Founded in 1958 Parroquia San Patricio initially operated as a teaching center. It was located at 200 Serrano Street in Madrid. Four individuals Ms Luisa Murias Ms Luz Murias Mr Jaime Marugán and Mr Gabriel Castellano established the school. Their progressive vision shaped San Patricio’s early identity. The school embraced an open ethos with low student-teacher ratios. English language instruction was a key feature from the start. This explains the Irish connotation in the school’s name. San Patricio quickly gained a reputation for its innovative approach. Its success stemmed from the dedication of the management and teaching staff. The satisfaction of families who entrusted their children’s education to the school also contributed greatly to this success.
The school initially used English terms like “Nursery” and “School”. The youngest children followed an English half-day schedule. The teaching staff consisted of native Irish teachers. Students took examinations in the 4th and 6th grades. These exams granted them titles like High School Graduate and Senior High School Graduate. This provided access to the pre-university course and subsequent university entrance exams. In 1967 the first graduating class completed their studies at San Patricio. They were the only group to finish the entire Baccalaureate program in the Serrano building.
Due to increased demand San Patricio opened a new high school in El Soto de la Moraleja in 1967. This was the first school in this new neighborhood. The Serrano campus focused on Nursery and Primary education. Secondary students transitioned to the new El Soto campus. The El Soto building had separate male and female pavilions. This was due to Spanish Ministry of Education regulations. It had independent class schedules separate playgrounds and distinct management departments.
The implementation of the Basic General Education (BGE) in 1970 led to significant changes. The 4th-grade examination and the “Elementary Baccalaureate” title were abolished. The “School Graduate” title was introduced. Co-education was generalized in 1975-76. This wasn’t a drastic shift for San Patricio as the school had always encouraged interaction between boys and girls. They did this through extracurricular activities visits and daily interactions in the cafeteria. These were times of great change in Spain both politically and socially. These changes undoubtedly impacted the education of the students.
The changing educational legislation caused confusion. San Patricio adapted by incorporating the relevant aspects of the new law into its system. In 1983 another campus opened in La Moraleja. This was in response to increasing demand. Today this campus has the largest student population. This expansion celebrated San Patricio’s 25th anniversary. It showed the vision of one of the founders Mr Jaime Marugán. The structure was now complete: two schools for younger students and one for older students. Students progressed through the different campuses without changing classmates. This minimized disruption. The first University Orientation Course (UOC) showed excellent results with 100% of students passing the exams. This marked the beginning of a successful record of academic results. Parroquia San Patricio’s story reflects its commitment to quality and its adaptability to societal shifts. It serves as a testament to the vision of its founders and the dedication of its staff.