Develop confidence and autonomy, building a rich interaction with the world

In our nursery we privilege affectionate relationships. Children are immersed in an environment full of tranquility and affection, where they are daily led to experience situations which foster confidence and autonomy.

Each child is valued as being unique, having their own characteristics and needs. Routines are planned to give the child the opportunity to develop and learn at his or her own pace and according to his/her needs, in an individualised and contextualised way.

Children develop an understanding of “I”, others and the world around them. The activities developed always aim at developing both individual and social identity, as well as helping children to begin to understand the organization of the world.

Surrounded by a structured and stimulating atmosphere, the child is invited to experience their first relationships with their peers and adult caregivers, which triggers the development of social, linguistic, motor and autonomy skills (food, hygiene, potty training, etc.).

At a stage of child development in which parents’ involvement and family life are of particular importance, the school works in close partnership with parents in order to create a warm environment of mutual sharing.

Develop confidence and autonomy, building a rich interaction with the world

At Colégio da Beloura the development of each student’s potential is our goal, always respecting children’s individuality. We ensure the integration of students’ personal experiences in the process of development and learning, valuing their motivations and interests, and providing learning contexts in which children can actively participate in.

Our preschoolers take collective responsibility for the organization, management and evaluation of the entire dynamics of the classrooms, by means of exercising their citizenship actively and democratically, which stimulates freedom of thought and expression.

Our approach is tailored to each student and the various moments of learning and activities are planned so that their interests and needs are met.

We create stimulating and challenging pedagogical contexts, in which each child can explore their curiosities and deepen their knowledge, co-building learning in an interactively safe and healthy environment of listening, sharing and cooperation.

Our pedagogical practices and tools are based on the Modern School Movement, as well as the Forest School approach. We value project-based learning, which enables active learning and the acquisition of transversal and meaningful knowledge, along with the development of autonomy and collaborative work.

We follow Orientações Curriculares para a Educação Pré-Escolar (Curricular Guidelines for Pre-School Education, from the Portuguese Ministry of Education), addressing the content areas of – Personal and Social Education, Expression and Communication and Knowledge of the World – in a transversal way, complementing them with curricular activities of our own educational project.

Develop each student’s potential, building core skills and values

In primary school, we structure our work based on the development of five fundamental competencies: autonomy, cooperation, communication, responsibility and critical thinking. We privilege active methodologies that enable the global development of each student, respecting their unique characteristics, interests and needs. Each student’s journey is primarily individual and specific. The co-construction of knowledge implies the involvement of the student in the learning process, in an implied, dynamic and creative way. Academic learning takes place alongside the development of individual and social skills and values which we believe and defend. Following the pedagogy of the Modern School Movement and its operating tools, the work of each student is regulated by an Individual Work Plan, where the student records the work he/she performs during Autonomous Study Time. Students are encouraged to adopt personalised work methodologies, to carry out activities autonomously, responsibly and creatively, and to adopt appropriate problem-solving and decision-making strategies. Classrooms are organized by areas, so that students feel they are in a structured and therefore structuring environment. All materials are available to students and the wall displays are filled with posters they have created, which they can access freely, promoting autonomy at work. Research Work guided by Project Work is also part of the school routine. Several disciplines and components of the curriculum are approached in an integrated way. There are weekly Class Council meetings for evaluation and distribution of classroom tasks, analysis of the Class Diary and discussion of other issues considered relevant and registered on the agenda. Through the Forest School Project, our students have meaningful learning experiences outdoors, in nature. This project contributes to children’s global development – physical, cognitive and socio-emotional – promoting resilience, autonomy, self-confidence, pro-activity, decision-making and creativity. In the fulfillment of our educational project, we go beyond the curriculum and we work with projects that transversally cover the areas and competences provided in the Profile of Students leaving Compulsory Schooling, deepening learning and specific attitudes that we consider essential. We promote the acquisition of specific knowledge, skills, and attitudes that we consider relevant in the formation of our students: high proficiency in the English language – through the integrated English project, CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) approach, and Cambridge certification -, environmental education and sustainability, health education (nutrition and sports), and education for citizenship and social impact.