Values

Ages 0 to 18 years

Educational Principles

Values

Respect, discipline and effort, combined with autonomy, tolerance, responsibility, friendship, solidarity, and respect for diversity and the environment, make up an essential formula for the student to face the learning process in all different subjects. These are the basis for true knowledge and for us, integral education begins by first attending to these essential humanistic aspects;

The objective of educating in values is to accompany, stimulate,and guide students in the development of their moral conscience, having the progressive growth of their personal autonomy and social responsibility as the horizon.

In addition to transmitting essential values, we want our students to learn to live together in peace, with mutual respect, to be responsible with the environment around them and to be aware of the importance of sustainable development, to promote the inclusion of diversity and to prevent violence with very assertive and respectful communication, as well as to learn the importance of effort and commitment.

This education is reinforced with different programs that promote the implementation of everything we teach our students for their personal growth.

The House System also helps to internalize values such as companionship, joy, responsibility, and respect.

In addition, Secondary and Baccalaureate students do volunteer activities and, thanks to the CAS (Creativity, Activity and Service) program, which is closely linked to The Yago Foundation in the area of Service, students develop activities related to solidarity within their community, instilling in young people a sense of commitment to the most vulnerable.

Along with this humanistic education that all students receive, students from Infant 3 to Secondary 4 can choose between taking the subject of Values or Catholic Religion.

Religion or Education in Values? 2 options to choose

Yago School is a secular school and establishes the following values as a framework for the development of educational activity in the school community.

It divides the education in values of its students into four large groups:

Intellectual Values
We educate critical and reflective people with an active attitude towards learning and inquiry, with a culture of effort and work discipline that enables them to face challenges with initiative and open-mindedness.

Personal Growth Values
We educate physically and emotionally balanced people, with a sense of justice and responsibility, capable of working effectively in teams and acting with integrity, freedom and coherence.

Values of Global Awareness
We educate caring people, aware of the social and environmental needs of the world around them, and actively involved in improving it through research, collaboration and commitment.

Values of Expression
We educate creative people, capable of discovering and developing their skills and talents with confidence and security to communicate orally and in writing in different areas and through artistic disciplines such as drama, music or art.

"Yago School is a secular school that deeply respects the religion and spirituality of its students. Therefore it offers the possibility of taking Catholic Religion (the most widespread religion in Spain), or Education in Values, a subject focused on the civic, ethical, environmental and solidarity values of our times".

And what do we aim to do by providing these values to our students?

To develop active and analytical minds, and the ability to question, discuss and develop ideas rationally.
Promote strategies of self-evaluation, demanding study and appreciation of a job well done.
To broaden experience, knowledge, imagination and understanding; to develop sports, musical, cultural and artistic activities that shape the personality of the students, providing at the same time healthy habits for their leisure time, as well as encouraging healthy competitiveness as an element of personal improvement and development.
To teach techniques of oral expression and communication in public.
To train them for a rational use of new technologies and to get them to handle with ease the most common computer tools, according to their age.
To encourage students to cooperate with others, to be sensitive to the needs of others and to respect other cultures, religions and international ways of life.
Promote values that foster respect for human rights and dialogue; promote and defend children's rights, such as the right to a healthy life, to a quality education and to be protected from abuse and violence.
To raise students' consciousness of respect for the environment as an articulating element of human life.

Subject

Education in Civic, Ethical and Solidarity Values in Yago School

At international Sevillian Yago School, students have the option of being educated in civic, ethical and solidarity values from the age of three.

We give maximum importance to education in quality values, promoting both traditional and avant-garde values.

In line with the new education law, “the subject addresses ethical problems and encourages students’ commitment to values such as justice, peace, solidarity, gender equality and the rejection of violence”.

This subject also promotes respect, solidarity, and companionship from Infant to Baccalaureate.

The program is adapted to the age of the students and throughout each course, one hour a week, activities are carried out that require reflection and commitment on their part, as well as a certain level of autonomy and decision making. In this way, we get students to advance and achieve their goals, to make an effort, and also to be demanding of themselves. Cooperation, tolerance, and respect are fundamental for living together in harmony.

Therefore, we transmit the importance of learning to live with people of other religions, races, gender, sexual identity, opinions or cultures to students in this subject.

We want our students to learn these and other values in an effective way, and the best way to achieve this is through an educational program that includes activities designed by experts.

Subject

Religion at Yago School

Among the subjects taught at Yago School, we offer in our curriculum the possibility of choosing Catholic Religion as a complementary subject. We are convinced that it helps the integral education of our students and it is a very popular option in Seville with a strong Catholic faith and tradition.

Taking into account the religious freedom of the person and, being respectful of this issue, Yago School aims to train and accompany in this subject that transcends the merely academic or didactic.

We must not confuse the concepts of Religious Education with Catechesis, although both can be complementary and taught at our school.

The subject of Catholic Religion, depending on the level of education, deals with contents on the fundamental elements of the Catholic faith and morals adapted to the moment of the student’s evolutionary development; and distributed, according to the law in force, in four large blocks:

In addition, students who wish to receive the catechesis of First Communion will receive the sacrament in PYP 7 (Primary 4) and, from Secondary School onwards, those who show interest can prepare for Confirmation, which they receive in the Cathedral of Seville.

“Every year, I organize Ash Wednesday at the school, the renewal of baptismal promises, First Communions, and the floral offerings to the Virgin in our hermitage. We have the option of confessing our students to guide them in the faith in our school if they so wish and to guide them in the faith”

Values

Bullying Prevention Programme

Yago School is part of the small group of innovative schools in Spain that implemented the Finnish bullying prevention program KiVa years ago. This innovative anti-bullying program was developed by the University of Turku (Finland) and is the most proven anti-bullying program in the world.

Our anti-bullying programme allows us to maintain the excellent school climate, where children feel happy in a safe environment, which facilitates their learning; children’s anxiety levels are reduced; their attitudes and social skills improve; and teachers and classmates are more valued by the students themselves. Overall, the evidence points to a very positive effect on school coexistence.

"We are very lucky to be able to count on the KiVA programme, which has great scientific evidence. It allows us to work and provide the whole school with tools so that we are able to prevent and detect possible bullying situations through the application of different protocols and, most importantly, by working with our students in the sessions. Undoubtedly, a programme that allows us to live a great experience as a school".

Sustainability (ESD) and the Importance of the Environment

The Science Department at Yago School is leading Yago School’s clear commitment to educate students to respect the environment and to meet the Sustainable Development Goals proposed by UNESCO.

In Nursery, Infant and Primary, students learn about, enjoy and take care of the nature that surrounds them. Thanks to learning experiences in our gardens and fields, children begin to become more aware of the importance of caring for our environment. They also work on recycling and the objectives of sustainable development preside over all the classrooms of Secondary and Baccalaureate. Through science and tutorial action, students work on the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values necessary to carry out responsible actions that care for and improve the environment, rationalize the economy and transform society into a fairer one, empowering all people, respecting cultural diversity and regardless of gender, sex, race and age.

Values

The Yago Foundation: solidarity as a goal

The Yago Foundation is a non-profit organization that was created in 2011 from the enthusiasm and commitment of the entire Yago School team to help and to charge society with a spirit of solidarity.

All its actions are oriented to the same goal: solidarity. With this spirit, we intend to convey the importance of solidarity, to think of others and to stop from time to time and look around us and observe the needs of those around us, especially to the students of Yago School and society in general. Sometimes it’s just a smile, a gesture, a hug, others, company, words of comfort and even money or food; any of these that are within our reach in order to make someone happy. This is the essence of The Yago Foundation: to unite all of us to make a better world.