San Fernando School

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.

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.

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.