Who we are
ELIS Villamartín 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 of British Schools in Spain), is recognised by the Spanish Ministry of Education and is an approved examining centre for Edexcel and AQA as well as being a Preparation Centre for Cambridge English Examinations and Trinity College Examinations.
Students whose mother tongue is not Spanish have the opportunity to sit exams to obtain the Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera (DELE), an official examination certified by the Instituto Cervantes and the Spanish Ministry of Education. ELIS Villamartín is an official examination centre for DELE exams.
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 Headteacher: Simon Roberts, MA
#WeAreELIS
As Headteacher of El Limonar International School (ELIS), as an educator and as a father, I base my work on a single, fundamental belief: children can, and will receive many gifts in life, but the only one that will truly stay with them forever is a high-quality education.
At El Limonar International School, we clearly see that the education we provide for our students must, first and foremost, open as many doors as possible for their lives after school has finished. We know that education must be a holistic experience that focuses as much on the development of self-esteem, social skills, thoughtfulness and the ability to reason and evaluate, as it does on pure academic achievement.
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 Alicante and international communities which it serves, but the central philosophy has remained the same. Our educational programme is academically rigorous and produces outstanding results at all ages. At the same time the programme develops each pupil’s sense of respect and dignity in order for every member of our community to achieve excellence within a framework which nurtures, challenges and promotes intellectual growth. Our aim is for all ELIS students to achieve more than they ever believed possible.
El Limonar International School is the original bilingual English school in our region. 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 El Limonar International School 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 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 El Limonar International School as simply providing the best bilingual education in their areas: 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, duel certification system and teaching strategies also result in unsurpassed university entry through A-Levels and ‘Selectividad’ results. Our students gain places to study at top public and private universities in Spain, in the UK and across Europe and the wider world.
The ELIS commitment to the highest quality education also drives the constant investment into new facilities and Digital Technologies with all students from year 3 upwards have direct access to a digital device. An ELIS Cognita Education provides exactly what is needed for our students to excel. Moreover, we aim to empower every student to want to excel.
At El Limonar International School there are no ‘tricks’, At ELIS Villamartin we pride ourselves on delivering what we say we will. We are not an average school in any respect, it an exceptional one in so many ways. 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
Headteacher
Simon Roberts, MA
After studying Music at The University of Huddersfield, I gained my PGCE teaching qualification from Manchester Metropolitan University...
Simon Roberts, MA
After studying Music at The University of Huddersfield, I gained my PGCE teaching qualification from Manchester Metropolitan University. At the time Manchester was one of the leading teacher training Universities in the UK and the course enabled me to quickly find my first teaching position at a large comprehensive school in North Wales, where I taught Music and English. I learned a huge amount about classroom management, pastoral care and the strength of a flourishing House system and during this time.After five years in North Wales, I made the move to an OFSTED outstanding girls school in Westminster, central London. Whilst this school was smaller, as an already rated ‘outstanding’ school, I was really able to focus on the quality of my teaching and learning and gained consistently outstanding academic results with students at both GCSE and A level. During this time, I was also invited to sit on the educational advisory board to London’s Wigmore Hall and provide CPD for wider local school improvement partnerships. This school most certainly taught me a level of cultural awareness and the value of diversity, something I had not previously experienced.
After meeting the lady who went on to become my wife, I took the decision to leave London behind and move to Southampton. I was looking for a different educational experience and was quickly appointed Head of Department in a school requiring significant improvement in terms of teaching, learning and student behaviour.
Having been invited to become a mentor on the University of Southampton PGCE teacher training course, I was headhunted to become the Senior Academic Curriculum Leader with Portsmouth Music Service. My role included curriculum management in thirteen secondary schools and the opportunity to also bring my expertise into Primary schools in Portsmouth. It was during this time I was commissioned to begin writing educational songs for primary students, something I continue to write and publish.
One of the driving forces in my educational philosophy is the desire to provide students with the best educational opportunities possible. With my own son in mind, as a family, we wanted a multi-lingual approach to his education and took the opportunity to move to South America. This move to a prestigious British Boarding School allowed me to turn a small department into a hugely successful one which became the cornerstone of the school community. From this I became Deputy Headmaster. During our time in Latin America I was appointed Arts Consultant to the Latin American Headteachers Conference (LAHC) where I also served as part of the Schools Inspectorate.
In 2016, having spent seven years in South America, we relocated as a family to Barcelona where I was Vice Principal of an international school offering the International Baccalaureate. My academic input and organisation took the school’s results from just over a fifty percent pass rate to one hundred percent during the three years I was in post. I also wrote many essential policy documents as well as being instrumental in the opening of the new Boarding House. Whole school improvement of teaching and learning was an ongoing focus during my tenure and further to this, the development of the pastoral system, student council and House system.
Being appointed Headteacher at ELIS Villamartin for me was, and is, a huge honour. I bring visionary educational philosophy and leadership to an already flourishing school as I guide ELIS Villamartin towards the next stage of its development. Personal professional challenge, strong relationships with students, staff, parents and the wider community for me is absolutely key and I strive with sincerity to empower every member of the ELIS Villamartin community to fulfil their true potential. My job is undoubtedly made easier by the strength of the school leadership team and the wider guidance and leadership of our Executive Principal and the Cognita group, their funding and educational expertise.
I extend an open invitation to any prospective students and parents to visit ELIS Villamartin, where you will be met with personalised attention to detail and a very warm welcome.
Assistant Director of Education Spain
Chris Eversden, MEd
After studying History and then Education at Nottingham University in England, I began my...
Chris Eversden, MEd
After studying History and then Education at Nottingham University in England, I began my career as a teacher in North London. As an inexperienced 21-year-old teacher, I chose the most challenging and hostile working environment that I could find to learn as much about classroom management and discipline techniques as quickly as I could.From London I moved to work in Washington D.C. in the USA as a Fulbright exchange programme teacher where I was inspired by the maturity of the students and their determination to work hard and create great futures for themselves. After a brief spell teaching back in London, I became a Middle Manager in an International School in Mexico City where I developed my ability to lead teams and improved my administrative efficiency.
Four years later, I found myself, with a young family, working in one of the UK’s top state schools in Cumbria, northern England. The school was a beacon of excellence in terms of the education offered, learning outcomes for students and staff professional development. It inspired me to believe that I had what it took to lead a whole school.
My first Directorship took my family and I back to Mexico City to take charge of a High School. I was able to shape a fantastic team there which, over the course of the following four years, transformed the school into a centre of educational excellence with a fully-deserved good name across the city. I was also awarded a distinction in a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership at the University of Buckingham during that time.
In 2012 the opportunities that the new position at ELIS (El Limonar International School) Murcia offered were impossible to resist. After five years leading the school through significant curriculum, academic and organisational change, I’m completely convinced that it was the best possible move both professionally and for my family at that stage in my career. My professional challenge since 2017 changed into providing overall leadership for the two ELIS schools in Murcia and Villamartin. Despite being ‘sisters’, the two schools are very different in terms of needs, community and organisation. I relied heavily upon the excellent leadership teams of both schools to run them on a daily basis and to ensure that all members of both communities are fully supported at all times.
From 2021 onwards, my new professional challenge centres around using all that I have learnt to date to support the professional growth of our family of schools in Spain. My key objective is to facilitate understanding between our educational leadership and the broader requirements and objectives of the Group and to work with my colleagues to ensure that a range of educational and performance projects across the region are successful.
Group Director of Education
Fidelma Murphy, MA H. dip ED
ELIS Villamartín is grateful to be able to call upon the expert guidance of Ms Fidelma Murphy...
Fidelma Murphy, MA H. dip ED
ELIS Villamartín is grateful to be able to call upon the expert guidance of Ms Fidelma Murphy, who serves as the school's Chair of Governors and has over 25 years of experience at the forefront of International Education both in Spain, Ireland and the Middle East.Ms. Murphy comments: ‘It is a privilege to be the Chair of Governors for ELIS Villamartín. The students at ELIS are a joy to interact with; they are open minded global citizens who are actively involved in the learning process. They are reflective communicators who embrace opportunities to develop their learning skills.’
Ms. Murphy has an MA in languages and a Higher Diploma in Education from Trinity College Dublin. She has extensive experience in education as a teacher, Coordinator of International programmes, academic Vice Principal, Consultant to start-up schools in the Outstanding Schools Programme in the Middle East, Recruiter, a Principal at international schools and an IB School Visitor. Fidelma joined Cognita in August 2018.
As Chair of Governors, Ms. Murphy works closely with the Headteacher in the appointment of staff, monitors the school's performance in a range of areas and works as a critical friend to support us as we strive for excellence in everything we do.
As well as serving as Chair of Governors at ELIS Villamartín, Ms. Murphy also attends meetings regularly with the team of Directors of Education at Cognita, the global schools group of which ELIS Villamartín is one. Being part of the Cognita family helps us to connect with other schools, share best practice and benefit from a broad professional network. Every school within the Cognita family is different: we embrace this diversity and learn from each other.
