Home > Spain > Madrid > SEK International School - El Castillo
IB and Spanish
Bilingual
Ages 1 to 18

SEK International School - El Castillo Verified badge.pink.sm

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CityMadrid
CurriculumsIB and Spanish
Leaving qualificationIB Diploma
Languages of instructionEnglish and Spanish
Age RangeAges 1 to 18
Boarding available - Yes
Yearly fees: Not public
Social Media:

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Quick summary of key school information

Leaving qualifications IB Diploma
Language of instruction English and Spanish
Native English and Spanish teachers
Extra languages (other than English and Spanish)
Class sizes Average 20 students / class
Maximum 25 students / class
Extracurricular activities
School bus
School's webpage:

This school does not make their fees public for the academic year 2024/2025.

Address: Urb. Villafranca del Castillo Castillo de Manzanares, s/n Villanueva de la Cañada. 28692 Madrid Spain
Is this school a perfect match for you?

Tell us your preferences and we’ll calculate your compatibility.

  • Based on 10 different criteria including price and location
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School details

We have organised the information available for this school into 10 sections and 40 questions. Click or tap on the name of each section to read more.
Number of students

1300 students in academic year 22-23.

Number of nationalities represented in the school

54

Most common nationality

After the Spanish nationality, the second nationality is the Chinese followed by the American (USA).

Ratio of local students to international students

76 % are local students versus 24 % international students.

Native English and Spanish speaking teachers

Our teachers are either native speakers of or they have a proficient level (C2 in European Framework) in the language in which they teach the subjects.

Language support for students not fluent in English and Spanish

We deliver language acquisition in both English and Spanish (languages of instruction) in phases, this allows us to place students in the phase that is appropriate for their level. We also offer two specific academic language programmes called EAL ( English as additional language) and SAL ( Spanish as an Additional Language)
Students can also study Chinese, French and German as part of our for mother tongue celebration programme.

Additional language classes offered by the school

Chinese, French, German and as language B or language acquisition at different levels and stages of learning.
Chinese as a subject in the Diploma Programme as Language B and as extracurricular activity.

Max. number of students per class

The maximum number of students is 25 in each classroom.

Average number of students per class

The average number of students is from 17 to 22 students in each classroom.

Does the school employ teaching assistants?

Yes, it does.

Use of technology in the classroom

Yes

Is the school ready to use virtual classrooms when needed? (e.g. teaching lessons online if the school is closed, e.g. during COVID-19 closures)

We have a well established VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) where students and teachers upload units of inquiry, asignments and reflections. This VLE includes collaborative digital tools and serves as a place to show-case work by students.
We continue to offer school lessons through online video with processes developed in response to COVID-19 quarantines. Our school is equipped with HyFlex technology to ensure simultaneous inclusion of face-to-face and remote students. We have integrated digital simulators for laboratory work.
Some groups who continue to access virtual classes include those confined by COVID issues, or other types of illnesses, students in other parts of the world (only in exceptional cases and as a short-term solution), high performance sports and arts students. Also, we are delivering an online Baccalaureate for high performance students.

Do students practice religion at the school? What religion?

We are a secular school

External examinations or assessments available

Tests to apply to different universities around the world.
Cambridge language tests.
Official Royal Academy and Trinity examinations in musical instruments and voice.
Diploma Programme Examinations
EVAU test for Spanish universities.
Mathematics and science tests.

Results in these examinations

Excellent academic results.

Do teachers assign homework to their students?

In Primary we recommend daily reading in the different languages and pupils work mainly at school.
In Secondary, Baccalaureate and Diploma, students have study periods during the school day and are expected to reinforce their study and research work after school.

Percentage of students who pursue further education post-graduation

95% of our students attend a higher educational institution after graduating.

Dedicated staff/programs for students with special learning needs

We have developed an inclusion policy aligned with the IB special needs requirements and are always working on diversity and differentiation, though we do not carry out significant curricular adaptations.

Learning support offered

From the Counselling and Pedagogical Department, working on inclusion in the curriculum and providing diversity in assessments. Our language policy states the various opportunities to develop one or both of our languages of instruction.
Our educational technology has resources to enhance skills for students with special needs and also language learning.

The school supports gifted, able and talented students

Diversity, talent, opportunities for different projects and activities and participation in significant and authentic projects, where pupils provide real solutions in collaboration with other schools when possible.

Student access to education psychologist

There is a counsellor for each stage of learning and programme, we also have a psychotherapist and a speech therapist.

Entry evaluation for students

We carry out language level in one of our languages of instructions tests if deemed necessary. We also carry out interviews by the Admissions Committee and the Counsellor.

Brief description of entry evaluation required

The interview is a face-to-face (can be done remotely) interview with families. Students in Primary year 4 and above are also invited to chat with a Counsellor. The objective is to ensure we get a global picture of the profile of the student to plan their welcome. The language evaluation is to ensure we place students in appropriate language phase or itinerary

Waiting list

In Secondary in the Middle Years Programme and the Diploma Programme.

Deadline for registration (new academic year)

The deadline for booking a place is the end of February, but the admission process runs throughout the academic year. Families may find it is more challenging to secure places as we approach the Summer.

Students can join after academic year begins

We can welcome students in the middle of the academic year as we are aware that in other parts of the world academic year runs in different times.
We tend not to admit students in secondary school, Baccalaureate and Diploma once the academic year is underway, though we revise each case carefully.

School start time

It starts at 09.00

School finish time

It ends at 17.00

Supervised care before/after school

Yes, it lasts one and a half hours.

School bus service available

We provide school bus routes to suit our families needs.

School provided lunches

Yes, we provide lunch and snacks at different times of the day.

Food alternatives for special dietary needs (ie. vegan, kosher, halal etc)

Yes, we offer special diets and these are supervised and validated by the nutrition service.

Uniform required

Yes, they are.

Extracurricular activities or clubs offered

The School has designed, in accordance with the protocols established to ensure the health and safety of the students in this 22-23 school year, a wide range of Extracurricular Activities that provide students with the opportunity to enrich their education from an academic and cultural,
artistic and sporting perspective.
Within sports we offer volleyball, swimming, football, skating, taekwondo, athletics, padel, tennis, personal training, zumba, horse riding.
In the technological field we have robotics and STEAM projects.
In the artistic field we offer music, educachef, circus, parkour, dance and mindfulness.

Sports activities included

As part of the curriculum, all students have physical education classes, swimming classes (from nursery to primary school) and all the students rotate through different team sports.

Sports teams or sport competitions available for students

We have volleyball and football teams, which compete in school and federated leagues. We also have a swimming team.

Facilities at the school

Library, laboratories, Maker Spaces, Assembly Hall, Music School and choir and Canteen

Sports facilities at the school

Sports centre, three multi-sports courts, two volleyball courts (one of them sand courts) and athletics track and in the adjacent sports club next to the school, we have tennis, paddle and equestrian courts and an Olympic size swimming

Qualities and characteristics best defining the school

Innovative educational model based on stimulating learning spaces, English immersion and the development of talent, creativity and emotional intelligence. Our mission is educating balanced and open-minded international students with a solid holistic preparation to face global challenges. We have launched the SEK Future Learning Model, which optimises the use of our digital ecosystem and the school's indoor and outdoor spaces, allowing us to offer personal learning experiences through active methodologies that promote the development of skills vital to navigate our changing world. We deliver conceptual learning that promotes autonomy, leadership and entrepreneurship making our students active global citizens.

Teaching approach of the school

Our teachers plan and deliver inquiry units, carefully establishing the scope and sequence of the learning. Teachers ensure lessons are interactive and packed with visual thinking routines that give structure to the development of critical thinking and organisational skills. Teachers cater for their students´ needs and interests to channel their imagination and ensure engagement. Our project based approach ensures evaluation is diverse yet rigorous as our teachers apply criteria provided by the IB programmes.

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