Our History

St. Andrew's Scots School was established by a group of Scottish settlers to educate their children in their language, culture and faith. On September 1st 1838, thirteen years after their arrival, a tiny school was opened in the Presbyterian Church at Piedras 55, in the city of Buenos Aires. The first pupils were only girls but the school rapidly became co-educational.

The founders sought to integrate Christian faith and practice with academic distinction. In their eyes, education was an instrument of moral training, directed to its highest purpose when it is made not merely an exercise of the mind but a training of the opinions, disposition and habits. In character undoubtedly lies the essential elements of human happiness or human misery.

Nuestra Historia

In 1885, the Scottish chapel building had to be demolished due to the extension work in Avenida de Mayo. The school, which was already growing, was relocated to Constitución district, to Ituzaingó 530, where, as proudly announced, 135 students of various nationalities attended: Scottish, English, Irish, French, Spanish, Italian and Argentine. The Church, meanwhile, moved to Avenida Belgrano and Perú, where it remains to this day. Some of the well remembered Headmasters of the school in those early days were Rev. William Brown, Rev. James Smith and, for a short period, Alexander Watson Hutton, who figures more generally in Argentine history as the pioneer of football in the country. In 1947, with the continual migration of the English-speaking community to the northern suburbs, the school was moved to Olivos. The premises at Nogoá 550 were, in fact, inaugurated as an all-boys school.

Nuestra Historia

Over the years the school was firmly inserted in the wider Argentine community and in order to teach English to children who did not speak the language at home, in 1963, a kindergarten in English was opened in Olivos. St. Andrew's Scots School for Girls was opened in 1966 with the vision of preparing women to follow careers of their own choice. The school decided to return to co-educational in 1980 and the boys´and girls school were fully integrated. That same year a second primary school and kindergarten were inaugurated in Punta Chica to make room for a growing student body.

In an effort to further expand its already extensive experience in the pursuit of excellence and innovation in educating successive generations, the institution took a significant step in 1988 by entering the realm of higher education, giving birth to the University of San Andrés.

Nuestra Historia

The primary aim of this visionary undertaking was to inject fresh perspectives into the Argentine educational field and provide a comprehensive, intellectually rigorous education to a diverse and exceptionally talented student body.

St. Andrew's has now stabilized as a school of approximately 2000 students who receive a fully bilingual education. All its students are expected to complete seven IGCSE exams (Cambridge University) in year 10 and receive an International Baccalaureate Diploma in their last year at school. This challenging education prepares its graduates to enter universities all around the world and, more significantly, should provide them with the disposition and habits that allow them to become thoughtful and caring citizens.