Admission Process

The students who arrive at Retamar do so at the age of 6, once they have finished their years in pre-school. Retamar welcomes, every year, students from over 30 different institutions in the Comunidad de Madrid, standing out, primarily, Orvalle and Alegra, both schools with which we share a common agreement and where many of our students’ sisters study. 

Every year there are students who arrive in higher school years, provided that there is a vacancy open.

The 18 school buses ease the access of all students regardless of their location across Madrid’s geography. We also hold shuttle buses between Retamar, Orvalle and Alegra which allows for transfers in 20-30 minutes. 


GETTING TO KNOW THE SCHOOL

We are delighted to show Retamar to all families interested.

Every friday, morning or evening, those families who are inclined can visit and get to know the facilities, a deeper understanding of the educational project and become familiar with the admission process.

To request an appointment use this link. You may also call the Head of Admissions (Eugenio Gracia Martínez-Caro, +34917141022) to solve further doubts.


ADMISSION PROCESS

The goal of Retamar’s admission process is to reach a mutual familiarity between the school and their families as the key to Retamar’s success has always been the profound unity that exists between the educational project of each family and what the school does (Retamar is a continuation of what each family finds lives at home). Thus, the different stages of the process aim to this goal: 

—Fill in the admission form. Once we receive the application, we will send an email as an acknowledgement of receipt.
—Personal interview with the family, with the idea of strolling through the facilities and detailing the educational project of Retamar.
—During the years or months prior to the admittance to the school we offer our ‘future families’ training courses with the goal of helping them on their formative duties, to delve into their acknowledgement of Retamar’s project, and to discover how we tailor to each family.  On the other hand, these sessions are a great opportunity for those future families to get to know each other. Thereon, never being new families in Retamar. 
—Admission Letter handover, a few months prior to the beginning of the corresponding school year. This letter symbolizes the inclusion of the family to the school. 
—Welcome Interview,  in which each family is given the necessary guidance to fulfill the corresponding paperwork, solving any enquiries about the arrival of their son to the school, confirming the payment of the reserved vacancy and settling the way of carrying out the contribution to the Fundacion Iniciativas Sociales Retamar.  


COORDINATION EFFORT WITH ORVALLE AND ALEGRA BRITISH SCHOOL

Since their beginning, both girls’ schools Orvalle and Alegra British School share with Retamar families and a unified educational project. 

In recent years, we have undertaken a significant effort to coordinate the logistics and formative aspects of all three institutions: transportation improvement, with shuttle buses to minimize time and transit management; unification of textbooks to reduce costs on families’ school supplies; a unified calendar logistics; etc. 


ECONOMIC CONCURRENCES TO HELP LARGE FAMILIES

The third son studying at Retamar gets an exemption of 40% of the educational installment and the school bus. The fourth son studying at Retamar doesn’t pay either educational installment or school bus.

We have also reached an agreement with Orvalle and Alegra to establish a maximum educational cost for families: 

—Large families with four or more children schooled in Orvalle and Retamar may request a special discount, if needed, of a maximum cost regarding of three educational installments between both schools.
—Large families with four or more children schooled in Orvalle and Retamar may request a special abatement discount , if needed, of a maximum cost regarding of  three and a half educational installments between both schools.

Monthly installments (2020/21):

Education:
—1st-2nd Primary: 463 euros
—3rd-4th Primary: 477 euros
—5th-6th Primary: 479 euros
—1st-2nd ESO: 515 euros
—3th-4th ESO: 562 euros
—1st-2nd Bachillerato: 583 euros
School meals: 125 euros
School bus: 137 euros


NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION

In addition to the admission form, from 3rd of Primary it is indispensable to provide the grades from the previous school year and the most recent term.  

For further information on admission in Vocational Studies, click here. 


ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION FOR STUDENTS COMING FROM OTHER COUNTRIES

Primary: Official certification of previous studies

Secondary and Baccalaureate: Certifying receipt of having requested the official validation from the Ministry of Education of the studies undertaken abroad. (The official registration of these is conditional to the school year validated. Validation office: Paseo del Prado, nº 28). Once received such document, parents must send it as soon as possible to the School’s Secretary’s office. 


ACADEMIC SYNCHRONIZATION PROGRAM

Due to the constant increasement of mobility as a result of labour matters in a world increasingly globalized, and at the same time with distinct educational systems, we have recognized the necessity to open a program directed to curricular adaptation and synchronization for those students from different educational systems. The aim is to develop the competences with which they arrive, and gradually, acquire those of our system, avoiding any sort of unnecessary strains and thwarting. 

The Guidance Department coordinates the Program, in cooperation with the team of teachers from the corresponding year, settling the convenient supports, individual or in small groups, and the required academic measures for, both, the acquisition of necessary knowledge and competences. Throughout this synchronization period, the grading system will answer according to the educational system of their origin, adjusting gradually to the evaluation system of Retamar. When, in accordance with the family, it is verified that the student has adapted to the new system, the School will proceed with the standardization of the class’ educational system and assessment.

All along the duration of the Program, each student has an individual Program Coordinator, who may or may not be his assigned preceptor, although it is preferably a teacher from his year, who works in cooperation with the Guidance Department, and who follows the student’s progress.