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SEK International School Ciudalcampo has commemorated its 50th anniversary at the school campus with a festive day that brought together students, families, alumni, current and emeritus teachers, and staff in an atmosphere defined by shared experiences, collective memory and a forward-looking spirit. The celebration included a Christmas market and a comprehensive programme of activities held across different areas of the school.
During the afternoon of 12 December, the campus was filled with cultural, educational and charitable initiatives, including Christmas carols performed by students from different educational stages, children’s workshops, astronomical observation, themed photocalls, a Nativity scene narrated by musical theatre students, the Christmas train, and a charity market held under the motto “Three Houses, one community.” The programme also featured intergenerational gatherings between alumni and emeritus teachers, strengthening the bond among all those who have been part of the school’s history over the past five decades.
The event concluded with the screening of a commemorative video retracing the 50-year journey of SEK-Ciudalcampo, followed by the official closing of the day, bringing to an end a celebration that combined tradition, innovation and a strong sense of community.
As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations, SEK-Ciudalcampo welcomed a visit from Olli-Pekka Heinonen, Director General of the International Baccalaureate, who met with students, learned about their projects and took part in an institutional meeting with the presidency of the Institución Educativa SEK, highlighting the school’s commitment to global educational excellence.
A History Marked by Continuous Innovation
Founded in September 1975, SEK International School Ciudalcampo was established with the vision of becoming a pioneering school, designed to offer innovative education in a unique natural setting. Today, it is the largest-capacity school within the Institución Educativa SEK and a leading educational reference in the north of Madrid. Located on a 40,000-square-metre site, the campus was designed by architect Manuel González Orús as a complex inspired by Roman and Arab architecture, organised around inner courtyards and fully integrated into the surrounding landscape of oak trees and rolling hills.
From its early years, SEK-Ciudalcampo has stood out for the breadth and quality of its facilities—including sports courts, an indoor swimming pool, a fronton court, an astronomical observatory and spaces dedicated to artistic expression—as well as for an educational approach focused on the holistic development of students. Over the years, the school has consolidated cutting-edge learning spaces, such as a Maker Space where students experiment and develop creative projects, and applies the SEK Future Learning Model, its own pedagogical approach that promotes flexible, personalised and collaborative learning.
The school also offers programmes for gifted and talented students and is an IB World School, integrating all three International Baccalaureate programmes within a bilingual and multicultural context. Over half a century, generations of students have experienced at SEK-Ciudalcampo an education rooted in holistic development, pedagogical innovation and commitment to their environment. Today, that legacy remains alive in every classroom, every project and every celebration.
Half a Century of History, a Future Full of Opportunities
The 50th anniversary celebrations extended throughout 2025 with a comprehensive programme of activities linking past, present and future. These included alumni gatherings, charitable initiatives, cultural events and the graduation ceremony for 2nd-year Bachillerato students, during which the SEK anthem—composed especially for the occasion by alumnus Alberto Matesanz and emeritus professor Carlos Urdiales—was premiered.
The commemorations also featured the presentation of the 50th Anniversary Year Book and the inauguration of a collaborative mural, a symbol of the community spirit that defines SEK-Ciudalcampo: half a century of history and a future full of opportunities.
