Learnlife Eco Hub - Castelldefels

Founded in 2017, Learnlife is more than a school. We are a global learning community that prepares and empowers lifelong learners to thrive in an ever-changing world.

Our full-time learning programmes, delivered in our unique and groundbreaking Learn Hubs, inspire children aged 6 to 18 to explore their passions, develop a love of learning and cultivate the essential skills and competencies needed now and in the future.

Learnlife Eco Hub, nestled between the beachfront and a pine forest in Castelldefels, offers full-time primary education to children aged 6 to 12 years old. Learnlife Eco Hub has a strong focus on nature-based, outdoor learning and offers learners the opportunity to discover, experiment and explore their passions through play, project-based learning and collaboration with others.

Primary Language(s)

English

Curriculum

American, Catalan / Spanish

Qualifications

American High School Diploma, AP Courses, GESO

Age Range

6 - 12 years old

Welcome Note

Welcome to Learnlife Eco Hub, a united learning community where we cultivate positive relationships, ignite passions, and empower learners on their educational journeys.
Nestled along the beautiful coastline of Castelldefels, our Hub offers a dynamic, learner-centered environment that nurtures personal growth, resilience, and a deep connection with nature.
At Learnlife, we believe in empowering young people to take ownership of their learning journey, fostering autonomy and developing those skills that will prepare them for an ever-evolving world. Our approach is rooted in experiential, hands-on learning, with a strong emphasis on sustainability, well-being, and innovation. Learners are encouraged to explore their passions, work on real-world projects, and develop competencies that go beyond traditional academics. Through a supportive and inclusive environment, we seek to ensure that every child receives the guidance they need to flourish both academically and personally.
We invite you to visit us and experience firsthand the joy, wonder, and purpose that define learning at Learnlife Eco Hub.

School Ethos

Every day at Learnlife, children enjoy learning, exploring their passions and developing the essential skills they need to thrive.

Learners are guided on personal learning journeys that help them become curious, happy and autonomous lifelong learners ready to make a positive impact in the world.

Our learning programmes provide a modern learning experience that empowers your child to take control of their learning journey, express their creativity and go deep in their learning. We do not believe in making learners memorise and repeat information.

Instead, your child will explore their passions through authentic, real-world learning, grow their autonomy and gain the most in-demand real-world skills, such as analytical and creative thinking, resilience and curiosity. At the same time, they'll also develop the foundational skills they would do at traditional school in a more impactful way through real-world transdisciplinary learning.

Languages

Primary Language

English

Additional languages offered

Spanish

At the primary stage, the main language of instruction is English. We do also offer a number of our building blocks (equivalent to subjects) in Spanish, with the aim of ensuring our learners are proficient in both English and Spanish to the equivalent level as if they were studying in Spain, the US or the UK, by the time they are 11 and preparing for secondary school.

Language support available

We understand that each learner works at a different pace and try to adapt to their needs at all times. As a diverse and vibrant community, with families coming from over 40 different countries, we pride ourselves on our diversity and the range of different home languages that our learners bring to the community.

Nonetheless, for practical language learning purposes and to make the language learning experience as enriching as possible for each learner, we do have a number of small group formats to support with languages based on a learners' level. For example, we have Spanish for Beginners for families who are new to Barcelona or recently moved from abroad, and then we also have English and Spanish for both native and non-native level speakers at their relevant age and stage.

Curriculum

We offer a competency-based curriculum that focuses on learners' development and growth of skills and competencies from primary stages, at age 6, through to the end of secondary at age 18. Our curriculum aligns to the American and UK standards, as well as the local Spanish and Catalan frameworks, to ensure that our passion-based and purpose-led approach aligns to the skills and competencies that learners would be developing elsewhere at the same age and stage. Our curriculum offers real world application of those skills and competencies, encouraging lifelong learning, so that our learners can dive deep into their passions and explore and discover their desired future paths and learn the lifelong skills of how to learn from an early stage.

Our award-winning curriculum and learning approach have been recognised by organisations such as HundrED, Forbes and others in considering us as one of the most innovative schools and learning organisations around the world. Most recently, we have been invited as one of 8 schools globally, including our partners High Tech High in San Diego, to create and pilot a new international credential entitled the Global Impact Diploma.

Qualifications

At a primary years level, our learning programme aligns to the American and British standards for primary years progress, as well as to the learning progress milestones set in the local Catalan curriculum.

At the primary years stage in Spain, there are no required statutory exams or certification steps. Nonetheless, we provide proof of study documents as needed to families, as well as the corresponding trimesterly reports and extracts from their 360 assessments (held each trimester in both the primary and secondary stages), should families need to show documentation and proof of study in the case of changing schools, emigrating to another country, visa applications or re-entering a local school system in Spain.

At the secondary years level, we offer learners to obtain both the American High School Diploma and the Spanish ESO certificate. We also support learners to obtain the AP (Advanced Programs) qualifications for those learners who seek this for university entrance, and provide guided support for learners to obtain the qualifications they need based on their intended future path and associated requirements.

Facilities

Nestled between the beach and the pine forest, our Eco Hub location, as the name would imply, is embedded in the local ecosystem and natural surroundings in Castelldefels. Our learners have the privilege of enjoying weekly beach and forest outings, in addition to learning outdoors through nature-based learning experiences on a regular basis. The Eco hub modules themselves are passive haus certified; this certification recognises the low carbon footprint and highly sustainable structure of the buildings, renowned for being highly energy efficient: cool in summer, warm in winter. But more than the buildings themselves, what is unique about our facilities is the fact that our learners are involved in the iteration, design and continual improvement process, as is our parent community, to ensure that the space is meeting learners' needs. It takes a village to raise a child, as the saying goes. But we also believe that it takes a village to raise a school!

First Year Joining Fee

Annual enrolment fee (equivalent to one month of tuition)

Annual Tuition

Tuition: €930/month from September to June

Additional Fees

Lunch (optional catered lunch):
Catered 5 days / week: €160
Catered 3 days / week: €105
Learners may bring lunch from home if they prefer to opt out of the catered option.

Discounts

Siblings discount and annual payment discounts available.

Current Fees

www.learnlife.com

Fees

School in Numbers

School size

250 in total across primary and secondary ages. 75 learners at Eco Hub.

Classes per grade / age

3 programme groups at both primary and secondary levels, with learners grouped together in two traditional academic years (e.g. 6-7, 8-9, 10-12 at primary level. 12-14, 14-16, 16-18 at secondary level)

Class sizes

Our ratio is on average 10-15 learners per Learning Guide (teacher) or Learning Guide Assistant.

Nationalities

We consider our diversity one of the strengths of our community. Learnlife currently comprises over 30 nationalities across all three hubs in the Barcelona-based area. We believe the diversity of backgrounds contributes to the vibrant mix of traditions and cultures at Learnlife. Currently approximately 30% of families are local Spanish/Catalan-speaking families and many of our international families have been based here on a long-term basis, or their children have been born here and speak Spanish too. We welcome families of all cultures and backgrounds.

Student Support

What learning needs the school can support

At Learnlife Eco Hub, we are committed to adapting to the needs of our learners through a
personalized, learner-centered approach. We recognize that each child has unique
strengths, challenges, and aspirations, and we work closely with families to provide the right
support while maintaining a balanced and inclusive community.
Our Learning Support Lead oversees the coordination of support services, ensuring that
learners receive the guidance they need while fostering autonomy and self-confidence. For
learners with diagnosed learning or social-emotional needs, we offer Individual Learning
Plans tailored to the child's personal growth. In cases where a higher level of support is
needed, families may be asked to provide additional assistance through 1:1 support .
To ensure that all learners thrive, we maintain a cap on the number of learners with
additional learning needs that we can support within the Hub.
We offer guidance for:
● Learners who benefit from a flexible, self-directed approach to education
● Language acquisition for non-native Spanish speakers
● Gifted learners seeking extended, self-driven learning opportunities
● Learners developing executive functioning, literacy, and numeracy skills
● Social-emotional development, including tools for self-regulation and well-being
Our goal is to create an environment where every learner feels empowered, capable, and
inspired to grow.

What support staff are available

To ensure a holistic and personalized approach to education, our team includes:

● Learning Guides (teachers and mentors) who facilitate self-directed learning
● Learning Assistants who provide additional guidance in the learning environment
● A Learning Support Lead who oversees individual support, coordinates with families
and provides targeted interventions and individualized guidance
● Referrals to external professionals for specialized interventions and assessments,
like psychologists, speech and language therapists, or occupational therapists
(available on request)

Admissions

Details of entry criteria

Learnlife Eco Hub welcomes learners who are eager to explore, create, and grow in
adynamic learning environment. We value diversity and work closely with families to ensure
that our approach aligns with their child’s needs and aspirations.
Entry is based on a combination of:
● A family meeting to understand the family and learner’s needs, interests, and
learning style.
● A placement determination in English, Spanish, and math to determine the group that
best meets the learner’s needs.
● Review of report cards & feedback from previous school experiences, including the
most recent.
● A collaborative decision-making process involving the learner, family, and Learnlife
team.
Our model is based on personalized learning pathways rather than standardized levels.
Entry criteria are a combination of conversations and meetings to get to know the family, the
learner, and the Hub, ensuring the best possible fit for everyone.

Details of entry tests

Learnlife Eco Hub does not conduct traditional entry tests. Instead, we invite prospective
learners to experience our environment through a trial day, during which we assess how they
engage with our learning approach. This process allows us to collaboratively determine the
best way to support each learner.

Further Information

● The admissions process begins with an inquiry and an initial conversation with our
team.
● Families are invited for an on-site visit or virtual tour to explore our space and
approach.
● Admission decisions are made in collaboration with families, considering the learner’s
needs and goals. We provide the option for learners to join us for a trial day to experience our learning
environment firsthand.
● We support a rolling admissions process, meaning learners can join throughout the
year, depending on availability.

Extra Curriculars

Our extra-curricular activities are designed to complement our learning philosophy, providing
learners with opportunities to explore their interests, develop new skills, and connect with
their peers. Activities take place during afternoons, usually at 4:30 pm, and evolve each year
based on the interests of our learners and the opportunities available within our community.
Some activities we have offered include:
● Outdoor and adventure-based activities – beach and forest exploration,
bioconstruction projects, environmental stewardship initiatives
● Creative arts – music, expressive arts, drama, visual arts
● Sports and movement – surfing, skateboarding, yoga
● STEM and innovation – robotics, coding
● Language learning – Spanish as a second language, German
● Well-being and mindfulness – meditation, breathing techniques, and emotional
resilience workshops
We continuously adapt our offerings based on learners’ interests and feedback, ensuring
that each child finds meaningful opportunities for growth and exploration.