More Information
FAQs
- What are the hours of the school day?
9.15 am to 4.35pm
- How many pupils are there at King’s College Soto de Viñuelas?
1400 of over 45 nationalities.
- How many pupils are there in each class?
On average there are 25 pupils per class and four classes per year group. Setting (across five sets) is used in some subjects to allow for more personalised learning and smaller groups.
- What is the ratio of international pupils at the school?
80% of our pupils are Spanish and 20% international, of whom approximately half are British and the rest are from all over the world. There are currently 48 nationalities in the school.
- Which curriculum does the school follow?
The English National Curriculum.
- Are the teachers British?
All academic staff teaching the English National Curriculum are qualified British teachers, with the exception of some of the language teachers, who are native speakers. Those teaching Spanish language, Spanish validation and Bachillerato are qualified native Spanish teachers.
- What language do the pupils speak in the playground?
On the whole most of our pupils speak Spanish in the playground, so new children joining the school with little or no knowledge of the language generally pick it up very quickly. English is the language of the classroom.
- Will my child learn Spanish at King’s College, The British School of Madrid?
All pupils at King’s College study Spanish. Spanish pupils are required to take a minimum number of Spanish classes per week, the frequency and number depending on their age. Non-Spanish speakers are taught Spanish as a foreign language at all ages.
- What other languages are available?
French and German to GCSE and GCE A Level. Chinese is available as an optional class. - What sports are available?
Located as it is in the countryside outside Madrid, the main school offers a wide range of sporting activities including; swimming (25metre indoor heated swimming pool), football (11 and 5-a-side pitches), basketball, volleyball, hockey, tennis, gymnastics, athletics.There are also optional classes which take place during the school day, (usually at lunch time) and include amongst others horse-riding, ballet and judo.
- How much homework is set?This depends on the age of the pupil.As a general rule, in the Infant Department, no homework is set but pupils are expected to take reading books home to share with their parents.In the Junior Department, from Year 3 onwards pupils use a homework diary to note down any homework tasks they need to remember. Depending on their age they are expected to carry out between 1.5 hours of homework per week in Year 3, to half an hour per day plus written work at the weekends in Year 6. In addition to this, they are encouraged to read in both English and Spanish.In the Secondary Department pupils are set purposeful, relevant homework tasks on a regular basis.
- In Years 7, 8 and 9 the time allocated varies from one hour per night to one and a half hours, with four homework assignments at the weekend.
- In Years 10 and 11 students receive approximately 2 hours homework per night with assignments at the weekend.
- What examinations do students take at the school?
(I)GCSE (Cambridge), GCE A Level (Edexcel). Spanish university entrance examinations.
- Where do students go after finishing their studies at King’s College, The British School of Madrid?
Students who finish their education at King’s College enter universities all over the world. In the past, the majority of ex-students have entered British universities and a considerable number have been admitted to top institutions such as Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College and LSE. Other prestigious universities have entered include Durham, St. Andrew’s, Edinburgh, Manchester and numerous colleges belonging to the University of London.Some students have preferred to attend Spanish universities (UAM, Complutense, Carlos III, etc.) and many others have decided to continue their higher education in other parts of the world and have gained entry to universities in the USA (Boston College, Harvard, MIT, New York, Princeton and Rutgers), Canada (McGill, Dalhousie, University of Toronto and Waterloo), France (Sorbonne) and Japan (Aoyama, ICU, Keio, Sofia, Tokio, Tsukubu and Waseda), as well as in Australia, Chile, Korea,Turkey, Venezuela, etc.
- Is it possible to study at King’s College, The British School of Madrid for one term only?
The minimum time we can normally accept pupils is for one whole academic year.
However, for certain courses the minimum stay is two full academic years. This is true of the (I)GCSE course in Years 10 & 11 and the A Level courses in Years 12 and 13, which are integral 2 year programmes.
- How well do new international pupils adapt to the school?
Pupils at King’s College are used to welcoming newcomers and on the whole are very friendly and helpful. The Heads of the different departments make sure that “buddies” are always on hand to show newcomers the ropes at first. However, much depends on the attitude of the new pupil and how willing he/she is to make new friends and join in with the rest.
- How do I go about applying for a place for my child?
The first step in the admissions process is to send in an application form which may be obtained from our web page or by contacting the Admissions Department directly. The procedures for admission vary slightly according to the age of the candidate (please see Admissions). Infants are required to provide reports from the school of origin whilst Juniors from Year 4 and Seniors must take a CAT4 online assessment as well as complete a written piece. Senior pupils may also require an interview dependent on the year of entry. School reports for the two years prior to entry are also taken into consideration. - Does King’s College accept pupils with little or no English?
We take children with no English between the ages of 16 weeks to 4 years.For a limited number of Primary pupils between the ages of 5 and 16, we offer an “Induction English” programme. This is a special course for non-English speaking newcomers of proven academic ability, whose entry to King’s College would not otherwise be possible.They receive intensive English classes in very small groups and individual support is provided in mainstream lessons.From the age of 10 onwards new pupils must have a high level of English to enter the school. - What is the difference between the schools in Chamartín, La Moraleja and Soto de Viñuelas?King’s Infant School in Chamartín is a purpose-built Infant School for 200 pupils between the ages of 18 months and 7 years (Pre-Nursery to Year 2). At the age of 7 (Year 3), children transfer to the main school in Soto de Viñuelas or to King’s College School in La Moraleja. King’s College School in La Moraleja caters for 800 pupils between the ages of 2-16 (Pre-Nursery to Year 11). In Year 12 pupils transfer to King’s College Soto de Viñuelas. All schools follow the same curriculum.
- o English Language – Edexcel
- o Art – Edexcel
- o Mathematics – Edexcel
- o Biology – Edexcel
- o Chemistry – Edexcel
- o Physics – Edexcel
- o History – CIE
- o French – Edexcel
- o Spanish AFL – Edexcel
- o ICT – CIE
- o Computer Science - CIE
- o Geography – Edexcel
- o Music – AQA
- o German – AQA
- o Media Studies – AQA
GCE:
- o English Literature & Language – Edexcel
- o Mathematics – Edexcel
- o Further Maths – Edexcel
- o Economics – Edexcel
- o Biology – Edexcel
- o Chemistry – Edexcel
- o Physics – Edexcel
- o History – Edexcel
- o French – AQA
- o Spanish – AQA
- o Music – CIE
- o Art – Edexcel
- o Psychology – AQA
- o Business Studies – Edexcel IAL
- o ICT – CIE
- o Geography – AQA
- o Media Studies – CIE
- o German - AQA