Saint Gabriel's School is a private, secular, coeducational and bilingual school in Providencia, Chile, a commune of Santiago. Founded in 1931 by educator Florence Trewhela de Michell, it began with ten students taught in the living room of her home. The school currently has approximately 1,750 students and operates academic campuses in Providencia and a sports stadium in the neighboring commune of Las Condes.

From its foundation, Saint Gabriel's has followed a British-style educational model and emphasized English-language instruction. The school offers bilingual education in its Junior School and intensive English instruction at other levels, and its Senior School offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme. It is also affiliated with the Association of British Schools in Chile (ABSCH), the Latin American Heads Conference (LAHC), and the United World Colleges National Foundation.

History

Saint Gabriel's School was founded in 1931 by Florence Trewhela de Michell. The school began with ten students receiving classes in the living room of the founder's home on San Gabriel Street, now Almirante Pastene, in Providencia. From its beginnings, it was a secular, coeducational, and bilingual school modeled on British educational traditions. Its use of English as a language of instruction and its coeducational character were distinctive features for the period.

The school expanded during the 1940s and 1950s. In 1945, its first three-story institutional building was constructed on the site of the founder's former home. In 1952, Kenneth Michell, Florence Trewhela's son, established and directed a new campus on Eliodoro Yáñez. A campus on Francisco Bilbao was established in 1954, where the school's secondary-level humanities program operated under the direction of Florence Michell. In 1958, a Junior School for younger students was established on Diamelos Street, with Ruby Michell, the founder's daughter, as its first director. The first 12 students graduated in 1959.

The Trewhela and Michell families subsequently became associated with the development of another British-oriented school in Santiago. Trewhela's School was founded in 1937 by Alice and Virginia Trewhela Lamb. Ruby Michell Trewhela, Florence Trewhela's daughter and the first director of Saint Gabriel's Junior School, later served as director of Trewhela's School from 1975 to 1993. Her daughter, Doreen Bolton Michell, subsequently led its academic direction from 1997 to 2017. The two schools are separate institutions but share a family connection through the Trewhela and Michell families.

In 1960, the school established its sports stadium in Las Condes and began participating in interschool tournaments and championships. The Ministry of Education granted the school recognition as a "Cooperator of the State's Educational Function" in 1956, which was formally recognized in 1964. In 1976, Florence Trewhela received the Order of Educational and Cultural Merit Gabriela Mistral in recognition of her contribution to Chilean education. She died in 1977, and the school subsequently established an annual athletics championship in her memory.

Saint Gabriel's expanded its international educational connections from the 1980s onward. In 1983, it became a founding member of United World Colleges, and in 1984 it joined the Association of British Schools in Chile (ABSCH). The school joined the International Baccalaureate in 1985 and held its first IB examinations in 1990. In 1996, it became a founding member of the Latin American Heads' Conference (LAHC).

During the 1990s and 2000s, the school continued to expand its facilities and programs. An auditorium and expanded library were completed at the Bilbao Campus in 1991, while a new gymnasium and clubhouse were opened at the sports stadium in 2000. In 2005, the Florence Michell Educational Foundation was established to contribute to the school's development. In 2007, Saint Gabriel's joined the Universidad Católica School Sports Tournament, expanding its participation in interschool sports competitions.

In 2011, the school began a reorganization of its campuses in preparation for a new structure. Middle School was transferred from the Pastene site to the Lilas Campus, and the school joined the IB Diploma Programme for Senior School students. The reorganization was completed in 2020, with the Junior School from pre-kindergarten through third grade based at the Lilas Campus and the Lower, Middle, and Senior Schools at the Bilbao Campus. That year, the school also shifted to online instruction in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2014, Saint Gabriel's participated in the World School Volleyball Championship in Portugal and received the Fair Play Award. In 2023, it participated in the championship in France and received the award again. In 2024, the school established "The Bridge: Community and Culture", an outreach initiative intended to promote arts and culture within and beyond the school community.

Academics

Saint Gabriel's describes itself as a secular, coeducational school with an emphasis on bilingual education. Its Junior School has a bilingual program, while English is taught intensively at the other levels. The school uses a Chilean scientific-humanist curriculum, with much of the relevant learning delivered in English.

The school is an IB World School. The International Baccalaureate lists Saint Gabriel's as a private, coeducational day school and records it as an IB school since 15 June 1987. The school offers the IB Diploma Programme to Senior School students; students who do not enroll in the full Diploma Programme may participate through the English Certificate option.

The school also administers Cambridge English examinations, including the Preliminary English Test (PET), and its educational documentation identifies the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) as part of its international assessment program.

Campuses and facilities

Saint Gabriel's currently operates two academic campuses in Providencia. The Lilas Campus, at Eliodoro Yáñez 2922, serves students from pre-kindergarten through third grade, while the Bilbao Campus, at Francisco Bilbao 3070, serves students from fourth grade through the final year of secondary education. The school also operates a sports stadium at Lo Fontecilla 440 in Las Condes.

The sports program includes athletics, cross country, rugby, hockey, soccer, and volleyball. Most sports activities take place at the Las Condes stadium, which also hosts recreational activities and other events for the school community.

Affiliations

Saint Gabriel's is a member of the Association of British Schools in Chile (ABSCH) and the Latin American Heads Conference (LAHC). The school is also a founding member of the United World Colleges National Foundation in Chile.

The school has participated in the UC School Sports Tournament and other interschool sports competitions. Its sports program has included participation in national and international competitions in several disciplines.

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