Espai Aigua, a pioneering alternative school in Barcelona's Guinardó district, has achieved official recognition from the Barcelona Education Consortium. This landmark decision makes it the city's first private institution offering a 'live and integral education' model for infant and primary stages to gain such accreditation.
The school, founded by several families in El Clot in 2009, relocated to a historic building on Rambla de Volart in Guinardó in 2013. Director Cristina Garcia described the journey as "a long and difficult process, but we finally found solutions to meet the requirements and become a recognised school".
Achieving this recognition required a significant investment of over €150,000 from families for essential building improvements. These included installing a lift and a ramp to meet current accessibility regulations for the 1909-built, three-storey facility, originally constructed as the Municipal Colleges of Guinardó.
Additionally, Espai Aigua utilises the petanque courts at nearby Mas Guinardó to comply with outdoor space regulations. This arrangement ensures the school meets the required 900 square metres of exterior play area, a crucial element for its pedagogical approach.
The Guinardó district, known for its green spaces and family-friendly atmosphere, is home to over 35,000 residents. This new accreditation provides a unique educational option for families seeking alternatives to traditional schooling within the city.
Unique Educational Approach
The Espai Aigua project's pedagogical approach centres on gender perspective, non-exclusion, creativity, and emotional support. It blends aspects of Montessori or Reggio Emilia methods, requiring highly individualised student monitoring with very low ratios.
Director Cristina Garcia explained, "We focus on children's interests and allow them to explore and experiment, to create and learn to do things." This philosophy underpins their commitment to holistic development and self-directed learning.
Supporting Diverse Needs
In 2021, the school launched its Pedagogical Laboratory, a dedicated space for teachers and families to research and design new learning processes. It also provides individualised support for situations involving exclusion, neurodivergence, or new sexual identities.
Adrián Marín, a parent of an autistic student at the centre, praised the school's impact. He stated, "Here we have found the emotional well-being we sought for my son, which public centres cannot offer due to a lack of resources and very high ratios".
Espai Aigua will host an open day on Friday, 15 May, at 17:00, offering guided tours and project presentations for interested families for the 2026-2027 academic year. Although currently funded by family fees, the school now hopes to receive public aid to cover some operational costs following its official recognition, potentially making this unique education more accessible.
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Originally published by betevé. Read original article.
