Guadalaviar School

Who we are

The training of the students is conducted in all facets of their lives: spiritual, academic, athletic and civic.

Guadalaviar School aims to supply its students with a cultural, ethical and moral system based on a Christian vision of life. The principles are intended to promote freedom and personal responsibility, a job well done, the desire to improve the spirit of service, love of truth, sincerity and coherence.

Academic Education is complemented by cultural activities and artistic volunteering, paying particular attention to those that collaborate with the promotion and development of the Valencian regional culture, the promotion of foreign languages, the use of technological tools and the respect for the environment.

Guadalaviar Education Project is based on:

– Personalized assistance

– Collaboration with families

– Differentiated Education

– Multilingualism

– Educational innovation and training in new technologies

– Training and updating of teachers

Guadalaviar is a school of Kindergarten, Primary, Middle and High School, open to people of every condition that aims to provide students with  a high quality, personalized, coherent, and comprehensive education, in an atmosphere of freedom and personal responsibility. Guadalaviar has been working over fifty years for the equal opportunities of women and their comprehensive training by offering quality education focussed on the importance of each person.

Guadalaviar School is a corporate work of Opus Dei, an institution of the Catholic Church that spreads the message that work and the circumstances of everyday life are occasions for growing closer to God, for serving others and improving society.

Personalized assistance

In Guadalaviar is essential that our students, besides an excellent academic trainning, get to acquire a number of human virtues and values such as a well done job, great spirit of service, joy, sincerity, etc..

Therefore, we offer to each student and his family personalized attention through the figure of the tutor, a teacher who, through casual conversation and in a context of freedom and confidence, motivates students to discover challenges in their personality and helps them to mature, to grow in their relationship with God,  and to make the best of themselves.

The preceptuación seeks to provide students  with adequate school counseling in order to improve their academic performance.

Collaboration with families

At school working with families plays a key role. Parents are the driving force at Guadalaviar educational program and the school expects of all of them a positive collaboration to realize the objectives of the College.

To this end, we offer parents tools and activities to participate in their role as primary educators: conference-colloquium talks on education, family counseling courses, meetings and meals with parents of each course, etc..

Periodically they are informed of each student developments, goals and achievements through a personal interview.

Differentiated education

Differentiated education responds to Guadalaviar´s desire to focus its educational project on each student.

Our teaching experience, has reassured the choice of differentiated education as a model that promotes equal opportunities, trying to get the road as personalized as possible and adjusting teaching methods and resources to the specific needs of each student.

Guadalaviar is member of European Single-Sex Education Association EASSE, an European association based in Switzerland that promotes the exchange of experiences and research concerning differentiated education.

Some related links:

EASSE European Association Single-Sex Education

NASSPE (National Association for Single-Sex Public Education)

ALCED Asociación Latinoamericana de Centros de Educación Diferenciadada

Multilingualism

Guadalaviar is part of the Network of multilingual Teachers of the Valencian Community.

From 3 years old, English, Valencian and Spanish are the languages used in the classroom as a vehicle to teach all subjects. In kindergarten, classes are taught in Spanish, English and Valencian in a proportion of 33% of the time for each language.

In Primary Education an hour of  English language is Taught on a daily basis, also from 4th Elementary it has been established two levels: normal and advanced in each course. Environmental Awareness subject is taught in Valencian and from the year 2011/2012 the physical education class is taught in English.

Also, from high school, the students can choose German as a foreign language subject academic offering within the school.

To constantly improve the quality of teaching, we developed this project in order to make the classes really communicative, using language at all times in the classroom and giving teachers a continuous training.

Guadalaviar was the first school in Valencia to participate in Young Learners Examination Centre for the preparation of the Cambridge exams and one of the best in results for over fifteen years. Thus we have become advisers for other centers on the development and implementation of this model of education.

Students can access Starters, Movers and Flyers tests in English from primary and 4th to 6th levels. In Secondary levels they can be examined for KET, PET and FIRST.

Educational innovation and training in new technologies

Guadalaviar is part of the Network of multilingual Teachers of the Valencian Community.

The scope technological development has had over recent years in education, has allowed Guadalaviar-in collaboration with other universities and educational institutions, to cooperate in scientific development and provide an excelent training in the use of technology.

This has been implemented in the classroom by the New Technologies Multimedia programs and by the implementation of appropriate ICT curriculum content.

In kindergarten, the school has developed Eduspark (a reading program running in the subjects of English and science). In primary school, this project is implemented in the subjects of Mathematics and English and in Secondary in the subjects of Valenciano, Technology, Music, English, Biology, and Physics and Chemistry.

Furthermore, Guadalaviar school promotes the use of ICT in the school at all levels through the following tools:

• Internal communication – intraweb

• Relationship with parents – via educational

• Education Manager

Teacher Education

To provide a comprehensive and quality training resources Guadalaviar invests in continuous updating of teachers through quality improvement programs and working groups in order to provide adequate means for personal advancement and teaching to help teachers meet their mission as guides with students and their families.

This programs take the form of foreign languages training courses, Information Technology and Communication seminars. They also include learning new methodologies in the classroom.

History of the School

Guadalaviar was founded in 1959, as an initiative of a group of parents conscious of the responsibility of being the primary educators of their children. Since its inception the school received the impulse of St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, founder of Opus Dei.

Its more than 50 years of history endorse the trajectory of the center for quality education focused on the importance each person. The training of the students is based on a Christian vision of  life and the promotion of freedom, responsibility, good work, sincerity and consistency of life with own beliefs.

Opened as a nursery, the Bachelor Elemental was implanted in 1963. En 1979 received authorization to teach night-time shift Bachillerato and Vocational Training.

With the implementation of E.G.B and B.U.P. and the expansion of school facilities, begins the Pre-University Course in June 1989. The same year the school is affiliated to the University of Valencia. In 1995 the project to adapt spaces for implementing the LOGSE was approved.

Levels of Elementary and Secondary Education obtained the public concert during 1999/2000, Early Childhood Education in 2011 and BA in 2007.

Guadalaviar is a member of CECE Quality Club, a founding member of Quality Club ACADE and has the collective member status of the ACS. It also maintains relationship with Quality and Excellence regional organizations.

The school is ISO 9002:94 certified;  European Quality Label 200 + and adaptation to ISO 2001:2000, is regularly updated: Last renewal having been obtained as on January 23, 2012.

Guadalaviar and Opus Dei

Guadalaviar is a corporate work of Opus Dei, an institution of the Catholic Church founded by Saint Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer in 1928 to spread the message that work and circumstances of everyday life are occasions for growing closer to God, for serving others and for improving society.

The main purpose of Opus Dei is aimed at training its members, but the inner desire to bring people closer to God sometimes makes Opus Dei to promote apostolic initiatives which are then named “Corporate Works”. In them Opus Dei becomes responsible for the doctrinal and spiritual formation given by them. This is the case of Guadalaviar School.

These initiatives include a variety of activities: centers for the promotion of women, medical clinics, rural schools on underdeveloped areas, vocational schools, dormitories, cultural centers, vocational training centers, universities …

They are all works of apostolate and run under the lay spirituality of Opus Dei itself, but Opus Dei is neither the owner nor assumes professional aspects, technical and economic factors that correspond to owners and managers.

Therefore, the role of Opus Dei in Guadalaviar is to provide doctrinal, spiritual and pastoral training to parents, students, teachers and administrative and service people who freely desire so. Moreover, the spirit of Opus Dei is reflected throughout the life of the school and the people who make Guadalaviar daily life and also in things such as:  in a job well done, in the spirit of service, in respect for the freedom and dignity of every person, in the attention to detail, in the love of truth, coherence, in the positive sense with which they face the difficulties etc.

Other corporate  works in the world

The faithful of Opus Dei along with many other people, promote social initiatives around the world such as centers for the promotion of women, medical clinics, rural schools on underdeveloped areas, vocational schools, dormitories, cultural centers , vocational training centers, universities …

These are all non-profit projects of civilians, and for a purpose and apostolic service, having the personality of the country and the culture where they are born and developed.

Some examples of Opus Dei corporate works.

Punlaan: is a vocational school specializing in the hospitality and tourism sector located in Manila. Its educational formula includes direct contact of the students with businesses (hotels, restaurants, etc..). In recent years, thanks to this system, 100% of the young people who have completed the Punlaan program have accessed a job.

Monkole: A hospital that serves thousands of people each year who are in need in the city of Kinshasa (DRC). It has two facilites on the outskirts of the capital (and Kimbondo Eliba) for medical care as outpatients. In addition, the Higher Institute of Nursing Sciences, annexed to Monkole,  prepares congolese youth for the health profession.

Midtown Sports and Cultural Center: in Chicago. Located in a multiracial Midtown, with many young people,  offers human, spiritual and sports academic programs, to mitigate the disadvantages of the social environment. 95% of students completed secondary education and 60% admitted to college, a much higher proportion than among other young people of the area.

University of Navarra in Pamplona Founded in 1952. It currently has over 20 faculties. In Pamplona campus there is also a University Hospital. In Barcelona, part of the University, there is the Institute of Higher Business Studies (IESE). Other institutions of higher education promoted by members of Opus Dei along with other people are the University of Piura (Peru), the University of La Sabana (Colombia) and the University of Asia and the Pacific (Philippines).

Kianda Foundation

Condoray

ASPAEN

Many other social initiatives are set out in this interactive map.