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San Fernando School

Spain, Asturias

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The school at a glance
Instructs in Spanish, English
Fees Fees not listed
Ages 0 - 18 years
Pupil numbers 1590
Type Co-educational
Opened 1941
Bus Service Yes
Academic offering
Curriculum IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP)
Taught languages English, French
Typical class size 25
Strengths Sport, Languages, Outdoor Education
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language
Stages Infant/Toddler Care, Early Years, Primary School, Secondary School, Sixth Form
Introduction

San Fernando School in Avilés, Spain, is an IB World School offering Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP), alongside a bilingual English–Castilian framework. Serving ages 0 to 18, the private, subsidized (concertado) school emphasizes language development, inquiry-based learning, and adherence to the IB learner profile. The campus blends a long history (established 1941) with modern facilities: science laboratories, a greenhouse and Nature Classroom, an outdoor Nature Area, and a climate-emphasis project that links learning with entrepreneurial activity. It operates as an Official Cambridge Examination Center and prepares students for Cambridge English and DELF exams. A robust sports program includes about 180 players across 19 teams, and the school is a Google Reference School throughout curricula. Extracurriculars include Chess, Modern Dance and Robotix; core arts and language activities feature a bilingual program, Cambridge English courses, and language exchanges. The school fosters inquiry, collaboration and growth.

Av. San Agustín, s/n, 33400 Avilés, Asturias, Spain

The Essentials

San Fernando School has 1,590 pupils, typical class sizes of 25, instruction in Spanish, English.

Location
The school is located in Avilés, Asturias, Spain. It is described as an IB World School. It is private, subsidized (concertado) and bilingual. It offers education from early years through Bachillerato.

Stages
Education Infantil (from age 3; English from age 2) through Educación Primaria, E.S.O. and Bachillerato, with International Baccalaureate programs at each stage. The Primary and Secondary programs include bilingual instruction with Cambridge University, and there is a Cambridge University examination center on site.

Type
Private, subsidized (concertado) and bilingual.

Country affiliation
Spain

School day structure
Opening hours run from 7:30 to 19:00 (September to July).

Bus service
A school transport service, organized by the Fundación Docente San Fernando, is available for students who need it. Infant and Primary buses have an adult supervisor on board. Routes include Pravia, Piedras Blancas, Salinas, Coto Carcedo, Los Balagares, Las Vegas, Villalegre, Candás, Luanco and Avilés centro; contact 985 565 745 to arrange the line that suits you.
Diving Deeper

Boarding Arrangements
Boarding was offered from the founding and continued for almost two decades. The boarding facility was located on the third floor below deck.

Uniform Requirement
The school has a school uniform. The collection includes blue polo shirts with the school badge and pants with the school shield; skirts are provided for older students, with options for shorts and additional uniform items for different year groups. There are separate uniforms for sports, and footwear is navy blue or black. Uniform items are available through collaborating establishments, including El Corte Inglés.

Food Options
Two canteens serve the school: one for preschool and another for Primary and Secondary Education, allowing meals to be organized by age group. All food is prepared daily in-house in the school kitchens, with menus planned and published for the year via the OBY Educa platform.

Governance and Ownership
Private, concerted Catholic school. The institution operates as a Centro Escolar Privado Concertado de Ideario Católico. Some school services, such as transportation, are organized by the Fundación Docente San Fernando.
Fees
Application fees
- No published application or enrollment fee amounts are listed on the school's public admissions information.

Tuition fees (by year group / per term)
- The school does not publish a public schedule of tuition amounts by year group or per term on its publicly accessible admissions or general information pages. No specific per-term or per-year tuition figures are available in the school's public materials.

Billing schedule and payment terms
- Ancillary services (for example, occasional use of the school's catering service) are invoiced and appear on the monthly receipt issued at the end of the month. The school states that the cost of such services managed by the Fundación San Fernando is billed on the monthly receipt.
- The site indicates that some service charges (meals, extracurriculars, transport when provided) are managed and billed as separate items rather than embedded in a publicly posted tuition table.

Boarding fees (if applicable)
- Boarding is not offered; the school describes daily schedules and provision of day services (early morning care, full-day hours for infant education, on-site catering) and does not list any residential or boarding provision or boarding fees.

Other costs and fees
- School meals: Menus are published as documents and the catering is run from the school's kitchens; the school confirms the meal service is charged and invoiced monthly, but no per-meal or per-month price is published publicly.
- School books and digital licences: The school uses a digital-books platform (Savia/SM) and provides guidance for digital-book licences; costs for licences or printed books are not listed as specific monetary amounts in the public documents.
- Uniform: A uniform policy and uniform information page exists, but no public price list for uniform items is published.
- Transport: A transport service description is published (school transport information page) but no published fare schedule or per-route cost is posted.
- Extracurricular activities: Activities are listed and described; the school indicates activity services carry fees that are billed, but specific monthly or per-activity prices are not published.

Refund information
- No public fee-refund policy or specific refund amounts/conditions for tuition, enrolment, or ancillary services is published on the school's publicly accessible pages.

Fee payment options
- The publicly accessible pages do not list specific accepted payment methods (credit card, direct debit, bank transfer) or detailed payment instructions for tuition. Ancillary services are described as invoiced on the monthly receipt, but the specific payment channels are not published openly.

Summary of availability of monetary figures
- The school publishes descriptions of services (admissions process, catering/menus, transport, uniform and digital-book procedures) and states how some services are invoiced, but it does not publish application fees, per-term or per-year tuition amounts, boarding fees (not applicable), uniform price lists, transport fares, or a public refund policy on its publicly accessible pages. The public materials that are available and referenced above were used to compile the service-level billing statements in this overview.
Academics

San Fernando School teaches IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP) for students aged 0 to 18.

Curriculum
The school is an IB World School offering Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP). It is private, semi-private (concertado) and bilingual, serving students from pre-school to high school. The educational project emphasizes high academic levels, development of languages and multiple intelligences, and follows the IB learner profile to guide student learning.

Higher Education Progression
The school trains students from 4 months of age until their access to the University, preparing them for university admission.
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
Early Childhood Education aims to contribute to the physical, emotional, social and intellectual development of children. The Primary School Programme (PEP) is for students aged 3 to 12 and focuses on the holistic development of the child and their capacity for inquiry and discovery inside and outside the classroom. The school offers a wide range of sports and activities to support student development. The school is an IB World School, private and bilingual, educating students from Kindergarten to High School.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
The school has a bilingual curriculum. The Bilingual Program is implemented across all Primary and Secondary Education; in Early Childhood, the youngest already receive English classes. At the end of Primary and Secondary education, students receive a Certificate of Participation in the Bilingual Program. Cambridge English for Schools is integrated into the curriculum, and the School is a Cambridge Official Exam Centre, offering Cambridge exams on site at Starters, Movers, Flyers, PET, First Certificate, and Advanced English. The San Fernando Foundation enables ESO and Bachillerato students to prepare for Cambridge exams in the afternoons at no extra cost. The school also offers DELF preparation through an Alliance Française partnership.
Parent Experience

History
History: San Fernando School in Avilés has a documented educational commitment dating to 1941. The center began classes on October 13, 1941 with 50 new students—34 in Bachillerato and 17 in Comercio—in a colonial-style house on Calle de la Magdalena No. 2 owned by D. Cayetano Prada. D. Víctor Pérez García-Alvera, founder of the Colegio San Fernando in Avilés, had previously directed Colegio San Luis de Pravia. In 1976, San Fernando bought the facilities of Colegio San Agustín de Avilés, prompting major structural changes to accommodate growing demand and continued expansion thereafter. From 2008, Primary Education began bilingual English–Castilian instruction, and the school pursued International Baccalaureate status, achieving Diploma Programme authorization in 2012–13 with the first graduates in 2014–15.

Community
San Fernando has a long musical tradition, including a band that reached up to 60 musicians (1987–2003) and a choir that has operated for more than twenty years; the Philharmonic Society of Avilés used the school's facilities from 1976 to 1989, and since 2012 the school offers Official Music Education at the San Fernando Music School. An annual memory magazine has been produced since 1976–77, capturing student groups and school activities. Summer camps began in 1979 and ran for 35 years, attracting more than 200 participants each year. Charitable activities include Operation Kilo and other fundraisers such as a Beneficial Festival and Bocadillo Solidario; the nursery and early childhood center have been operating since 1987.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
AMPA (Asociación de Madres y Padres de Alumnos) welcomes families to its web presence. The association formed 41 years after the first Extraordinary Assembly on November 29, 1976, when the parent associations of Colegio San Agustín and Colegio San Fernando unified. The school presently offers Educação Infantil from 0 to 6, Primaria from 6 to 12, ESO from 12 to 16, and Bachillerato. The AMPA notes that the school's educational approach is based on Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences, with a strong emphasis on bilingual learning from early years, implementing the Primary Years Programme (PEP) since 2017 and the Diploma Programme (DP) since 2014, placing the school among the leading institutions in Spain. The AMPA's aims include promoting the integral formation of students in collaboration with school leadership and staff, supporting educational, cultural and sports activities, raising family awareness of values, informing parents about education, and fostering cooperation with other entities with shared goals. The AMPA board includes: President Pablo Emilio Menéndez Martínez; Vice President Cristina Alvera Cuervo; Treasurer María Urdangaray Vives; Secretary Eva Rodríguez Muñiz; Vice Secretary Amelia Tessier Fernández; and Members Jesús Morán Masipica and Mercedes Ibáñez López. Contact details are provided through the AMPA form, and there is a section inviting involvement with opportunities to work with the school.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
The school is an IB World School located in Avilés. It is private, subsidized (concertado), and bilingual, educating students from Educación Infantil through Bachillerato. Since the school's foundation in 1941, San Fernando has pursued a program of high-quality teaching, values, and strong language preparation. The school emphasizes a robust sports program and a modern campus with excellent sports and leisure facilities. More than 800 participants—students, alumni, and parents—are part of Sanfer's sports program, supported by over 55 coaches. The school invites families to visit to explore its facilities and learn about its educational project.

Sports Facilities
For basketball, the school has three indoor courts in the sports complex and three outdoor courts. The basketball program includes about 180 players across 19 teams, with both male and female divisions. Notably, the senior men's team competes in the National League. The school employs trained coaches, including a national team selector, to guide the teams and development. These facilities reflect the school's substantial and well-developed sports infrastructure.

Academic Facilities
The school has Biology, Physics, and Chemistry laboratories where secondary students practice weekly and learn safety, reagent labeling, and various methodologies. Diploma Programme students carry out independent investigations using advanced materials such as graphene. A greenhouse and a Nature Classroom (Aula de la Naturaleza) provide hands-on learning opportunities; younger students learn sowing and cultivation, including uses for the school menu, gifts, and projects, while IB students use the greenhouse for research. An outdoor forest-like Nature Area offers a genuine natural learning environment on campus, and a climate-emphasis project engages students in entrepreneurial activity tied to environmental care. The school is a Google Reference School, integrating Google for Education tools (Drive, Sites, Classroom) across curricula, with departments creating blogs and websites for units. The Primary Education area includes a Music School with official Elemental Grade programs and more than 10 specialties to choose from, and classrooms feature interactive whiteboards.

Extra Curricular Facilities
Chess, Modern Dance, Robotix, Art and Creativity, and LEGO are offered as extracurricular activities. These activities are listed under the Actividades section of Vida Escolar. Participation provides opportunities to explore interests beyond the classroom. They are coordinated by school staff with dedicated facilities and schedules aligned with the school calendar.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
San Fernando School is an IB World School serving Kindergarten through Baccalaureate. Primary Education follows the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) and uses a bilingual framework with Cambridge University Press. Secondary Education applies the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the school is an Official Cambridge Examination Center. The Baccalaureate offers National and International Baccalaureate programmes and includes preparation for Maths and Chemistry Olympiads.

Arts & Creative
Art and Creative Development is offered to students from 3 years; sessions run Friday 13:45 to 14:45; it is taught by Laura Tarrazo and uses a non-directive approach to encourage creative thinking. Robotix is a robotics workshop for Primary students starting in 2nd year; sessions take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays and teach electronics, mechanics and programming while fostering teamwork and creativity. Modern Dance develops temporal and spatial perception, coordination, musicality and creativity with classes for different groups across the school. Lego develops mathematical thinking, fine motor skills, patience, self-esteem and socialization; sessions are 1st–3rd on Mondays and Thursdays 14:15–15:15 and 4th–6th on Mondays and Fridays 13:15–14:15.

Cultural & Language
A bilingual program is integrated across Primary and Secondary Education, with a Certificate of Participation upon completion. Cambridge English is embedded throughout Primary and Secondary, and the school is an Official Cambridge Examination Center offering exams from early levels to Advanced English. In Secondary, DELF exams are available in French through the Alliance Française de Oviedo. The school runs Student Exchange Programs with partner schools in Europe and the United States, including Baylor School, Herschel School and Silicon Valley International School.

Social & Hobbies
Lego is offered to Primary Education students; schedule is 1st–3rd: Monday and Thursday, 14:15–15:15; 4th–6th: Monday and Friday, 13:15–14:15. Lego fosters mathematical thinking, fine motor skills, patience, self-esteem and socialization. Modern Dance fosters coordination, rhythm and creativity and provides social engagement through group activity.

Leadership & Professional
The Orientation Department, together with the Careers Department, supports the center and teaching staff, coordinating orientation activities and guiding personal, vocational and professional development. It provides preventive, informative and reeducative actions, including interviews and vocational assessments in 4th ESO that culminate in reports on professional and academic options. Orientation talks are held for 3rd and 4th ESO, and the school runs university fairs and higher studies events to help students plan their futures.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
A broad range of sports is offered, including basketball, soccer, judo, paddle and tennis, with Sports Initiation for younger students. Basketball features multiple teams with training sessions across age groups held on weekdays (various time slots). Modern Dance and other performing arts support wellbeing by fostering psychomotor development, balance, coordination and expression.
Languages

Language Provision
English is the vehicular language within the Bilingual Program; English begins in Early Childhood Education. The Cambridge English for Schools Project is integrated into Primary Education and ESO, and the school is an Official Cambridge Examination Center offering Cambridge exams at Starters, Movers, Flyers, PET, First Certificate, and Advanced English (C1). French is taught as a second foreign language in Secondary, with DELF diplomas available through Alliance Française de Oviedo (A1–B2).

Bilingual Teaching
The School San Fernando runs a Bilingual Program across Primary and Secondary Education. English is taught from Early Childhood, with English-language content in the curriculum from an early age. The program integrates a foreign language with other curricular subjects while preserving Spanish academic standards. At the end of Primary Education and ESO, students receive a Certificate of Participation in the Bilingual Program.

Immersion Programs
Linguistic and cultural immersion for foreign students aged 12 to 18 who wish to study for a term, semester, or full academic year in Spain. Students receive two daily Spanish language sessions and attend subjects aligned with their academic program. They stay with host families and participate in school-day and sports activities to ensure immersion.
Admissions

Admissions
The School San Fernando is a Concerted Center from Early Childhood Education 3 years to 4th of ESO. Read this website carefully: you will find detailed information about the Educational Project, the values defined in the Student Profile, and the teaching methodology used by the staff as a center belonging to the International Baccalaureate Organization. To join the School's Educational Community San Fernando, follow these steps: Read this website carefully; you will find detailed information about the Educational Project, the wide range of extracurricular activities, complementary services and educational and sports facilities. Contact us: fill in the form below and, when possible, visit us. Do not wait for deadlines set by the Administration to know the school where your children will study. At present we cannot carry out the Open Days organized at the College. Submit the Admission application: We are a Concerted Center from Early Childhood Education 3 years to 4th of ESO. It is necessary to abide by the terms and requirements established by the Administration and which can be found below in the Student Admission Procedure section. Carmen Bueno is Academic Director. Admissions information: Fill in the form and we will contact you to inform you of the availability of places and the process to follow to formalize the registration. Note: The Form will open in a new tab. Procedure for admission of students: Levels not agreed: Infant Education 0 to 2 years and Baccalaureate. Conduct an interview by calling the telephone 985 565 745, or through the previous contact form. In this personal interview we will inform you of the availability of places, general and particular aspects of the schooling of your daughter or son, the necessary documentation and deadlines. Likewise, we will inform you about the Educational Project, rules of coexistence, school activities, complementary and extracurricular activities, and those aspects related to school life in the Center. Admissions during the school year: In non-concerted levels can request a place at any time throughout the school year, informing previously if there is availability of a place in the Center for the course that is requested. Agreed levels: Infant Education 3 to 5 years, Primary Education and ESO. The admission of students to agreed levels is carried out according to the regulations that regulate it. Two moments are differentiated in the admission process: Transfer and admission of students throughout the course; Admissions for the next school year. In both situations we advise you to arrange an interview by calling the telephone 985 565 745, or through the previous contact form, interview in which we will inform you and advise you on all aspects related to the admission of your children to the School. Notes: The students of 2 years, in their step to the level agreed of Infantile Education of 3 years, are subject to the procedure of admission of students fixed by the Educational Administration. Students already enrolled in the Center at agreed levels must not submit to the official procedure for admitting students.

Scholarships
The Amancio Ortega Foundation scholarships have been awarded to San Fernando School students to study abroad for the first year of Bachillerato in centers in the United States or Canada. For example, Lucía Cerezo and Patricia Pérez, fourº de ESO, were among the Foundation's beneficiaries to follow the 1º Bachillerato in the United States or Canada; they were selected from more than 9,700 applicants nationwide for 500 scholarships. Iria Cuesta, a fourº ESO A student, was selected among the approximately 600 students nationwide to study in the United States or Canada and will travel to the Canadian province of Ontario to study there. These cases were reported by the school in 2018 and 2019.
School Events
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