Who We Are
ELIS Murcia follows the National Curriculum for England and Wales and offers its pupils IGCSE and A-Level examinations. The school is accredited by NABSS (National Association for British Schools in Spain) and is recognised by the Spanish Ministry of Education. The school is an approved examining centre for Edexcel and Cambridge International Exams as well as being a preparation centre for Cambridge English Examinations, Trinity College Examinations and ABRSM music exams.
Education at ELIS Murcia is based on each pupil‘s individual abilities, on their social integration and on academic success.
Students graduate from the school with dual official qualifications: at the end of Secondary, the British IGCSEs and the Spanish ‘Graduate in Compulsory Secondary Education’ certificate; and the Spanish ‘Baccalaureate’ certificate and English A-Level certificates, at the end of their Sixth Form studies.
Message from the Principal: Vanessa Grimward, MEd
#WeAreELIS
El Limonar International School was founded in 1990 with the mission statement,
‘We educate for democracy, equality, respect and dignity’.
Since that foundation, the school has adapted and grown to suit the needs of the Murcian community which it serves, but this central philosophy has remained the same.
El Limonar International School is the original bilingual English school in the Region of Murcia. We know that a person’s attainment of true bilingualism requires the learning of the second language from a very young age. When children are in the early stages of language development, they do not distinguish so readily between one language and another and are aware instead of the different sounds and meanings given by the person who is producing those sounds. At ELIS Murcia our students have an exceptional command of the English language because they are exposed to it throughout the day from when they first arrive aged three. We do not teach English however, we teach in English; in the classroom, in the playground and in social and cultural activities that characterise our curriculum. This means that the ELIS Murcia educational offer is just as suitable for native English speakers who want a British curriculum education, or for international students looking to learn or improve their English, Spanish or additional languages. The very fact that our students master a second language at such a young age (be it English or Spanish as the second language, as should be the case in a truly bilingual school), it actually becomes misleading to label ELIS as simply providing the best bilingual education in Murcia by the time of graduation, the language acquisition skills of our students mean that they are really trilingual, having achieved as high a level of fluency in a third global language as is available in any other school in the area.
Our exceptional staff and teaching strategies also result in unsurpassed university entry through A-Levels and ‘Selectividad’ results and particularly strong academic achievement in Mathematics, Languages and Sciences.
The ELIS commitment to the highest quality education also drives the constant investment into new, state-of-the-art facilities and resources at our schools: the incredible ELIS Murcia Secondary and pre-university facility at Montevida; investment in 121 digital devices for all students from Year 3 to Year 12, and a commitment to ongoing professional development for all our staff.
At ELIS Murcia there are no ‘tricks’ and we pride ourselves on delivering what we say we will. We are driven by a mission and philosophy of inclusion and inquiry that means our students relish the learning process they experience each day. An experience that opens the doors a child needs to take their place in the global markets and societies of the future.
ELIS Murcia continues to strive to prove itself to be one of the very best internationally focused education providers in Spain. In 2020, ELIS Murcia commenced the process towards international recognition through the highly prestigious Council of International Schools (CIS): an 8 month-period of exhaustive self-evaluation and reporting to CIS and a weeklong visit by CIS inspectors, led to ELIS Murcia being granted Membership to CIS in May 2021. Between September 2021 and September 2022, all staff, students and parents were involved in a comprehensive self-evaluation process aimed at continuing to push the academic standards and ensure continuous development across the whole school to achieve CIS Accreditation during the first term of the school year 2022 – 23.
Global citizenship at ELIS Murcia is a shared responsibility: we aspire for all our students to understand and value cultural diversity. An ELIS global citizen will enact positive change, becoming an active promoter of intercultural learning, embracing creativity and innovation whilst developing a sense of responsibility and compassion towards others. As a community, we aim to promote engagement in local and global issues, such as social justice and environmental and economic sustainability. The CIS Code of Ethics firmly underpins our mission statement encompassing inclusion, diversity, equity and anti-racism.
Principal
Vanessa Grimward, MEd
After graduating from the University of Southampton with a First Class Honours degree, my journey at...
Vanessa Grimward, MEd
After graduating from the University of Southampton with a First Class Honours degree, my journey at ELIS Murcia commenced way back in 1999 as a part-time classroom assistant. My first full-time teaching posts at the school were in the English Immersion Department and, later, as a Primary class teacher and tutor.Over time, I assumed roles in the school’s middle management: firstly, as English Department Coordinator, and from 2007 as Primary School Coordinator. In September 2014, whilst completing a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership, I was delighted to be named Deputy Head, a role that allowed me to further consolidate my skills as a leader and to develop my knowledge of our wonderful school at a much deeper level.
September 2017 saw my promotion to the role of Headteacher, a role that saw me working with parents, staff and students from all sections of our school community, whilst gaining more knowledge of the working practices of the Cognita Schools Group.
I was delighted to be appointed Principal of ELIS Murcia in September 2021. I am privileged to have been afforded this opportunity and am truly excited to be leading ELIS Murcia through the next phase of its continuous improvement journey which includes the Council of International Schools (CIS) Accreditation process. As we continue to prove ourselves to be one of the very best internationally focused education providers in Spain, I believe that the rigorous and prestigious CIS Accreditation process is the necessary next step in our school history. ELIS Murcia seeks to be only the third school in the whole of Spain to reach this prestigious recognition and the first school in the Cognita Europe Schools Group.
ELIS Murcia is a truly special place that has grown and progressed immensely over the years but one thing remains unchanged: the unswerving dedication and care of all our employees, teaching and non-teaching staff alike, who always strive to provide an exceptional service to the children entrusted in our care. We are honest and transparent; we are hardworking; we are a community who, collectively, tries our very best at all times. We are a true team, motivated by the desire to offer each and every one of our students the best possible start in their personal learning journey, in order that they might become the successful and confident leaders of tomorrow.
