GSD International School Buitrago

• Location: Buitragô del Lozoya, Spain
• Year of foundation: 2012
• Language of instruction: Spanish, English
• Number of students: more than 1600
• Type: mixed.

GSD International School Buitrago is a private international boarding school for children over 12 years old. The institution has been part of the GSD (Cooperativa Gredos San Diego) since 2013. Together with this school, GSD is led by eight educational institutions in Madrid, opened from 1994 to 2013.

GSD International School Buitrago offers the highest quality school programs for students from grades one to 12. Instruction takes place in a bilingual format: classes are conducted by native speakers of both Spanish and English. The school pays special attention not only to bilingual education, but also to the teaching of other foreign languages.

Students receive an education based on personal enrichment through the development of all individual abilities and social skills. They get acquainted with the diversity of nationalities, cultures and languages, the surrounding world and subject disciplines, sports and creative directions. GSD graduates are fully prepared for adulthood and a rapidly changing world by completing the school's programs.

The institution has created a group of tutors in English and Spanish, mathematics.

The school has received the Stela Award five times from the Madrid Foundation for People with Down Syndrome through the recruitment of staff with disabilities.

More than 60 students live in school dormitories. Residential buildings are an ideal place for students interested in effective personal growth: in the neighborhood with students live teachers and staff who help with homework and support pupils in solving any problems.

The hostels are divided into zones for boys and girls. Each bedroom is divided into four single sections: pupils have secluded places for self-study, doing what they love and sleeping. Each section has a bed with drawers, wardrobe, wall shelves, bedside table and desk. The quadruple rooms are equipped with two bathrooms.

A variety of meals are provided on campus. Experienced and qualified chefs in a modernly equipped kitchen weekly prepare both the general menu and dishes without allergens: fish, gluten, eggs and milk, legumes. All menus are checked by the Spanish Dietary Association and SEDCA. Three meals a day are provided throughout the week - from Monday to Sunday.

Students have many opportunities to develop their extracurricular hobbies: physical activity, music and culture, science and charity. An association of ecologists has been created on campus, which educates students in the competent use of household appliances, the separation of garbage, the cultivation of plants and many other important aspects of the surrounding world.

All campus activities are planned in such a way that students have time for hobbies without being distracted from their studies. Particular attention is paid to intercultural interaction, thanks to which important human qualities are formed: respect, tolerance, responsibility and friendliness.

Sports areas at the school include:

• Chess
• Basketball
• Badminton
• Martial arts with an emphasis on self-defense,
• Soccer
• Gymnastics
• Swimming
• Volleyball
• Ice skating,
• Tourism.

Cultural activity mainly consists in the work of singing circles, playing musical instruments: guitar, piano, wind.

On weekends and holidays, students are invited to participate in sports and entertainment recreation, to visit excursions around Madrid. The dormitories regularly host various master classes adapted to the interests of students - they cover topics such as sports, cinema, karaoke, board games and more.  School excursions often serve as part of the educational program, allowing students to get acquainted with the famous places of Spain and visit neighboring countries:

• Tarragona, Delta del Ebro: four days for eighth-graders,
• Granada: four days for students in grades 10,
• London: six days for 11th grade students,
• Italy: a week for 12 grades.

• One of the top 100 secondary education institutions in Spain.
• No. 50 in the list of the best schools in the country according to the magazine El Mundo.
• He has many awards in different fields.
• Accreditation of the International Baccalaureate Organization.
• Bilingual education in IB programs.
• On-campus accommodation.
• Classes of 15 people.
• Summer and individual programs.

The territory of GSD IS Buitrago occupies 80,000 square meters in the village of Buitragó del Lozoya. The town is a 45-minute drive from Madrid, and near the campus there are many interesting places: cafes and restaurants, markets, places for social events. The school is surrounded by stunning natural views: mountains and forests, where every student will feel calm and safe.

School staff pay special attention to security, so round-the-clock video surveillance is installed here, day and night security works on the territory, a checkpoint at the exit from the campus.

The school has its own primary care clinic with a small but experienced staff. Employees provide first aid and disease prevention, monitor the nutrition and chronic diseases of students, maintain contact with large medical institutions.

For training on campus, modern classrooms, practical laboratories for specialized research, a library with a reading room and computers are equipped. Students can spend their free time in creative studios, game and gyms, in the fresh air.

The school year lasts from September to July. Holidays are provided on national, international days, weekends - Saturday and Sunday.

Approximate schedule of the school day:

• 7:00 – rise, shower and breakfast,
• 8:30 – training with one short break,
• 13:00 – lunch,
• 14:00 – training,
• 16:00 – sports sections, free time,
• 18:00 – homework.

On weekends, students wake up a little later, after classes they can organize activities or go on a trip to Madrid.

Additional costs:

• Entry fee – 375 or 750€ depending on the program,
• Deposit – 500€,
• Accommodation during the holidays,
• Passing exams,
• Books, consumables as needed,
• Personal expenses on trips.

The cost of programs includes accommodation, meals on campus, subject to availability.

To apply to GSD IS Buitrago you must:

• Find out about availability by contacting the staff,
• Fill in the online application, attaching the required documents,
• Pay the registration fee,
• Wait for confirmation of the consideration of the application and invitation to the campus,
• Pass an interview, visit the campus as part of an excursion group,
• Confirm enrollment.

High school students who have completed the International Baccalaureate (IB) program enter the best universities in the world in more than 150 countries – among them: Oxford, Cambridge, King's College London, Nottingham and others.

General requirements for all applicants to GSD IS Buitrago:

• Personal documents: passport (foreign – for foreigners), visa or residence permit, medical insurance.
• Assessment timesheets for the last two years of study.
• The results of knowledge of Spanish or English (for middle and high schools - not lower than level B1).
• Individual achievements in sports, creativity.
• Recommendations from teachers of the former place of study (if any).

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision