History
Academia Británica are pioneers in language teaching in Spain. Since 1953, when the school was founded in Córdoba, tens of thousands of students have learned English, French and German with us, and our experience extends to almost 70 years. We are also pioneers in teaching Spanish to foreigners.
The history of Academia Británica is also the history of International House, the most prestigious global network of language schools in the world, with branches in 52 countries and over 160 schools in most of the world’s major cities. Our language school was the founder!
Academia Británica has four schools in Andalusia, distributed between the cities of Córdoba and Huelva, equipped with state-of-the-art technology and with comfortable classrooms which are well adapted for optimal performance in face-to-face teaching. Through the International House global network, we also have four schools in Madrid.
Academia Británica is fully aware of the latest tendencies in lifestyles, and has an online teaching platform available for our students with learning materials, methodology and 100% online connectivity.
Academia Británica boasts a team of over 100 professionals in Andalusia, and many others in Madrid: all are highly qualified, certified as language teachers by Cambridge and the International House World Organization (IHWO), and all take on the task of educating over 3000 students each year with great dedication.
In Academia Británica schools, we teach English, French, German and Spanish, and enjoy an active and dynamic network of contacts, a rich educational community and a fluid exchange of experiences, which is growing day by day.
Academia Británica is a Cambridge-certified school for training and obtaining Cambridge certificates in English, as well as being a Cervantes-accredited school for teaching and training in Spanish.
53
First steps
Back in 1953, John and Brita Haycraft, a couple who were passionate about teaching languages, moved to the picturesque city of Córdoba, fell in love with its charm, its customs and its people and decided to open an English language school here. It was the first ever language school of any type in the city and remains today one of the longest-running language schools in Spain.
The origins were humble: it started off with only 16 students in a small room of the guest house they rented, but thanks to their perseverance and friendliness and the high quality of their work, the school soon took off, and after just one year, the original version of Academia Británica already had five classrooms and a staff of five teachers.
In the late 1950s, the Haycrafts’ contacts and friendly dealings with British academics encouraged lecturers from Oxford and other prestigious universities to visit and teach English in Córdoba. And this is how Academia Británica and International House were founded, the first of many other distinguished schools which today form part of the International House World Organization.
54
First international meetings
In the spring of 1954, the first international meetings of foreign students who came to Cordoba to learn Spanish and immerse themselves in our customs and culture began. Academia Hispánica, our centre specialising in teaching Spanish to foreigners, was borns.
A new stage of growth, awards and alliances
59
Cremades Family
In 1959 our Academy passed into the hands of the Cremades family, under whose management it continues to this day. Our first director, Mr. Eulogio Cremades, took up the legacy of the founders with a clear vision of turning this project into a great enterprise, keeping it at the forefront of language training.
Parallel to the consolidation of Academia Británica in Cordoba, from the headquarters of International House in London, John and Brita Haycraft formalised the methodology to be followed by the language training in our Academies, the specific training required by the teachers, as well as the values that still distinguish us as commitments both to our students and to our team (commitments to clients and employees)..
68
First branch in Huelva
1968 was another important year for us: we inaugurated the first British Academy in Huelva and became part of the academic and professional life of the capital of Huelva. Since then, thousands of students from Huelva, of all ages, have passed through our classrooms, and many of them, now grandparents, mothers or fathers, enrol their children or grandchildren in their usual academy, so that they can learn English as well as ever.
70
Medal for Tourist Merit
In 1970, after years of intense work, the Ministry of Information and Tourism distinguished the British Academy, in the name of its director, Don Eulogio Cremades López, with the Medal of Tourist Merit, for contributing to the expansion and knowledge of our language and culture.
80
ACEIA and FECEI
In 1980 our director founded and chaired the Association of Language Teaching Centres of Andalusia (ACEIA), and also founded and was vice-president of the Spanish Federation of Teaching Centres (FECEI). These associations watch over the quality of teaching, the legality of operators in the sector and the rights of students.
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IH Madrid
In 1981 we opened the first of our academies as IH Madrid, in association with other IH schools in Spain. Currently IH Madrid has schools in Paseo de la Castellana, Diego de León, Alonso Martínez and Ciudad universitaria.
84
Cambridge Assessment English
In 1984 Academia Británica became an accredited examination centre for Cambridge Assessment English, a partnership we have maintained for 36 years.
13
Cervantes Institute
In 2013 Academia Británica was appointed as an accredited centre for the teaching of Spanish by the Instituto Cervantes.
15
Association of Examination Centres in Spain
In 2015 Academia Británica is one of the founding centres of the Asociación de Centros de Examinadores de España.
19
FECEI Award
In 2019 Academia Británica de Córdoba, as a pioneer of language teaching in Spain, receives the FECEI Award for its business career under the slogan Inventors of the Sector.
20
Second centre in Huelva
2020 was the year in which we opened our second centre in the province of Huelva, in the town of Trigueros.
