It took its name, “Saturnino de la Peña”, from one of the most illustrious characters in the educational world of Sestao, in order to remember and honour him. It was the Association of Parents of that time which made the proposal. He had been a teacher who took great care about the students who were going to form part of the area’s job environment. Sestao’s City Council itself had acknowledged his work and put a monument in his honour in the “Las Llanas” Avenue’s gardens.

The beginnings of the High School were all but difficult and the circumstances lead it to a provisional situation. For three years they worked precariously in some ground premises at the popular neighbourhood of “Los Baños” in Sestao; it was in 1984 when the Center definitely moved to its present premises. This building stands in 5, Dr. Ferrán Street and holds enough space and structures as to cover the demands from the area’s students. During those first school years Metal and electricity Vocational Training I specialties were taught to some 160 students by no more of a dozen of teachers. All and all, because of the precariousness the school was undergoing, it was considered as a section of the Polytechnic High School in Barakaldo, till it moved to its present premises, moment in which the school obtained its own entity.

Among the people who have been working in this school, we want to name some of them, teachers in this case, who have contributed to the development and increasing strength of the High School. These here mentioned are just the Principals, but we should remember that there was always a teacher team collaborating with the Principal for the common good and expansion of the High School:

Mr. Daniel  Santín Pérez

Mr. Víctor Angoitia Gorostiaga

Mr. Tomás García Inoriza

Mr. Jesús Ángel Aizpuru Martínez

Mr. Iñaki Landa Tabuyo

Mr. Javier Gracia Castresana

Ms. Isabel Arenal Fernández

Mr. Javier Gracia Castresana
Mr. Iñaki Landa Tabuyo

Mr. Luis Vadillo Etxebarria

Mr. David Pérez Angulo

Mr. Juan Carlos Chueca Beristain, actual Director.

We should remember, also, the good job f the clerks and the people of the Management Services, who have always taken good care of the right functioning of the High School.

None of the above would have been worth it if it weren’t for the students, our “raw material”. They have met most of the expectations that have been laid upon them while they were here. The average permanence is 4 years for the average 500 students of every year. This number has changed trough the years, depending on the birth rate of the area, which has reflected the evolution of its economy and the hard industry rationalization process endured by the region.

There are some other changes worth mentioning, transformations of the educational system that have taken place during the High School’s lifetime. Most of these changes, innovations over all, have been possible thanks to the drive, daring and youthfulness of the teacher team itself, which has implemented without hesitation all the modifications that have arrived from the Education Officials. During the High School’s history, classes were given to Vocational Training class groups, to so called REM experimental class groups, experimental 2 year secondary REM courses (industrial technician and management “Batxilergoa”); afterwards, a “D” line (everything given in Basque) was implemented in REM and then in the “Batxilerato” courses; finally, LOGSE Law brought the last main changes, with the implementation of the Compulsory Secondary Education and the present “Batxilergoak”. In the meanwhile, Vocational Training world evolved towards the so-called “Lanbide Moduloak” (Vocational Modules) first and then to the present middle and high level Training Cycles.

These continuous changes and adaptations have brought a need for constant redistribution of rooms, classes, workshops et cetera, in an effort to meet the job and education needs of the whole area through permanent innovative challenges.

These changes in the 90’s mean that the present educational offer of our High School is one of the most complete and enriching of the Left Bank.

Thus, these are the studies that are taught there nowadays:

• DBH : Obligatory Secondary Education, with both first and second cycles.
  Ages 12-16; 4 years; “D” (Basque Monolingual) line + trilingual
  
• Batxilergoak: High School. Ages 17-18; 2 years; “D” line
  • Humanities and Social Sciences
  • Science and Technology
• Higher Grade Training Cycles: “A” (Spanish Monolingual), “D” (Basque Monolingual) and English lines
  • Socio-Cultural and Tourist Animation
  • Equipment installation and Maintenance in buildings and Processes