Colegio San José de Villafranca School

• Location: Villafranca de los Barros, Spain
• Year of foundation: 1893
• Language of instruction: Spanish, English
• Type of studying: mixed.

Colegio San José de Villafranca is a school with more than a 100-year history, offering programs for primary, secondary, and graduating classes.

After insistent requests from local residents to establish a school, a local company founded the institution for children's education. At the end of the 19th century, in 1893, Colegio San José de Villafranca opened its doors in the central house of the city. It moved to its current location almost ten years later, in 1902. The school has undergone many changes to now, offering excellent conditions for studying, the development of individual abilities, broadening horizons, and comfortable living for both local and foreign students.

Colegio San José de Villafranca is emphasized on educating children through multilingualism, with students studying several languages simultaneously. Most classes are taught in Spanish, and in addition, students can study English, French, and Portuguese. Lessons are conducted by qualified teachers, ensuring that students are always in an environment contributing to developing conversational skills. Living in the campus residence positively affects the acquisition of foreign languages: students live together with representatives of other countries, share experiences, customs, and cultural features, immersing themselves in the study of academic subjects and foreign languages.

International students are offered additional language support to ensure a smoother adaptation and easier understanding of the curriculum. Teachers provide several lessons per week, depending on the student's initial proficiency level, monitor their progress, and assist with homework.

The institution provides education at all levels, from primary to graduating classes. At Colegio San José de Villafranca, there are academic departments focused on teaching students of specific age groups.

Foreign students are offered the opportunity to study at Colegio San José de Villafranca for one month, a trimester, or a full academic year.

The residence program at Colegio San José de Villafranca offers two types of accommodation:

• Basic: Residence accommodation from Monday to Sunday, three meals a day, extracurricular activities, and medical assistance.
• Extended: Residence accommodation on weekdays with the option of staying with host families during holidays (Easter and Christmas), school uniforms and books, laundry service, weekend excursions, airport transfers, and additional academic support.

The school's residence accommodates middle and high school students. Students are placed in single, double, or triple rooms and have access to common areas such as sports facilities, outdoor recreation areas, self-study classrooms, and more. Each room is furnished with a bed, wardrobe, and workspace. Since 2019, the campus has been undergoing extensive renovations, with many living rooms already updated.

Host families provide accommodation for students, upon request, during weekends and holidays (Easter and Christmas). They quickly become a second family, undergoing regular checks and accreditation to ensure the highest level of comfort, safety, and care for students. Host families help students adapt faster to the English-speaking environment and support them in various matters: transportation, excursions, cultural customs, laws, and more.

The campus has a dining hall where a team of qualified chefs creates a balanced, nutritious menu with weekly updated dishes. Residents receive three meals a day: hot soups and main courses, beverages, salads and snacks, baked goods, and more, with separate portions for students with special needs.

The educational institution offers students a wide range of extracurricular activities focused on developing individual abilities, exploring new horizons, and improving existing skills, divided into two main groups: arts and sports.

Arts are represented by the following clubs:

• Theater activities,
• Musical ensembles,
• Choir,
• Design, virtual reality,
• Robotics, programming,
• English language learning,
• Plastic arts, crafts,
• Journalism,
• Chess,
• Fine arts.

Each direction is taught by qualified subject teachers who help students gain new knowledge and skills, demonstrating their talents not only to the school audience but also to invited guests at regular events.

Sports are an important part of the curriculum — this type of activity supports physical and mental health, providing children with the opportunity to gain skills in healthy competition, teamwork, and determination. The campus has numerous facilities for individual and group activities:

• Basketball,
• Handball,
• Volleyball,
• Football,
• Rowing,
• Swimming,
• General psychomotor skills.

The extensive leisure program is added by excursions and off-campus activities: attending concerts, museums, art galleries, entertainment centers, and cafes, participating in workshops and seminars by specialists from various fields. In July, students are offered two types of overseas trips: to the UK or Ireland for three to four weeks, or to the USA or Canada for one month, a trimester, or a full academic year.

• The opportunity to study several languages simultaneously with Spanish: English, French, and Portuguese.
• The school is a Cambridge preparation and examination center, with 70-80% of students successfully passing the exams and around 90% receiving a certificate.
• A multinational student community.
• Student exchange programs are organized with schools in India, Ireland, Brazil, Italy, and other countries.
• International summer trips to the UK, Ireland, the USA, and Canada.
• Comprehensive academic and extracurricular support from qualified specialists.
• The Baccalaureate graduation program, allowing students to enter the best universities in Spain.

The more than 100-year history of the school provides the campus with a unique atmosphere, combining tradition, architectural landmarks, modern equipment, and a large area for walks, relaxation, and sports activities. The school continuously updates its facilities: the residence was renovated in 2019, primary school classrooms and facilities in 2020, and graduate study areas in 2021.

The campus infrastructure includes many modern facilities and classrooms:

• Computer rooms with PCs, wired Internet connection, and access to electronic databases,
• Specialized laboratories for natural sciences, physics, and chemistry,
• Specialized classrooms for technology, drawing, performing arts, and music,
• A large library housing about 10,000 volumes; it also includes a reading room with several computers available for self-study and project work,
• A conference hall for seminars and guest lectures,
• A sports center with multifunctional halls, studios, and areas for individual studying,
• Artificial turf football fields,
• A tennis court,
• Four paddle tennis courts,
• A basketball court,
• An outdoor swimming pool.

The cooperative Loyola classrooms, created at San José Villafranca, represent new spaces that are incomparable to traditional classrooms. The classrooms can be adapted to any subject taught, are spacious with natural lighting, and are equipped with computers for each student, video equipment, DVD and projectors, and digital boards, allowing for the use of information and communication technologies in lessons.

Many students from towns located near Villafranca de los Barros travel to and from classes on school buses. The buses run in the morning and afternoon (the last departure from the campus is at 18:00) and participate in all off-campus activities.

The academic year runs from September to the end of June and includes breaks during international and national holidays and vacations. The weekly schedule consists of classes from Monday to Friday and rest on weekends. After classes on weekdays, students can participate in activities, clubs, and sections.

Additional expenses include:

• Accommodation and meals,
• Health insurance,
• Airport transfers,
• Individual needs, including additional academic support,
• Books and stationery,
• School uniform,
• Accommodation in a host family during weekends and holidays,
• Off-campus activities and excursions,
• Pocket money.

Depending on the type of accommodation chosen, some of these services may be included in the cost.

Prospective students will need to go through several registration stages:

1. Completing the online application and providing the required documents,
2. Receiving a response from the admissions committee with an invitation to entrance exams,
3. Attending an interview,
4. Receiving an official offer of admission,
5. Arriving on campus: settling into the residence, attending orientation events, and beginning their studies.

Over its long history, Colegio San José de Villafranca has graduated dozens of individuals renowned worldwide for their achievements, including:

• Guillermo Fernández Vara — politician,
• Carlos Jean — famous DJ,
• Rafael Sánchez Ferlosio — writer,
• César Cernuda — President of Microsoft LATAM,
• José Manuel Soto — musical performer,
• Antonio de Vargas-Zúñiga, Marqués de Siete Iglesias — academic in historical sciences.

Each year, senior students achieve excellent results on their final exams, allowing them to continue their education at top universities in Spain and abroad.

Admission of new students to primary and middle grades is usually conducted in April, while admission to senior (graduating) grades takes place in February. Applicants coming from other countries need to provide:

• Personal documents: passport, visa or residence permit, health insurance, and health certificates,
• Official transcripts for the last two academic years.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision