Private secondary school in Madrid

At our private, international, Catholic school in La Moraleja we prepare pupils to be global citizens, with a focus on teaching Spanish, English and French. They learn to speak, think and communicate in three languages within an international education framework, taught by specialist teachers.

• Our pupils can gain the British secondary education qualification by sitting the IGCSE examinations in 4º de ESO (age 15–16). We prepare every pupil in seven subjects (Spanish, English, French, Biology, History, Business Studies and Mathematics); sitting the official examinations is optional.
• During this stage we prepare pupils with personalised pathways towards the B2 and C1 certificates in English and the B1 in French. In Sixth Form (Bachillerato) the aim is for them to achieve the C2 in English and the B2 in French.

To complete our international education model, we offer academic stays away from school for a term, a school year or a summer camp in:

• OAK Academies (USA, Ireland and Switzerland)
• American high schools partnered with our OAK Academies
• Austin, Texas (student exchange)
• Saint Louis, Missouri
• France (student exchange)
• New Zealand (student exchange)

While they are abroad, Highlands School gives pupils a follow-up programme so that when they return they can pick up at the same pace as their classmates.

At Highlands School El Encinar, an international private school in Madrid, we develop intelligent, experiential learning adapted to the real world, fostering independence and responsibility through:

• Interdisciplinary projects
• Problem-based learning (PBL)
• Cooperative learning

Study techniques

We give pupils the resources they need to study effectively. From 1º de ESO (age 12–13) they work on:

• Planning and organising their study
• Concentration and what helps it
• Understanding the material they are studying
• The tools and techniques used to process and consolidate learning

One of the cross-curricular tools in our pupils’ education is public speaking, which is built into our curriculum from the ages of 2 to 18. As a result, all pupils, whatever their temperament, are able to speak in public in the school’s three languages (Spanish, English and French).

Through words, discourse and argument we develop research, reasoning, critical thinking, speaking and collaborative working skills.

We encourage pupils to take part in debating competitions in English and in Spanish.

We help pupils recognise their gifts and the opportunities open to them, giving them the tools to shape their future. Each year group has activities suited to its maturity and challenges. Through one-to-one interviews, form tutors guide pupils in their academic and career development, giving them the tools and the support to make their own decisions.

Our form tutors, the educational psychology and guidance department and those responsible for personal and faith formation run a programme to support each pupil in their learning and all-round development. We take part in university fairs and draw on experts and on testimonies from our alumni to help pupils decide on their academic and professional future.

We want our pupils to experience that there is more joy in giving than in receiving, and to want to work for the good of others and for the transformation of society.

Working with several charitable organisations, we have designed a Social Participation Programme that runs through every year group in Secondary.

• Altius Foundation (Fundación Altius)
• Little Sisters of the Poor residential home
• Fundación Instituto San José

Sport is crucial to our pupils’ all-round development. It promotes physical health, improves discipline and teamwork, and builds resilience and leadership. It also contributes to emotional balance, reduces stress and promotes values such as effort and self-improvement. We have more than 20,000 m² dedicated to every pupil’s physical development.

From 3º de ESO (age 14–15), our pupils take part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, an activity that prepares them for life whatever their background, talents or physical abilities. It is not a competition against others but a set of personal challenges that push them beyond the limits they thought they had, and that recognises what they achieve.

We work in a balanced way, alternating analogue materials (books and exercise books) with digital ones (devices); together they are the ideal combination for learning.

We build technology in as a cross-curricular tool, gradually and adapted to each stage. We want our pupils to learn to live with technology responsibly, thoughtfully and creatively.