Academic Formation

At the Grand Association College we consider our students as unique individuals and with this in mind, our staff work together to get to know all our students on a personal basis and so help them to improve in all areas of their education. Each student has an assigned personal tutor to guide them and to help them develop as individuals. The personal tutors are fundamental and this is one of the aspects which differentiates us from other schools. Their value is in knowing their students personally and maintaining continuity throughout their educational journey.

The full collaboration of parents is vital to the education of our students. The study habits we encourage inside the school need to be supported at home and in this way we help create students with their own criteria capable of helping to make a more just world and able to make the right decisions in life. At the Grand Association College these goals and principles are shared by parents, students and teachers alike.

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Stages of Education

Pre-school (0 to 6) in Spain is not an obligatory stage but we see it as an opportunity to nurture our children’s physical, social and intellectual development and also to lay the foundations of the basic competences they will need in the future.

We establish the base for the development of both their mother tongue and English. Our children start pre-school at three years of age and are educated in an atmosphere of affection, respect and understanding using an innovative approach and specialist teachers.

01

Discover, know and control the body with the aim of forming a positive image of the body.

02

Become progressively more independent in daily activities and tasks.

03

Establish social relations in an ever expanding environment.

04

Observe and explore their surroundings with care and curiosity.

05

Express their imaginations and experiences through play and other forms of expression.

06

Express ideas, experiences and feeling in different situations.



Primary school is from six to twelve years of age and its aims are to provide children with an education that fosters their personal development.

This includes both oral expression and comprehension, reading and writing skills and mathematics alongside social skills, establishing good study habits and routines. Education at primary level aims to develop the following skills and capacities in the children:

01

Learning how to live with others; preparation to become good citizens who respect human rights and diversity in democratic society.

02

Establishing good study habits and routine; acquiring teamwork skills and a sense of personal responsibility, self-esteem, personal initiative and creativity.

03

Learning to respect cultural and individual differences between people; recognising equality between men and women and rejecting discriminatory attitudes.

04

Developing a deep appreciation of Spanish and Valencian and adopting the habit of reading for pleasure.

05

Learning a foreign language to the extent of being able to participate in simple everyday communicative situations.

06

Developing their creative capacities and their appreciation of the visual arts, music and mathematics as channels of communication.

07

Understanding the importance of looking after and defending the environment.

08

Using information and communications technologies in a responsible and critical way.

09

Understanding the importance of both personal hygiene for health and of taking care of our bodies; seeing sports as a way to social and personal development.




Secondary education in Spain consists of four years from the age of twelve to sixteen.

The main objectives are for students to attain a comprehensive knowledge of the basic elements of culture especially in the areas of humanities, art, science and technology. Another essential aim is for students to establish and develop study techniques and work habits to prepare them for higher level studies. An education in their rights and duties as citizens is another important objective at this stage.

01

Learn to be tolerant towards others, acquire the skills necessary to work collaboratively and to prepare them as citizens in a democracy.

02

Foster critical-thinking skills, personal initiative, planning skills, the ability to make decisions and to assume personal responsibility for their actions.

03

Comprehend texts and complex messages in both Spanish and Valencian and be able to express themselves orally and in writing in these two languages; begin to appreciate literature, reading and knowledge.

04

Understand and be able to express themselves in one or more foreign languages.

05

Know and appreciate different aspects of their own cultural heritage and others.

06

Get to know and accept the workings of the human body and to adopt good habits of personal hygiene.

07

Use physical education and sport as a way to personal development and social skills.

08

Appreciate artistic creation and to understand different forms of artistic expression.

In high school students reach intellectual maturity and orientate themselves towards higher education or integration into the work force.

High school in Spain is a two year course and consists of three distinct branches: arts; the social sciences and humanities and science and technology.

01

Become responsible citizens in a democratic society who actively contribute towards equality and fairness in society.

02

Foster a belief in equality, equal opportunities and rights between men and women and a rejection of discriminatory attitudes.

03

Reinforce good habits for reading, study and self-discipline as necessary conditions for effective learning and personal development.

04

Master oral and written expression in Spanish and Valencian, know the most important literary works of both languages and appreciate cultural diversity.

05

Express themselves fluently in one or more foreign languages.

06

Use responsibly information and communication technologies.

07

Nurture a respect for the environment and understand the principles of scientific research.

08

Develop an appreciation for art and literature as an enriching experience.

09

Use physical education and sport for personal and social development.

10

Know and appreciate the natural, historical and cultural heritage of the Valencian Community and the other regions of Spain.



The Dual Diploma Program provides our students with the opportunity of gaining both the Spanish and American High School Diplomas at the same time.

The Dual Diploma Program is controlled by the Florida Department of Education and is accredited by The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

01

The Dual Program is extracurricular. Students need to dedicate between three to four hours a week to keep up with the Program.

02

The Dual Diploma Program is an online course which includes optional subjects. Students become highly competent users of online academic courses and quickly develop a positive attitude towards their studies.

03

Normally, students begin the Dual Program in 3 ESO which means that they study the six subjects over four years. Subjects are taught 100% online by highly qualified teachers.

04

Students communicate with their teachers via video conference, skype and email.

05

The American High School Diploma gives students direct access to universities around the world.




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Innovation and Values

Education in good values

As set out in our Educational Project, the Grand Association College is committed to nurturing balanced students through the instruction of good values and principles that will serve them in all facets of their lives.

We believe that education in good values forms the base for nurturing happy, competent and committed individuals. For these reasons, education in good values at our College is centred on the following principles:

Love

Love for oneself and for others.

Respect

The right to be respected and the importance of respecting others are the foundations of our school community.

Equality

To embrace and welcome difference and diversity; to engender respect for different ethnic backgrounds, cultures, religions and equality between the sexes.

Responsibility

We are committed to building a better society and fostering a willingness to volunteer help.

Peace

We encourage our students to be independent thinkers in a world of continuing conflicts.

Effort and perseverance

Being constant in our work is the way to personal development and progress.



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Foreign languages and our multi-language education project: Cambridge Exams and DELF

One of our prime objectives at the Grand Association College is for our students to acquire foreign languages.

We have been running an ambitious foreign language program which includes school trips abroad, participating in European language projects and increasing the number of hours per week for foreign languages in the classroom. Each year, students from the final year of secondary education and the first year of high school or sixth form spend a week either at a special centre for English immersion. We also offer the option for students starting 3º ESO (14-15 year olds) to join our Dual Diploma Program whereby they finish their studies at the school with both the Spanish Bachillerato and the High School Diploma from the United States of America.

Our aim is for our students to see English not just as another school subject but as an essential skill and as something central to their academic development.

Cambridge Exams

With the aim of encouraging our students to achieve internationally recognised diplomas in English, we offer the opportunity to sit University of Cambridge ESOL examinations on the school premises. These include PET (Preliminary English Test) and FCE (First Certificate in English). The University of Cambridge ESOL examinations are internationally recognised and we consider the participation in these exams by our students not only as a positive personal experience but also as an integral part of our foreign language program. For further information, please follow the link below:

http://www.candidates.cambridgeesol.org/


Preliminary English Test (PET) Nivel B1

To achieve this level, candidates must be able to understand the basic ideas of a conversation focused on familiar topics. They must also be able to express themselves competently when discussing themes of personal interest.


First Certificate in English (FCE) Nivel B2

This is an upper-intermediate examination which show the ability to interact in communicative situations in a spontaneous way and also a capacity of expression in a variety of contexts are all essential skills required for this level.

DELF: Diplôme d’Etudes en Langue Française

Students at our College who study French as a second language have the opportunity to sit the DELF (Diplôme d´Etudes en Langue Française) examinations. The diplomas are awarded by the French Ministry of Education and certify levels of competence of French for foreigners. As with the University of Cambridge ESOL examinations, the DELF diplomas are internationally recognised and can be validated for points in universities in Spain and abroad.

Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) and iPads

In our current technological society students need adequate training in the use of ICTs within their school syllabus.

In order to maintain and improve the high standards of our college, we are incorporating new technologies into our classrooms as well as assuring their appropriate use by our students.

Through the use of ICTs we aim to:

Move away from the traditional text book and methodologies by using new technologies.
Individualize the learning process.
Motivate students and teachers.
Use the latest software for each subject.
Create a multimedia environment holding video conferences with other schools in Europe.

The Ipad as a learning tool

The use of Ipads and tablets in the classroom has been evaluated all over the world with excellent results.

Recent studies had shown that students’ academic performance improves with the introduction of Ipads and students themselves find the use of Ipads to be very motivating.
The use of Ipads fosters individual students to explore subjects at their own discretion and in their own way with the resultant boost to their own individual motivation.
The acquisition of knowledge thought Ipads uses all the senses and goes far beyond the capabilities of a printed text book.
Teachers are able to adapt the material to the differing levels of knowledge.
The availability of a wide selection of apps makes the learning of a foreign language a particularly rich experience.
Students are able to obtain the most up-to-date information on their subjects and to explore and discover knowledge beyond the strict scope of each subject’s syllabus.

Nevertheless, it must be stated that the College considers Ipads as a tool within its Educational System in that it is an excellent device for specific academic objectives. Our Department of Educational Guidance constantly monitors the use of new technologies with the aim of ensuring their proper and successful use.

Furthermore, the College has made video tutorials in I Tunes available to students for resolving common problems and an email offering 24 hour support. (sistemas@granasociacion.org).

Sports and Musical Education

Sport plays a fundamental role in our educational system at the College as we recognise its importance for learning how to work in a team, respecting opponents, learning to overcome challenges, friendship and many more values.

Deportes

Physical education has, not only the objective of promoting physical exercise, but also of showing healthy habits and many more values of great importance in life. We offer a wide range of sports activities in our after-school Sports Club which includes basketball, athletics and judo. We also have a special agreement with the Valencia Tennis Club of the Catholic University. Many of our students compete in inter-schools tournaments and in federations and we have a school ski trip every year. Every year more and more of our students join the Sports Club and participate in other activities so enriching the lives of our students in the College.

Educación musical

At the Grand Association we consider musical education to be of great importance to the lives of our students as it is without doubt a universal mode of expression and perhaps the most powerful art form of our age.

Music exercises the memory and helps children to concentrate as well as stimulating creativity and the imagination. For our Department of Music, cultivating a personal appreciation for music is a principle aim along with equipping our students with the language necessary to describe and discuss music. The College Choir and extracurricular music classes in pre-school both nurture musical expression and the enjoyment of music among our students. In the same vein, we hold concerts every year such as our Spring Concerts which are brilliantly directed by professional musicians in the school.
Our College offers many facilities to foster an interest in music including an especially equipped concert hall, a wide range of instruments and sound systems.

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Schools MBA

We have set up the first Schools MBA for Entrepreneurs Gran Asociación at our College

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Not everything is memorizing content. With this in mind, we have set in motion the learning of skills and attitudes which prepare us for the challenges of real life.

With the idea of filling the gaps left by our current educational system, we have developed the first Schools Masters in Valencia and the first Mini-MBA for Entrepreneurs Gran Asociación with the collaboration of Keyman Instituto de Talento educational consultants.
This is a pioneer project in Spain and the only one of its kind. It is designed specifically for Sixth Form students, in total 150, with a clear aim: to develop business and entrepreneurial skills and competencies.
Our students receive university-level tuition from the best professionals, university lecturers and business people of renown. The mini-Master consists of 50 hours which includes 20 workshops, 24 entrepreneurial objectives, individual careers guidance and the Gran Asociación Trade Fair for Entrepreneurial Projects, sponsored by businesses and private and public organizations. For this academic year, our students have received a full grant covering all costs.
Students will be awarded a diploma for their Mini-MBA for Entrepreneurs which will be a valuable addition to their CVs. We aim to equip our students with the life skills and competences they are going to need both at university and in work environments through the realization of real business projects and start-ups.
Our best projects will compete in national and European competitions and we will win. This project is all about educational innovation at the service of our students, teaching staff and families of the Gran Asociación College.