Parent
The academic level is very low, the school should invest more in teacher training and development or curriculum improvement. Additionally, the school has had a very high turnover rate for math teachers, and as a consequence math education is a huge problem.
Furthermore, the atmosphere is very unpleasant, with lots of famous and arrogant families. The school could also consider creating a better environment for music education by hiring more experienced and talented musicians as teachers and providing more resources for music students.
The visual arts are not too bad.
Finally, the school is experiencing a decline in academics and well-being, it might be time to review the leadership structure and make changes where necessary. It's possible that the current head of school is not providing the necessary support for the academic and social growth of the students, and a new leader might be able to turn things around.
Overall, I do not recommend this school
↳ Reply from American School of Madrid 
Thank you for the feedback and for sharing your observations. At ASM, we feel it is critical that we look at all feedback as an opportunity to learn, to grow, and to do better. As a school, we review the data from parents, students, and staff in our annual community survey. In addition, I conduct individual exit interviews with our graduating students and we have small group sessions with new parents to learn from their fresh perspectives and transition experiences. Particularly in our focus groups and exit interviews, parents and students have remarked on the development and positive impact of new initiatives and changes we have made. The Upper School schedule, opportunities for student voice, choice, and initiative, the quality of our teachers, and the strength of our music and drama programs were all themes that came up again and again in these sessions.
We are proud of the academic level of our students and closely track IB results and college placements. ASM’s IB score has been 4 points above the world average for the last three years and in a non-selective school environment, this is a considerable achievement. ASM graduates go on to some of the most prestigious and selective colleges and universities in the world and while this is important to us we celebrate equally each student finding the university and program that fits their aspirations and dreams.
The ASM Board and administration are committed, as a non-profit school, to reinvest profits towards the balanced and continuous improvement of people, plant, and program. Specifically, ASM devotes significant significant resources to the professional learning opportunities of our staff. Our professional learning budget is above the average for the international school sector. Our professional learning opportunities include; bringing in internationally known consultants in different fields and disciplines, sending our teachers to key conferences and training sessions, as well as having instructional coaches in all divisions to provide annoying, direct, and job-embedded feedback opportunities for our faculty.
It is true that we experienced turnover in the Middle School Math department in the last few years. Hiring staff internationally as we went through the covid years provided a new set of challenges and personal situations. However, it is important to note that when we have a teacher in our higher level classes, particularly IB classes, who may be out for an extended time for maternity or medical reasons, we hire a full-time, IB-trained, and experienced faculty member for a full year to ensure we can have the best possible continuity of program and consistency of the learning experience for our students.
Finally, you are correct that as a private school, we have families with significant means. We also have families for whom paying tuition represents a real sacrifice. Our community is deliberately made up of one-third American, one-third Spanish families, and one-third international families who this year represent 80 different countries. We believe our diversity is our strength and the quality of the partnership between school and parents is essential for continued and sustained excellence.
Again, thank you for your feedback, and be assured that we take your comments and perspective seriously. The only path to true excellence is through a dedication to continuous improvement and a willingness to take feedback to heart.
Ben Weinberg, ASM Headmaster
3 other reviews for American School of Madrid - (Reviews aren't verified )
Parent
Awful. This is a school that has been in a steady state of decline, and the leadership is at the heart of that. There is one new building and the other two (lower and upper schools) are in poor condition, extremely dated facilities. The teacher turnover rate is as bad as the morale- this common for teachers to complain to their students about the school. There is a lack of proper training and credentials among administrators and the fiscal management for capital projects like a playground installation were widely ridiculed by parents and teachers, who are poorly paid. Their testing and college admissions are in serious decline, likely because the academics are lacking. The lower school reading program has been cited as deficient, the math program throughout is flawed. Culturally, there is a lot of bullying at the school and the school lacks transparency about incidences on cam... read full review
Parent
A very disappointing experience. The buildings and facilities are impressive but nothing else. It is really not worth the money.
Teaching seems to be of a very poor quality. The school seems to be only concerned with pandering to some very rich parents.
Parent
We do not recommend this American School at all. We had three children there for 4 years. In all the sections, it offers a poor academic standard and a bad student experience. There is an alarming rate of high teacher turnover. The school neglects important aspects of education and, instead, projects an entirely false sense of excellence through flashy buildings; the school environment is tense and unwelcoming, and it falls far short of its claims of promoting inclusivity. Teachers are not caring at all and are not well treated either. Their IB results are not what they are claiming. Good University placements are declining, especially in terms of placement in Top Universities. College counselling at ASM is very defective. Students seeking an international educational experience in Madrid should avoid this school at all costs and explore better alternatives that prioritise the quality of education they provide.
