Colegio San Patricio El Soto, Colegio San Patricio El Soto

• Year the group was founded: 1958; El Soto opened in 1967.
• Location: Madrid, Spain.
• Type of education: mixed.
• Type of institution: private day school.
• Language of instruction: Spanish and English.

Colegio San Patricio El Soto — the senior campus of the well-known Madrid educational group Colegio San Patricio. The school's history dates back to 1958, when it was founded by Luisa Murias, Luz Murias, Jaime Marugan, and Gabriel Castellano. From the moment it opened, the institution focused on quality private Catholic education, in-depth study of English from an early age, and teaching in small classes.

The El Soto campus began operations in 1967 and became the first educational institution in that part of the city. In 1975, San Patricio transitioned to co-education for boys and girls, and in 1987 opened a separate La Moraleja campus for younger students.

Today, El Soto educates teenagers aged 12 to 18: it offers secondary school programs, the Spanish national baccalaureate, and the international diploma.

Since 2019, it has been part of the international educational network Inspired Education.

The educational process includes a personal tutoring system, the i3e emotional intelligence development program, and academic and career counseling. Career guidance begins as early as middle school: students take vocational aptitude tests, participate in thematic meetings and masterclasses, meet representatives of various professions, visit companies, and take part in a school university fair.

French or German is studied as a third language. For English, Cambridge English examination tracks are available; for French and German — DELF and Goethe Institut certification.

For gifted students, the school offers the Gifted & Talented Programme: ability identification, in-depth research sessions, TEAC class, additional academic projects, emotional intelligence and communication skills development, and family support from specialists.

• In 2008, when Colegio San Patricio celebrated its 50th anniversary, the school received several awards: the Commander's Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X the Wise, the Bronze Plaque of the Royal Order of Sports Merit, and the Silver Medal of the Community of Madrid.
• El Soto has a mandatory school uniform: students wear it both on campus and at extracurricular events. A separate dress code is established for students in their final year of bachillerato.
• Every two years, the Harvard Spain Club selects one El Soto student to receive the Harvard Book Prize — an award associated with the Ivy League university admissions support program.
• Within the school community, a Houses system operates: students are distributed into Houses and participate in competitions, cultural events, and team projects.
• Thanks to membership in the Inspired Education network, students can participate in international exchanges, themed camps, and joint programs with other schools in the network.
• Colegio San Patricio supports St Patrick's School in Turkana, Kenya.
• El Soto has its own radio studio on campus.

El Soto is located in the Soto de la Moraleja district, which is part of the municipality of Alcobendas in the north of Madrid. The district has good transport accessibility: getting to the center of Madrid by car via the main highways is convenient, and the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport is nearby.

All campuses of Colegio San Patricio have their own kitchens and cafeterias, where hot meals are prepared for students daily. Menus are planned taking into account the age of children, dietary needs, allergies, and medical restrictions. Parents receive information about the menu for the following week in advance. In addition, El Soto pays attention to dining culture and table etiquette.

Great attention is paid to extracurricular life: students can engage in sports, arts, languages, debates, volunteer projects, and university preparation programs. Additional activities are organized during the lunch break and after the end of the school day.

The El Soto sports program includes basketball, volleyball, football, athletics, karate, chess, acrobatics, tennis, swimming, and general multisport. Some sections are oriented toward competition, while others operate in an amateur format — for example, students can compete for Colegio San Patricio in skiing and golf tournaments.

The arts program includes classes in visual arts, music, theater, dance, and film. Students in 4º ESO can choose a Film Studies course as part of the creative track. Students participate in theatrical productions, music projects, art studios, and work on audiovisual materials.

El Soto offers the Duke of Edinburgh Award with three levels of participation — bronze, silver, and gold. Students can join the Debate Club, Model European Parliament, Model United Nations, and CICAE Debate League. For Grade 11 students, the Operation Wallacea program is available, through which students participate in ecological expeditions and research projects: participants have already visited Madagascar, South Africa, and Dominica.

• Students aged 12–16 study under the Spanish secondary school curriculum simultaneously with the Middle Years Programme of the International Baccalaureate. At 16–18, students can choose either the national Spanish Bachillerato course or the international diploma programme.
• The campus has been officially accredited to deliver the diploma programme since June 19, 2012; the international secondary school programme was authorized on November 8, 2023.
• For students with high academic potential, El Soto offers a special programme that includes ability diagnostics, advanced workshops, extended learning assignments, and dedicated support from teachers and psychologists.
• In 2025, the average score of graduates in the International Baccalaureate diploma programme was 33.5 points, the maximum score was 44 points, and 90% of students received a bilingual diploma.

The campus academic facilities include classrooms, physics, chemistry and biology laboratories, technology rooms, and spaces for robotics, design and engineering projects. At the middle school level, the Aula-Materia system operates: each subject has its own dedicated classroom, between which students move throughout the day.

For arts disciplines, the campus is equipped with a theatre studio, music classrooms, visual arts workshops and the San Patricio Art Centre — here students study music, theatre, dance, painting and other art forms. Theatrical performances and musical shows are held regularly on campus.

The campus is equipped with an indoor gymnasium, basketball and volleyball courts, an indoor football pitch, a running track and table tennis areas. The grounds also feature a library, recreation and play areas, a chapel, an assembly hall, a radio studio, a cafeteria and a medical room.

The academic year is organized on a trimester system, with classes starting in September.

In addition to the main tuition fee, a registration fee for new students, meals, school transport, uniform, personal expenses, and medical documents are paid separately.

The tuition fee includes textbooks and digital books, study materials, a technology fee, day trips and cultural activities, the medical room and Aula-Salud, school photo and yearbook, accident insurance, psychological-pedagogical and pre-university guidance, and debate, research, and volunteering programs.

School transport is paid separately. The cost depends on the route zone and travel format: round trip or one way.

Parents are provided with information about available places, age requirements, and academic programs. The family may visit the El Soto campus to get acquainted with the learning environment, features of the educational system, and infrastructure.

The next step is submitting an official application and providing school transcripts and reports from previous years. After that, the candidate undergoes an interview and entrance examinations in key subjects and languages; for applicants choosing a science track in upper school, additional testing in physics and chemistry is conducted.

After reviewing the results, El Soto notifies the family of the admission decision. If the candidate receives a place, the parents complete the documentation process and confirm enrollment by paying the registration fee.

Due to the high volume of applications, the school recommends submitting documents in advance, ideally at least one year before the planned start of studies.

Graduates continue their studies at universities in Spain, the United Kingdom, the USA and other countries: 90% of San Patricio graduates enter their first-choice university. In Spain, graduates most often choose Autónoma, Complutense, Carlos III, Comillas, IE University and University of Navarra; abroad — Warwick, Edinburgh, UCL, London School of Economics and Imperial College London. Some graduates have won sports scholarships to study at universities in the USA, including Southeastern, Stevens Institute of Technology and California San Diego.

The SanPa Family alumni community already unites more than 6,000 people.

When entering secondary school, candidates take entrance tests in English, Spanish, and mathematics. Students continuing their education after the primary level at the San Patricio Serrano and San Patricio La Moraleja campuses may transfer to El Soto without additional selection.

When entering upper secondary, applicants take tests in English, Spanish, and mathematics. Those choosing the science track within the Spanish baccalaureate or diploma program are required to take exams in physics and chemistry.

Parents can take advantage of several types of financial support.

• For families with multiple children enrolled simultaneously in Colegio San Patricio schools, a family discount on tuition applies: the third child receives a 50% tuition discount, the fourth — 75%, the fifth — 100%. The benefits apply only to tuition fees and do not cover meals, transport, uniform, or other additional services.
• A separate benefit system applies to school meals: if several children from the same family use the school canteen, family-scale discounts apply.
• In addition, El Soto participates in an international full scholarship program for gifted students who demonstrate outstanding results in academics, sports, arts, and social initiatives. Selected participants may study on a fully funded basis throughout their entire period of study.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision