ABE Annual Report 2014 Page 1 of 24

The British School, Rio de Janeiro Associação Britânica de Educação

Annual General Meeting 28th April 2014

Director/Senior Management Report

Introductory Comments Welcome to the Director and Senior Management Report for the April 2014 ABE AGM. The period from April 2013 to April 2014 has been another busy year for The British School and various activities and developments are summarised below in the following sections:

1) Key development issues in 2013/14; 2) External examination results November 2013 and University Entrance; 3) Success with Goals 2013; 4) Goals set for 2014; 5) Future plans and issues 2014 and beyond.

1. Key developments and issues in 2013 (i) Facility Development Progress in 2013 Barra site development: The UK-based architectural practice, John McAslan and Partners (JMP), completed a masterplan and concept design for the Barra site following further visits by Tony Skipper and John McAslan. A local architect was selected from a shortlist of companies to undertake the executive plans and to obtain the various licences for the project. Unfortunately progress had been slow and so two different companies have been engaged, one for the executive plans and one specialising with the licence process. We await news from the meetings with the Prefeitura’s office. An internal perimeter road at Barra has been designed in an attempt to ease current and future traffic congestion at the site during pick-up and drop-off times. Work on this project will begin in mid-2014. a) Barra A high quality, temporary assembly / drama hall was constructed at the Barra Site over the January 2014 break and includes: a stage; tiered seating; air-conditioning; and lighting. This excellent facility will be used over the next few years whilst a permanent multi-purpose hall is built as part of the Barra site expansion programme. The hall will be used for a variety of purposes, such as: assemblies; parents’ meetings; drama lessons and stage productions; exhibitions; concerts; “exit points” for the IPC units in primary; staff meetings; and examinations.

ABE Annual Report 2014 Page 2 of 24

The inspiration for this facility was through our Barra parent Lilian Aragão who greatly assisted with the initial planning of the project and liaised with various suppliers on our behalf. We sincerely thank Lilian for her encouragement, and for working with Jakki Saysell, Head of Drama and Director of Pastoral at Barra, and our administrative staff.

Barra Assembly / Drama hall

The Barra cafeteria was also refurbished over January 2014, with new furniture and acoustic panelling on, and from, the ceiling and on the walls. This has done much to improve the ambience of this facility. A small separate dining facility has been developed in one of the rooms behind the cafeteria for the youngest children of 2 to 3 years old.

Barra cafeteria

b) Urca During January 2014, most of the furniture in the Urca classrooms was replaced and some improvements were made to work rooms and offices. c) Botafogo

The Green Project on the roof of Mackenzie developed in partnership with Escola Floresta, and kindly supported by the PTA, was launched through a ceremony involving students of Class 4, staff and parents on 8th May 2013.

ABE Annual Report 2014 Page 3 of 24

The collapsed drainage channels in the playground / car park area to the rear of the Church were repaired and the playground was re-surfaced in July 2013. Additionally, the area leading from the Rua da Matriz gate was developed as a playground with soft tiling, climbing wall and play frames.

The cafeteria in the Cashman building was refurbished and re-furnished during January 2014.

Botafogo cafeteria

The lease and rental arrangements for the school’s Botafogo site are currently under review through a specific group – the Property Review Committee – which has representatives from the three main stakeholders of the site, namely: The British School; Christ Church; and the British and Commonwealth Society.

* (ii) Student enrolment Student Numbers Totals – 2013 FINAL NUMBERS Student Numbers Totals – 2014 – as of 15-Apr-2014

CLASSES IN 2013

Numbers 1st Week of

Class 2013

NUMBERS END of TERM 1

Numbers 1st Day of

Term 2

Numbers End of Term 2

Botafogo 809 811 804 809

Urca 452 452 448 447

Total ZS 1261 1263 1252 1256

Total Barra

896 897 887 887

Total School

2157 2160 2139 2143

CLASSES IN 2014

Numbers 1st Day of Class 2014

NUMBERS DURING TERM 1

as of 15-Apr-2014

Botafogo 811 813

Urca 458 459

Total ZS 1269 1272

Total Barra

918 925

Total School

2187 2197

ABE Annual Report 2014 Page 4 of 24

(iii) Staffing At the end of 2013, The British School had a total of 565 employees:

233 education staff

163 support staff

169 administration staff There continues to be an amount of staff turnover throughout the year, particularly as locally hired teachers need only give one month’s notice, although most staff try to give more warning. We continue to build up an internal database of teachers, both locally and overseas, that are interested to work at TBS. In September / October 2013, we successfully recruited a replacement for Jonathan Smales, Head of Lower Primary Section at Botafogo, who will be leaving TBS in July 2014 after 12 years of service to the school. Jonathan is returning to the UK and he has been successful in securing the position as Deputy Head of Bannockburn Primary School in Plumstead, London. After an extensive worldwide search for a replacement, we appointed Adam Patterson to be the new Head of Lower Primary from August 2014. Adam has over 20 years of early years teaching experience, both in the UK and internationally in China, Malaysia, Kuwait and France. He is currently the Head of Early Years at The International School@Park City in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Adam’s wife, Amanda, will be also joining the school as a teacher and they will bring their two children, Alexander and Daisy. Also during the October recruitment session we were able to appoint Adrian Jarratt to the newly created post of Learning Technologies Coordinator. Adrian will start at TBS in August 2014 and will work across all 3 school sites to encourage the use of technology in the classroom to improve and support learning. In order to assess our school’s technology capabilities and to help with forward planning, Adrian travelled to Rio to work with TBS in early April 2014. He met with various staff, students and some Governors to discuss such topics as: learning technologies in the classroom; Virtual Learning Environments; baseline and value-added data analysis; management information systems such as 3SYS and Rubicon; staff training; ICT infrastructure; and internet safety and strategies for cyber-bullying. After a busy week, Adrian will be able to reflect on how the school can move forward in these important areas when he arrives in August. Adrian will be accompanied by his wife Laura, an Upper Primary class teacher and Literacy Coordinator, who will work at the Botafogo Site. In the knowledge that a number of teaching staff and some senior leaders will be leaving TBS in July 2014, we were able to advertise posts earlier than usual, in mid-December 2013, and have been successful in recruiting high quality candidates to various positions during interviews in January and February 2014. For 5 teaching posts and 2 senior leadership positions, we received over 300 applications worldwide, reflecting our school’s reputation and good standing in the international education community (as well as the obvious attractions of living and working in Rio de Janeiro!) Our recruitment process for overseas contract teachers involves the rigorous analysis of applicants’ qualifications and experience, often incorporating initial Skype or video-conference interviews, followed by face-to-face interviews, usually in London. Before appointment, written references are required as well as a final telephone check with the candidate’s current employer. Further reassurance is provided by police checks and other administrative routines associated with the visa and work permit processes. Of the 5 teaching posts, 3 are replacements for secondary teachers at Urca and Barra, and 2 are new posts as the secondary section at Barra continues to grow. Considering that we employ around 230 education staff across the three sites, our school experiences a relatively low turnover of teachers, although it is clear that recruitment has become a year-round process with staff joining us in both August and January, as well as, exceptionally, at other times of the year. At the Barra Site, James Diver will be leaving in July 2014 and will take up the post of Director of Studies at St. Paul’s School in Sao Paulo. We thank James for all his efforts over the past 4½ years in developing the secondary section at Barra through his role as Director of Studies. We have appointed George Palmer to the position of Head of Senior Section at Barra, beginning in August 2014. George has held a number of senior positions, including Director of Studies, at St Julian’s School,

ABE Annual Report 2014 Page 5 of 24

Lisbon, and he brings a lot of experience and expertise for the future development of the senior years at the Barra Site. George will be accompanied by his wife Tara, who is an upper primary teacher, and his two children, Jacob and Madeleine. Finally with regard to recruitment, Chris Blanch, Head of Urca Site will depart for the UK in July 2014 after 10 very successful years here at TBS. We are all very grateful for Chris’ work over the years to steadily develop the Urca Site and also to take a lead role with certain whole school issues, such as the recent CIS Accreditation process. We are very pleased to announce that Chris has been appointed to the position of Principal of Weavers Academy in Wellingborough. We all wish Chris and his family the very best for their new life in the UK. In order to facilitate the appointment of a replacement for Chris, we once again employed the services of one of the UK’s leading recruitment agencies, Odgers and Berndtson, who were responsible for the appointment of the new Director in 2012. For the Head of Urca post, we received a total of 54 applications worldwide and following a rigorous screening process, and long-list and short-list interviews, three finalists were invited to Rio de Janeiro for 3 days of orientation and interviews in March 2014. The visit included a number of interviews and exercises as part of a thorough selection process. Various panels and groups of students, parents, staff and Governors assisted with the proceedings. All 3 candidates proved to be well-experienced and strong contenders for this important post but finally, after much discussion and deliberation, we have appointed Mr Tom Vignoles as Head of Urca Site from 1st August 2014.

Tom Vignoles has a degree in Philosophy, a PGCE and an MA from the University of Cambridge. He started teaching at Newport Free Grammar School in the UK, a state, co-educational comprehensive school, for two years and then joined Framlingham College, an independent UK, co-educational boarding school as Head of English and Deputy Housemaster. After 7 years, Tom took up a post at The Sultan’s School, a large Arabic and English medium school in Oman for the following two years. Since his return to the UK in 2006, Tom has been the Head of English and lately Deputy Head at Felsted School, an independent, co-educational day and boarding school. Tom has a range of curricular and pastoral experience and has been very involved with Student Voice, the Round Square and developing the Felsted Diploma – a certificate for students aspiring to the ideals of the Learner Profile. Tom is married to Lucinda (Lucy), an Art and Design teacher, and they have two children: Iona (20 years), who is at university; and Toby, who is 16 years.

A Human Resources sub-Committee of the Board of Governors was formed early in 2013. This group has met with Staff Representatives and is currently looking a number of items, including: teacher salary scales; and the Assistant Teacher Review.

* (iv) Accreditations and Institutional Links CIS Accreditation – In March 2013, Graham Ranger (Director of Accreditation for CIS) and Alan Ripley (Head of the British Schools in Uruguay) visited all three TBS sites. The outcome of the Visit was very positive and on 4th April 2013 TBS received official notification that the School is re-accredited and will continue with the cycle, undertaking a full accreditation visit in 2017. The Visiting Team noted the following strengths, and progress made:

the school has approached the accreditation process seriously, thoughtfully, with honesty and self-criticism, reflecting the school’s characteristic behaviour;

there is a drive for continuous school improvement. However, this is carried out with sensitivity to the needs and wishes of the stakeholders, for example the considered way in which the IPC has been introduced, the development of the one-school policy and the smooth transition between the former and current Director of the school;

the Visitors found overwhelmingly positive support for the school: from groups of parents; staff; students; and the school’s leaders. There are high levels of satisfaction with what the school offers its students;

ABE Annual Report 2014 Page 6 of 24

the school puts its Guiding Statements into practice and lives them in its operations and through its ethos. All representatives of the stakeholder groups seen were united in knowing what the school stands for and in valuing this highly;

the commitment to staff professional development is outstanding, including the financial commitment. Examples include the Assistant teachers’ programme; the English language programme for support staff; the support for higher degrees and other post-graduate qualifications. The school supports extensive in-house professional development as well as being supportive in sending staff to conferences and workshops beyond the school;

relationships within the school community are characterised by openness, an ability to listen, inclusivity and of valuing the contributions of all;

at the Board level, there is an impressive focus on strategic matters as well as legal and financial probity. Additionally, some very good progress has been made by the Director and the board Chair in improving the procedures of governance; and

the curriculum on offer is a broad and rich one. There is a good level of choice for the IB students, extensive IGCSE options (which would be worth consolidating if possible); strengths in languages (including Portuguese) and the arts; global citizenship and service learning. Across all this, there is an obvious commitment to take the one school policy seriously and to sustain it in meaningful ways for the benefit of the students.

The Visiting Team also advised that the additional, following features need improvement:

the school has a strong and appropriate focus on curriculum development. Particular focus should be given to Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9 or Years 5-7, using the school’s nomenclature), given the changes in pedagogy and in the nature of the learning that will be brought through the development of the IPC;

the staff appraisal system is regarded with uncertainty and has lost credibility. Staff value the emphasis on professional development, but the necessary evaluative dimension to the appraisal system has been lost, is lacking and needs to be re-asserted Furthermore, the system should be an annual cyclical one, that adheres to its stated time-frame;

at the Botafogo campus, there is concern that the pre-Nursery students cannot evacuate the site to a place of safety, if the need arises. The evacuation spot is too near to the adjacent buildings to meet standards of safety;

the improvement and redevelopment of the Barra campus will highlight the differences in the quality of provision between campuses. A consistent and reliable on-line learning system, developing the planned Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), will be essential to support learners at all campuses.

The recommendations of the full CIS report and school’s self-study are guiding development goals and planning across all three sites. The school will begin to prepare for a full accreditation visit in 2017. IBO – following the successful authorisation of the Barra site to deliver the IB Diploma programme, the Urca site is preparing to submit its self-study in June 2014 as part of the re-authorisation process. LAHC – in April 2013, John Nixon and Chris Blanch attended the LAHC Conference hosted by Lancaster School in Mexico City where the key note speakers were Martin Skelton and Louise Stoll. There were excellent presentations and discussions on very relevant topics currently being addressed at TBS, such as the development of the IPC and Assessment as well as strategies for developing learning technologies in the classroom. John Nixon and Tom Gething are due to attend the 2014 LAHC Conference hosted by St George’s School North, Buenos Aires, from 23rd to 26th April. The theme of the conference is “Inspiring and Aspiring Leadership” and over 100 delegates and 32 exhibitors are expected to attend. The key note speakers are: Alan November (“Empowering Students with Technology”) and Cathryn Berger Kaye (Service Learning).

ABE Annual Report 2014 Page 7 of 24

Round Square - Brian Dawson, Executive Director of Round Square, visited TBS on 2nd August 2013 to give a presentation to senior managers with regard to prospective membership. The Chair of the Urca Student Council and members of the Board of Governors were also in attendance. The Round Square is a UK-registered charity with around 130 schools worldwide. It is basically a philosophy of education promoted by Kurt Hahn who founded the famous Gordonstoun School in Scotland (where members of the UK Royal Family attended) and the Outward Bound movement. Patrons of Round Square include the King of Greece, Prince Andrew (and formerly Nelson Mandela). The philosophy is based on 6 ideals: internationalism, democracy, environment, adventure, leadership, and service. These ideals are very compatible with the approach of TBS and are intended to promote experiential learning, challenge and the preparation of students for life.

There is more in you than you think http://www.roundsquare.org/ The growth of the Round Square movement has been “organic” rather than through marketing and TBS was recommended by a fellow LAHC school, hence Brian Dawson’s visit. The main activities of Round Square that might benefit students and staff at TBS are: local and international student exchanges for 15 to 16 years for a period of 6 to 9 weeks; international service projects for 3 weeks in holiday time (eg building schools in Ladakh, water tanks in Cambodia; and regional / international conferences. Brian Dawson invited TBS to send a delegate to the international conference being held in Florida in October and Dave Williams (Urca Director of Pastoral) attended for three days to learn more about the organisation and understand the benefits of membership. After Board discussion, it has been decided that TBS should apply to join the Round Square.

* (v) Educational Issues EMT focus – support for the development of the following initiatives:

Implement IPC and plan for full roll-out in 2014

Conclude the Senior School Curriculum Review by end 2013 – present recommendations and implementation plan.

Following recommendations from the IB Authorisation Visit at Barra – to review and improve the School’s Assessment Policy.

Following recommendations from the CIS re-accreditation report – review and streamline the Teacher Performance Appraisal System, plan for staff training and implementation of new procedures for March 2014.

School Management Team (SMT) and Heads of Site (HoS) priorities for 2013/14 were:

Reviewing emergency procedures for all sites – including evacuations and lock-downs. Practicing procedures every semester.

Reviewing Performance Appraisal – policy for senior managers instigated, streamlining Teacher Performance Appraisal System.

ABE Annual Report 2014 Page 8 of 24

Review of School Trips – working party to look at purpose and structure of school trips. Risk Assessment procedures and forms produced and implemented for all trips. Procedures for hiring and use of buses enhanced with help from parent experts.

Overseas and local recruitment throughout the year.

Supporting and guiding the Regimento Alignment Committee (RAC) to define proposals for curriculum adjustments – particularly IGCSE options.

Preparing for the introduction of baseline and value-added testing in the Secondary Sections.

Formalised Staff Induction programme for new staff.

Raising awareness of cyber-bullying and internet safety, revision of policy, outside speakers, eg Tania Zagury.

Devising policy and strategy for new legislation regarding Special Educational Needs. Site specific educational initiatives: Primary – Botafogo and Barra sites: The main focus of 2013 was the increased delivery of IPC units to at least 50% of the curriculum in 2013. An implementation plan for the full roll-out in 2014 was structured in 2nd semester 2013. The Primary Team has worked on reporting structures to meet the needs of the IPC and school’s assessment policies. A working group reviewed the Primary Mathematics Curriculum and reported back to the Education Committee. Secondary – Urca and Barra The main focus in Senior School sections in both sites has been the concluding year of the Curriculum Review which began in February 2012 and reported back to the Education Committee at the end of 2013 and on 10th March 2014. Recommendations and an action plan for implementation were approved. Assessment and reporting has been an important target for improvement through 2013 with the aspiration to produce secondary reports through the 3SYS MIS system in 2014. The work of the Regimento Alignment Committee continued its aim of assuring compliance with Brazilian regulations and legislation and investigated possible options improvements in Classes 8 and 9 as well as ensuring better BEC coverage in Classes 10 and 11. At Barra, the second set of IGCSE results from the November 2013 entries was excellent, with a 95% rate for A* to C grades. The first IB cohort of 15 students commenced the Diploma programme in February 2013 and will graduate in November 2014.

* (vi) Staff Development The School’s commitment to the continuing professional development of staff was particularly praised in the CIS re-accreditation report of April 2013. Staff development is allocated 1% of the annual income of the school and a wide variety of school-based, local, regional and international training courses takes place every year. As well as attendance at courses and conferences, staff are increasingly using on-line training programmes.

ABE Annual Report 2014 Page 9 of 24

A very successful programme of inset was held for educational staff across all three sites from 14th to 16th April 2014. The Barra Site hosted a number of IB Diploma workshops for our own staff as well as secondary teachers from around the region. A number of speakers, local and overseas, were invited to make presentations and run workshops to primary and secondary staff at Urca and Botafogo:

Jane Hill - 3-day workshop on English as a second language in the classroom;

Margaret Maclean – 3 day workshop on “Building Professional Learning Communities”

Cambridge Education Consultants – “From Good to Outstanding”

Professor Roseangela Prieto – “Inclusion – From Policy to Practice”

(Our very own) Craig Woollard and Anna McNulty – “How to create lessons using the best ingredients” There were also a number of subject task groups and workshops across a range of areas, for example: library group (new software and job specifications); PE department (sharing of good practice); Drama (Primary – revised curriculum and grading); Music (Curriculum mapping and skills development audit); Special Needs (various local expert speakers and a working group on SEN policy in relation to new legislation). In a shift in emphasis for the inset programme in April, TBS will attempt to organise a high profile Education Conference for 3 days in April 2015. We have already secured some world class speakers and would hope to host the conference for all of our own staff and also for educators across the region. The existing Assistant Teacher course continues to provide excellent training for AT’s and the modules taught in 2013 were re-written, reflecting any changes to the UK National Curriculum and including best pedagogy and practice from around the world. All assessments were also re-written and model lesson planning has been provided to support AT’s in understanding the structure and components of creative lessons, including differentiation, assessment and catering for different learning styles.

* (vii) Community issues and Active Citizenship (a) CalArts For the second time at TBS a Community Arts Programme (CAPRio) was set-up with two visiting teachers from CalArts to run a two-week programme for community groups in and around Rio de Janeiro. About 50 members of the community, various helpers and ex-pupils were involved. (b) Community The School continues to engage its students and staff in a wide range of community service and environmental projects throughout the year. Some are now well-established while others are relatively new. Examples of our community projects are:

Forest re-planting and roof-top and green wall initiatives;

Beach Clean Up Event

CELPI Shoe Box Appeal (November)

Movember Charity Appeal for Operação Sorriso

Centro Educational Santa Terezinha in Vale do Cuiabá, continuing links created last year (in partnership with Barra)

Casa Arte Vida and One by One

Assisting NGO’s in Babilonia, PESCA and Santa Marta.

ABE Annual Report 2014 Page 10 of 24

The Street Child World Cup was held in March 2014 in Rio de Janeiro and TBS has been proudly involved in this worthy event in various ways. In association with the TBS Charity Association, three parents were instrumental in organising a very successful fund-raising dinner in São Conrado. Additionally, some of our parents took part in a “3 Peaks” challenge – climbing three of Rio’s most prominent mountains in a day. Together, these two events raised over R$45,000. The Opening Ceremony for the Street Child World Cup was held on Sunday 30th March at Espacio Lonier near Barra. This was an exciting and, at times, very emotional event, supported by many of our students, staff and parents. The teams of street children from various parts of the globe taking part in the competition paraded on to the pitch to the sound of enthusiastic drumming and the brass accompaniment of the TBS student and staff band, ably led by our Director of Music, Andy Casterton. There were various guests of honour and speeches, including a special message from the Pope read out by the Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro and best wishes from Prince William in a letter sent specially from England. The “Big Sleep” was staged on Friday night, 28th March, where around 60 students, parents and staff “slept rough” in the grounds of Barra Site to learn what it is like for street children around the world who sleep out in the open every night. Our team used cardboard boxes as shelters but I gather they were unable to get much sleep!

The final of the SCWC was held on Sunday 6th April at the Fluminense Club in Laranjeiras. A large number of our students were involved in drumming and musical performances and many of our staff and parents were in attendance.

ABE Annual Report 2014 Page 11 of 24

Coinciding with the SCWC event was the visit by 8 students and 2 teachers from Comberton Village School in Cambridgeshire, UK. The group was kindly hosted by families and staff at Barra. As well as touring the sights of Rio, this group participated in various activities at our school as well as the SCWC. There may be future possibilities of links with this school through exchanges or joint participation in a charity project in Mozambique.

* (viii) Admissions, Communications and Marketing The team is now dealing with over 1000 applications per year and a larger numbers of enquiries. Many years groups in all 3 sites are full, with waiting lists. Updated FINAL numbers for 2013: Numbers for 2014 as of 16-April-204: The ACM team also developed new branding for TBS with a motif for stationery:

The school’s new website was launched in March 2014 after a year and a half of development: www.britishschool.g12.br

CLASSES IN 2014

Applications Received for 2014 (for entry all year long)

Botafogo 449

Urca 59

Total ZS 508

Total Barra 343

Total School 851

CLASSES IN 2013

Applications Received for 2013 (for entry all year long)

Botafogo 501

Urca 70

Total ZS 571

Total Barra 464

Total School 1035

ABE Annual Report 2014 Page 12 of 24

(ix) School Activities Some highlights of the school extra-curricular activities in 2013 have been: (a) The Duke of Edinburgh Award and Pre-DoE (International Award for Young people) The DoE programme continues to flourish across all sites. The range of pre-DoE to Award level activities and trips continues and we are particularly pleased to have extended awards up to Gold Level, with a recent Gold expedition in April 2014. As well as the usual Brazil-based trips, a Bronze / Silver expedition to Patagonia was organized in February 2013.

(b) Model United Nations The British School continues to enthusiastically participate in the Model United Nations opportunities in Brazil. In May 2013, TBS hosted its 13th conference at the Urca site with 330 students in attendance. As well as TBS students, there were delegates from the Pan-American School of Bahia; the American School of Rio (EARJ); the American School of Campinas; and the School of Nations in Brasilia.

ABE Annual Report 2014 Page 13 of 24

With regards to the Brazil MUN (BRAMUN) hosted in Bahia in March 2014, TBS had conducted training for all the Chairs and ran this year’s conference. A total of 350 students attended BRAMUN from 15 different schools. There were 60 TBS students from both Urca and Barra sites. (c) School productions Both Urca and Barra sites held school productions largely written and directed by senior students. Both productions were of high quality and involved many students and staff across the secondary age ranges:

Barra – “I Wanna Rock” – October 2013 – written and directed by Thomas Simon (Class 10 student)

Urca – “Backstage Spotlight” – November 2013 – written and directed by Bruna D’Avila; co-written and co-directed by Julianna Mitchell and Thomas Rimmer 2012 (Class 10 students)

(d) Schools Sports Tournaments Primary Sports Days were held throughout 2012 at Barra site, involving house competitions for joint Barra and Botafogo Classes 1 to 5. At secondary level, The Falcons teams were involved in international schools competitions over the last year. Girls and Boys teams from all ages (Class 5 to 11) at Senior School competed in Futsal, Basketball, Volleyball and Football at various

ABE Annual Report 2014 Page 14 of 24

The Falcons Boys Basketball Team The Falcons Girls Football Team

tournaments. Once again we had several winning teams and many individuals recognised for their talents by being awarded ‘All Star’ status. (x) PTA Luciana Ribeiro continued as the elected as President of the PTA Executive Committee throughout 2013 and the first half of 2014. The School is extremely grateful for the PTA’s organisation and running of the extensive ECA programmes at Barra and Botafogo. 2013 – Events organised by the PTA

Founder’s Day – Barra 25th May 2013

International Festival – Botafogo 5th October 2013

Other PTA achievements:

evening talks at Urca – Drugs & Alcohol and US university entrance

breakfast meetings at Botafogo

US university entrance talk at Barra

subcommittees established to improve communication

year group representatives

ABE Annual Report 2014 Page 15 of 24

funding for Botafogo and Barra – Escola Floresta projects

funding for Barra IB common Room and toys for younger years

funding for stage curtains at Urca

* (xi) School Trips and Expeditions In addition to the Model United Nations conferences and Duke of Edinburgh expeditions listed above in section ix), the major curriculum and cultural trips that ran in 2013 include: Botafogo Primary and Class 5:

C3 Petropolis Residential Trip – September 2013

C4 Paraty Residential Trip – May 2013

C5 Itatiaia Residential Trip – August 2013

Over 30 day visits for students from Foundation Stage upwards, including visits to the zoo, Jardim Botânico, Palacio das Laranjeiras, Teatro des Artes, Forte São João Beach and the Fire Station

Barra Primary and Secondary:

Class 3 to Petropolis – November 2013

Class 4 to Paraty – June 2013

Class 5 to Itatiaia – August 2013

Class 6 to the Pantanal – August 2013

Class 8 to Foz do Iguaçu – April 2103

Secondary students – UK and London trip – July 2013

Joint Barra / Urca Geography Class 10 to San Andreas, Colombia – May 2013

Joint Barra / Urca Biology Class 10 to Isla do Cardoso – June 2013

Joint Barra / Urca Class 9 IB and CAS Induction trip to Serra Verde – November 2013

Many day and part-day trips

ABE Annual Report 2014 Page 16 of 24

Urca:

Class 6 to the Pantanal – August 2013

Class 8 to Foz do Iguaçu –

Joint Urca / Barra Geography Class 10 to San Andres, Colombia – May 2013

Joint Urca / Barra Biology Class 10 to Isla do Cardoso – June 2013

Joint Urca / Barra Class 9 IB and CAS Induction trip to Serra Verde – November 2013

Class 10 IB SBS residential trip to Ouro Preto – August 2013

Secondary students cultural trip – Poland and Russia – July 2013

Many day and part-day trips

(xii) ICT and related ICT Services The ICT infrastructure continues to develop and improve at all three sites continues to develop with wireless technology coverage virtually complete. Laptop and iPad initiatives and trials have taken place in the primary sections of Botafogo and Barra. Continued development of the 3SYS Management Information System has taken place across all three sites. As well as access to student information, timetables etc. through the database, attendance and reports modules have been initiated. A whole-school learning Technologies Coordinator (Adrian Jarratt) has been appointed and will start in August 2014 (see section iii) Staffing)

2. External Examination Results and University Entrance (i) IGCSE Results Headlines for 2013 results – the whole school A* to C grades is 85% (Barra 95%; Urca 82%).

ABE Annual Report 2014 Page 17 of 24

The history of IGCSE and GCSE results can be seen in the table and chart below:

Year Number of Exams Sat Number of A*-C grades per pupil

% A* - C Grades

2003 734 7.57 65.0

2004 584 7.65 68.0

2005 797 9.00 78.0

2006 790 9.44 77.7

2007 790 10.1 84.7

2008 808 10.5 87.0

2009 712 10.1 90.0

2010 822 10.3 85.0

2011 835 11.1 91.0

2012 962 9.7 81.0

2013 1045 10.2 85.0

*

(ii) IB Results Headlines for 2013 results – Average IB Diploma score = 33. Top Score = 43 points (with 5 pupils scoring 40+) 90% Diploma pass rate

ABE Annual Report 2014 Page 18 of 24

The history of IB results can be seen in the table and chart below:

The British School IB Results (2003-2012)

Exam session

Total IB candidates

No. of Diploma candidates

No. of Diploma awards

Average Diploma Points Score

Diploma pass rate as %

2003 37 28 23 32 82

2004 48 35 35 32 100

2005 60 53 46 32 87

2006 53 43 41 31 95

2007 58 49 44 31 90

2008 60 45 42 32 93

2009 62 61 55 31 90

2010 64 57 49 33 86

2011 66 52 49 34 94

2012 57 54 49 32 90

2013 66 52 47 33 90

*

ABE Annual Report 2014 Page 19 of 24

(vi) Overseas University Applications

There appears to be a trend of more TBS students considering Brazilian universities, with 61% entering local universities in 2013. UK university applications have fallen in the last three years to only 4 in 2013, although the numbers for 2014 look to be higher. US universities have risen in popularity with over 20% of the TBS students entering colleges in North America.

ABE Annual Report 2014 Page 20 of 24

ABE Annual Report 2014 Page 21 of 24

*

3. Success with Goals 2013

Whole-School Goal 2013 (Statements of Intent 1, 10, 11 and 12) To ensure The British School has all-through provision for around 2600 students in the Zona Sul and Barra units under “One School”. To achieve this, we will implement the masterplan for the Barra site in order to develop and construct an all-through campus for around 1300 students from the ages of 2 to 18 years and continue to develop facilities at the Urca and Botafogo sites. The masterplan and concept design for the Barra site has been completed by JMP – a UK based architectural practice with significant experience with school design. A local architect and project management company are now in the process of

ABE Annual Report 2014 Page 22 of 24

applying for the relevant licences for approval and construction. It is hoped that construction work for the new buildings at Barra will commence in 2015. Improvements, development projects and refurbishments continue to be implemented at Urca, Botafogo and Barra sites.

*

Sites Goal 2013 (Statements of Intent 1, 2, 3, 4 and 16)

1) Primary: To devise a programme of implementation for the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) across Barra and Botafogo sites with a full roll out over the next two years (2013 to 2014).

2) Secondary: To continue the Senior School Curriculum Review (SSCR) into its 2nd year and finalise recommendations for the Education Committee and Board approval for future implementation beginning in 2013.

The IPC was partially implemented up to 50% during 2013 in the Botafogo and Barra primary sections with a full roll out in 2014. The implementation of the IPC was coordinated across both sites by the Primary EMT team, led by Tom Gething. The SSCR concluded its work in reviewing the secondary curriculum and presented its recommendations and an implementation plan to the Education Committee on 12th March, which were then subsequently approved by the BoG on 24th March.

*

SMT Goal 2013 (Statements of Intent 5 and 16) To facilitate the CIS 5 Year Accreditation visit in March 2013 and develop action plans to implement subsequent recommendations across The School. Development and action plans to implement recommendations from the CIS report have been devised. A particular focus in the 2nd semester 2013 and throughout 2014 will have been Teacher Performance Appraisal – which has included the redesign of a streamlined process, staff training and implementation of the policy and procedures from March 2014.

*

Board Goal 2013

(Statements of Intent 1, 4 and 12) To determine the place of sporting activities and identify the sporting ethos of The British School building on the momentum created by the World Cup and Olympics events in the city of Rio de Janeiro over the next 4 years. The Board has requested that senior management work with the PTA, Director of Sports and Marcelo Sa throughout 2014 to develop an improved ethos of sporting competitions.

*

4. Goals set for 2014

Whole-School Goal 2014

(Statement of Intent 15) To develop communication policy and strategies which encourage positive communication within and beyond The School community. The policy will ensure constant and varied channels of communication between the school and its

stakeholders to uphold the good image of The School and will prepare The School for effective public relations.

ABE Annual Report 2014 Page 23 of 24

Sites Goal 2014

(Statements of Intent 1, 2, 3, 4 and 16)

1) Primary: The Educational Management Team (EMT) will oversee the full implementation of the IPC across all primary years, completing the second phase of the 2012 Primary Curriculum Review as approved by the Board of Governors.

2) Secondary: The Educational Management Team (EMT) and Regimento Alignment Committee (RAC) will oversee the implementation of the recommendations of the Senior School Curriculum Review (SSCR), over at least the next two years.

*

SMT Goal 2014

(Statement of Intent 16)

The Senior Management Team (SMT) will work with relevant staff and, in particular, the Learning Technologies

Coordinator, to develop a strategic plan for the introduction of an increasing number of learning technologies within the

classroom, ensuring consistency across the whole school.

*

Board Goal 2014

(Statement of Intent 1) To review the implementation, challenges and practical consequences of the One School Policy and to provide guidance

to SMT in applying the policy to a much larger organisation.

*

5. Future plans and issues 2014 and beyond The Board is currently considering the approach and format of strategic planning through a dedicated strategic planning session. The resultant vision for TBS will then drive various development and tactical plans throughout the school. All aspects of the organization will be considered yet the various strands, such as: physical resources, human resources, curriculum, finance, community and communication, will be unified through a holistic plan. In relation to curriculum innovation and development, the introduction of the International Primary Curriculum, as well as the influence of the 21st Century and the World in which we live, are likely to have a profound effect on how our students learn. The emphasis on theme and based-learning will result in quite different approaches when the students reach secondary age. The increasing access to learning technologies and will support and enhance learning through investment and development in: ICT infrastructure; Virtual Learning Environments; Information Management Systems; one to one connectivity and hardware. Exciting learning and activities will take place not just in the classroom but elsewhere through opportunities for “anytime, anywhere learning”.

*

Concluding Remarks from the Director As can be seen from the report details above, 2013 has been another busy year for The British School, Rio de Janeiro. As we approach the 90th birthday of The School in May this year and TBS becomes a “nonagenarian” it is fascinating to realise that

ABE Annual Report 2014 Page 24 of 24

from humble beginnings in small premises in Copacabana in 1924, TBS now comprises 3 separate sites across the city with a student enrolment of over 2200 and a staff of 560 – how times change! Yet with a school of such a size comes a variety of challenges. The Year 2013 was indeed very successful overall but we have had to address a number of issues as they arose over the year and I would like to express my appreciation for the support I have constantly received from the Board of Governors, staff, students and parents. I am sure we all look forward to the coming year and all the developments and improvements it will bring. Finally, I would like to say a few words of heart-felt thanks on behalf of our school for the Chair of the Board of Governors, Nick Walker, who will step down from his role at the end of the month as he completes his allotted term of 6 years on the Board, with the last 3 years as Chair. Nick has been associated with TBS for the last 10 years and has freely given so much of his time and energy to our school as he has steered its development and success over this past decade. I have personally benefitted greatly from Nick’s calm and practical approach to our school’s growth and development since I arrived at the beginning of 2012 to take over the role of Director. I have appreciated Nick’s guidance and wise counsel for the past two and a half years and I have come to develop a great respect for Nick’s insightful and inspirational leadership of the Board of Governors yet whilst he maintains a humble and low-key approach to his duties. I will certainly miss Nick’s presence on the Board, as I am sure many others will too, and would like to formally thank him for all he has done and achieved during his time of service to The British School.

John Nixon MBE April 2014