Socio-ecological forest school · Llinars del Vallès
The forest is our classroom, and the whole child our subject.
A nature-based, trilingual school from 1 to 15 years old, half an hour from Barcelona at the foot of the UNESCO Montseny Biosphere Reserve and National Park — where academic rigor grows alongside roots, ratios, and real relationships.
Why we exist
The Chestnut Tree
exists to grow
children who understand
— and take care of —
the world
right outside
the classroom door.
Socio-Ecological Pedagogy
Ruta Sentinelles del Bosc — our tribute to Dr. Martí Boada Juncà
Our Socio-Eco Pedagogy is rooted in the work and influence of Dr. Martí Boada Juncà — one of Catalonia's most recognised environmental scientists, naturalists, and educators, deeply connected to the Montseny massif, our school's UNESCO Biosphere Reserve home. He has mentored our founders since 2022. In his honour, our Baix Montseny campus hosts Ruta Sentinelles del Bosc, an on-site interpretive trail with four learning stations: dendrochronology, pedology, transect & herbarium, and topophilia.
Explore Ruta Sentinelles del Bosc →
Small by design
A 1:8 ratio, so teaching can stay personal
With one teacher for every eight children, our team teaches to the child in front of them, not a curriculum written for an average one. Most lessons happen outdoors, in all seasons, where questions come from the world itself rather than a worksheet.
Meet the team →
Rigor, redefined
Growing in rings, like the chestnut itself
Pre-Kindergarten through Year 6, every stage keeps the same roots — outdoor learning, small groups, socio-ecological pedagogy — while the academic core in literacy, mathematics, and science deepens year on year.
See the curriculum by stage →
A community, not just a school
Built by families, teachers, and volunteers together
From open-door mornings to our international volunteering program, The Chestnut Tree is shaped as much by the people who show up for it as by the pedagogy behind it.
See how to get involved →
Every family who visits sees it within the first ten minutes — the children aren't waiting for recess, they're already outside, already learning.
Teaching Team
The Chestnut Tree - El Castanyer
What a week looks like
Core subjects, taught where they actually happen.
Outdoors
Forest Ecology
Reading the land: soil, seasons, species, and stewardship.
Hands-on
Gardening & Cooking
From seed to table, with the maths and biology built right in.
Expression
Theatre, Art & Music
Confidence and voice, rehearsed in front of real audiences.
Wellbeing
Yoga & Emotional Intelligence
Naming feelings, resolving conflict, and self-regulation as a taught skill.
Explore further
Two more ways into life at The Chestnut Tree
Come and meet us
Visit us, schedule a meeting
We'd love to meet you — come see the school, walk the campus, and get all your questions answered in person.