Languages
ValdeSerra International School is a bilingual school in English, with German as a second foreign language.
We don’t teach English.We teach in English.
English is learned in curricular and extracurricular hours along two lines: more hours of English as a subject, and subjects taught in English (Content and Language Integrated Learning).
The aim of the subject is not grammar but communicative competence as a whole: writing and reading, but above all listening and speaking.
The language is acquired in the same way as a mother tongue. That is why in Infants we start with listening and speaking, and the other skills are introduced as they are acquired in Spanish.
Our results rest on well-qualified teachers and on our commitment to native staff, present at every stage and throughout the year. Split classes and flexible groupings are also key.
Hours taught in a foreign language
Share of the timetable in English and in German at each stage.
| Stage | In English | In German |
|---|---|---|
| Early years, first cycle (ages 1–3) | 100% | 6% |
| Early years, second cycle (ages 3–6) | 85% | 6% |
| Primary, years 1 and 2 | 52% | 4% |
| Primary, years 3 to 6 | 52% | 8% |
| Secondary, year 1 | 54% | 6% |
| Secondary, years 2 to 4 | 38% | 7% |
What is taught in English
- Infants
- All curricular content, except reading and writing.
- Primary
- In addition to English lessons: Physical Education, Robotics and Coding, Natural and Social Sciences, Art and Music.
- Secondary
- Physical Education, Biology, Geography and History, Music, Art and Technology.
- Bachillerato
- It prepares for an exam that is sat in Spanish, so there are no subjects taught in English. Even so, English carries great weight and its use is encouraged throughout the stage.
Roadmap to bilingualism
The level of English reached at each age, according to the Common European Framework of Reference.
Ages 1 to 5
Listening and speaking
- Stage
- Nursery School and Infants
- Timetable in English
- 100% in the first cycle of Infants and 85% in the second
- Timetable in German
- 6%
Ages 6 to 11
A1 / A2
- Stage
- Primary
- Timetable in English
- 52%
- Timetable in German
- 4% in years 1 and 2, 8% in years 3 to 6
- Cambridge exams pupils prepare for
- From Starters to First Certificate, according to each pupil’s level
Ages 11 to 12
A2 / B1
- Stage
- Primary
- Timetable in English
- 52%
- Timetable in German
- 8%
- Cambridge exams pupils prepare for
- From Starters to First Certificate, according to each pupil’s level
Age 12
B1
- Stage
- Secondary
- Timetable in English
- 54% in year 1 of ESO
- Timetable in German
- 6%
- Cambridge exams pupils prepare for
- From KET to Proficiency, according to the pupil’s level
Age 13
B1 / B2
- Stage
- Secondary
- Timetable in English
- 38% in years 2 to 4 of ESO
- Timetable in German
- 7%
- Cambridge exams pupils prepare for
- From KET to Proficiency, according to the pupil’s level
Age 15
B2 / C1
- Stage
- Secondary
- Timetable in English
- 38% in years 2 to 4 of ESO
- Timetable in German
- 7%
- Cambridge exams pupils prepare for
- From KET to Proficiency, according to the pupil’s level
Ages 16 to 18
C1 / C2
- Stage
- Bachillerato
- Cambridge exams pupils prepare for
- From First to Proficiency, according to the student’s level
This stage leads to an exam sat in Spanish, so no subjects are taught in English. Even so, English carries great weight and its use is encouraged.
Cambridge Partner and exam centre
We believe our pupils’ level of English should be certified by a prestigious external institution: the University of Cambridge, of which we are a Partner and exam centre. Year after year Cambridge congratulates us on the high number of pupils who sit these exams, with excellent results.
German from the age of two
Although it has fewer hours than English, German teaching begins in the two-year-olds’ classroom and continues through Infants and Primary. It is offered in every year of Secondary and in the first year of Bachillerato.
Pupils work on speaking and writing, listening and reading, and on cultural aspects of the countries where the language is spoken.
Beyond the classroom
We encourage every kind of activity that builds language skills in English and German.
- Language clubs
- European initiatives
- Bilingual summer camps
- Trips and stays abroad
Dual Diploma
In partnership with Academica, students who complete the Spanish Bachillerato also earn the US High School Diploma. Above all it is a linguistic and technological immersion, and an experience of individual responsibility in an intercultural setting.
American Dual DiplomaCome and meet us.
Admissions are open all year round. Ask for a guided visit and we will show you the school and our educational project.