriching education of the highest quality that enables our students to both achieve success and experience failure in a safe and supportive environment.
Teachers, students, and parents share the fundamental expectation of a positive attitude towards learning. We nurture our students, encouraging them to develop a Growth Mindset so that they are resilient and perservere when they encounter challenges.
At the heart of our community are happy, respectful, and internationally minded students, parents and teachers. We are always striving for improvemnt, and we expect our students and teachers alike to come together as a team to achieve this.
Vision – To develop lifelong learners who are able to thrive in a world of change and take advantage of all opportunities.
INSPECTIONS AND ACCREDITATIONS
The Lady Elizabeth School regularly welcomes visiting inspection and accreditation groups from NABSS (National Association of British Schools in Spain), the British Council, and the Best Practice Network, which is a private firm of present and former Ofsted inspectors.
Our Health and Safety Procedures and features are regularly audited by external and internal inspections. A key aspect of this work is the connected Safeguarding and Child Protection policies and procedures which are fastidiously implemented in our school. These processes are linked to current best practice in the UK and globally as part of the International Task Force on Child Protection.
The Lady Elizabeth School regularly welcomes visiting inspection and accreditation groups from NABSS (National Association of British Schools in Spain), the British Council, and the Best Practice Network, which is a private firm of present and former Ofsted inspectors.
Our Health and Safety Procedures and features are regularly audited by external and internal inspections. A key aspect of this work is the connected Safeguarding and Child Protection policies and procedures which are fastidiously implemented in our school. These processes are linked to current best practice in the UK and globally as part of the International Task Force on Child Protection.
STAFF
Head of School – Chris Akin
Head of Secondary – Tom Davidson
Head of Primary – Tracey Skinner
Head of Admissions and External Relations – Isabel Calatayud
Head of Administration – Esther Arnaiz
Head of Marketing – Isabel Fernández-Lerga