The Junta de Auxilio a los Republicanos Españoles, an aid organization whose chairman was the Socialist leader, Indalecio Prieto, founded the Colegio Madrid in 1941. It was created as a primary education school, but opened its doors to middle and high school students in 1950. From the beginning, the Colegio Madrid was the largest of the schools in exile. It started with some 500 students and by 1970 had reached nearly 2,500, with 100 teachers, figures that have remained constant until today. Unlike the other schools, the Colegio Madrid had a solid financial backing since it was founded, owning its spacious facilities. It also offered a wide range of social and educational services for students, such as a cafeteria, and afternoon activities. Those services greatly helped the parents, who were able to concentrate on rebuilding their professional careers.