History
In 1985, eighteen teaching and non-teaching members founded Cooperativa Gredos San Diego. They acquired ownership of the school when its owner, Julio López Herrero, retired. The history of the Gredos Culture Centre, from which the GSD Cooperativa stems, dates back to the 1950s. The centre was on San Diego Avenue, which is how the name of the co-operative emerged: Gredos from the Culture Centre and San Diego from the street.
It was because of its strong connection to the local area that GSD is intrinsically linked to the history of Vallecas, in Madrid. Celebrities from the worlds of culture and sport have studied in its classrooms.
GSD Cooperativa manages ten schools in the Community of Madrid: GSD Vallecas school (inaugurated in 1994), GSD Moratalaz school (2000) and GSD El Escorial school (2003). GSD Las Rozas and GSD Las Suertes, in Ensanche de Vallecas, opened their doors in 2007/2008. That same year, an agreement was reached with the Educación Activa Complutense co-operative, which led to GSD Alcalá. An education centre with the same management model and educational plan was built and set in motion. GSD Guadarrama was added in September 2008.
In 2012, GSD International School Buitrago became part of the GSD Community. In addition to providing Primary, Secondary, Vocational Training (basic, intermediate and advanced level), Baccalaureate and International Baccalaureate education, this school is a place where different cultures, nationalities and languages converge - an international institute for education. Spanish as a foreign language (ELE) classes are provided in multiple formats: from academic courses to short-stay programmes, as well as camps with students from different countries, teacher training in art or sports, and more.
In February 2018, GSD International School Costa Rica opened its doors for the first time in what was an important step in internationalising GSD Cooperativa, in a country with which friendship ties and co-operative steps have been developed for over ten years. GSD International School Costa Rica is called to be a centre with a global mindset, integrating the best of education in Spain and Costa Rica and combining that with the shared experiences of twinned schools all over the world. In September of that same year, GSD International School Pouma, Cameroon was set up - a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project by Fundación Abriendo Caminos and the GSD Foundation, transporting the GSD education model to Cameroon.
In September 2023, two new centres were incorporated into the GSD family: GSD Valdebebas, which takes the GSD Education Plan to this young, dynamic neighbourhood, and GSD Las Artes, in Ensanche de Vallecas, the third GSD centre in Vallecas, the starting point of the Cooperativa, in an area with one of Spain’s most significant urban developments.
GSD Cooperativa also has two Nature Classrooms which also operate as centres for rural tourism: La Vía Láctea-El Corralón (in Casavieja, Ávila) and Sendas del Riaza (in Valdevacas de Montejo, Segovia), the latter of which is owned by Fundación Patrimonio Natural.
It also manages different environmental spots, such as “Hayedo de Montejo” considered a World Heritage Site since 2017, the “Sierra de Guadarrama National Park” and the Caserío de Henares environmental education centre in San Fernando de Henares, all in a clear commitment to environmental education and CSR.
