Pre-school Education

Education in Portugal is regulated by the State through two ministries- the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education. There is a

system of Public Education and also many private schools at all levels of education.

Pre-school education is attended by children over 3 years old until they enter

the primary school (when they are 6)

It is not compulsory.

Compulsory Education – Basic Education

Levels School Years Age

1st 1st - 4th 6-102nd 5th- 6th 10-123rd 7th – 9th 12-15

Secondary Education

School Year Age

10th – 12th 15-18

Next school year, students in the 8th grade must finish the secondary education because it is going to be compulsory.

Most schools are organized from the first to the end of the ninth grade(6 to 15 year olds)

so as to have a connection between the different levels. They depend on the local

authority.

Some other schools, like ours, comprise the 3rd level of Basic

Education and the Secondary Education.

They depend on Central Authority.

School organization

Students’ timetable

Basic Education 31 hours a week

Secondary Education

27 hours a week

22 teaching hours

4 hours (normally used to replace absent teachers or aid students clearing doubts….)

Most meetings take place at the end of the school day.

Teachers’ timetable

• Most classes last for 90 minutes.

• There are also 135 minutes’ classes in the Secondary Education (Sciences need to use labs to do

experiments).

Basic Education subjects:

Portuguese, French, English, History, Geography, Science,

Chemistry, Mathematics, Art, Physical Education, Craft, Artistic Education (theatre or dance or music …) “Study”, Project Area,

“Civic Education” (given by the tutor of each class) and Religion (optional)

9th grades

Our School is located in Gafanha da Nazaré, a town of about 20 000 inhabitants between Aveiro and the lovely

beaches of Barra and Costa Nova.

It’s a Secondary School with about 732 students (aged from 12 to 18 years old); 118 teachers and

around 44 elements of the non-teaching staff.

School Leadership:

•Head teacher•Second head teacher

• Third head teacher•2 assistants

• Teachers are organized in Departments: Languages, Maths and Science, Expressions, Social Sciences.

• There’s also “SPO”: a Service of Psychology and Orientation; it

provides information and helps students decide about their

areas of study before starting secondary education, among

other things.

• “CFAECIVOB ” – teachers are constantly updating, so there are formation courses organized by this centre, located in our school but covering and responding to the formation needs of teachers working in the surrounding area.

• We prepare our students to continue their studies at the University.

• We also have professional courses, which offer a more practical curricula in areas such as Information Technology, Secretarial and Social Work. These areas may also allow them to go to University in case they do the National Exams and succeed.

• We also have the so-called CEF – courses in mechanic and electricity, areas that allow students who reveal “a certain resistance to school” to have access to their basic qualification.

• We value the relationship with the community and have already established several protocols to guarantee a place for students from the professional and CEF courses to start training.

There are evening lessons for adults who want to finish their secondary education.

This school is also responsible for the certification of adults who haven’t had the chance to accomplish their

basic studies.

This certification is accomplished

under the New Opportunities

National Programme,

which aims to reduce illiteracy

and increase the academic level of

the population.

School starts at 8:25 and finishes at around 18:30 (this varies according to the class schedule):

Most of our students come to school by bike. Students, teachers and non-teaching staff may have

lunch in the school canteen.

During the school year students have access to several activities. We celebrate some festivities ( St. Valentine’s

Day, Carnival, the Europe Day, School Days, etc…).

School DayA Traditional Market

European Dayof Languages 2009

EncontrArte

CARANAVAL

Sometimes students also arrange football or basketball competitions among them .

Rappel in the gym

There are usually two shows per year where students have the opportunity to perform some plays, dance and show their abilities to the local community and

where the best students are awarded.

Eco-Schools

A project that makes us think how important it is to be environmentally friendly. “Simple Gestures” is a

campaign to sensitise the school community.

Renewable sources of energy

Radio: School Wave

School Newspaper

Besides the printed version, our

newspaper can be read on the school

webpage too. There is an edition

per term.

SEA CLUBWindsurf, sailing and kayaking

MATHS CLUBUnderstanding shapes

This is a very multicultural school; there are students from several different countries, such as Iceland,

China, Cuba, Brazil, Ukrania, Moldavia, Venezuela and Luxemburg and from countries where the Portuguese

language is spoken.

We try to welcome everyone and give

them a special attention once the

school system has a special programme for those to whom

Portuguese is a second language.