Our educational principles

The school spirit

We believe each child should life in a caring, safe, healthy atmosphere. The children should feel that their school belongs to them and that they all share common venture, knowing and respecting each other. They should be tolerant and should feel free in their thoughts, words and actions.

Our aims

The school is secular and pluralist and is run as a cooperative of teachers who all share and work towards the same educational ideal: to link the enrichment of experiencing a foreign culture and learning a foreign language with an educational philosophy based on responsibility, dialogue and mutual respect. We aim to enhance all aspects of every child’s individual development: personal, emotional, intellectual, artistic and physical, preparing the students for their future lives as socially, culturally and environmentally aware citizens.

Individual attention

In order for education to be effective, we believe it is essential to maintain a close relationship between teachers, parents and pupils and monitor the progress of each child individually.

Freedom and responsibility

Children need to feel free in order to develop their innate spontaneity and creativity, satisfy their natural curiosity and be able to express their ideas and feelings. This freedom should be enjoyed within the boundaries of responsibility, respecting their physical and social environment, and at the same time feeling respected. To achieve such an atmosphere, a set of basic rules has been established, which everyone is expected to follow.

In order for the pupils to understand and accept these basic rules as their own, we encourage discussion and dialogue, both at an individual level and in class tutorials and department assemblies. At these assemblies, students and teachers also come together to share ideas and express views and opinions on different topics, through displays of projects, readings, oral presentations, short sketches and songs.

Programmes

Parents are informed of the objectives and activities of the different subject areas throughout the school year by means of the corresponding programmes which are prepared by teachers and given to parents. In this way, we believe that they can participate and collaborate more fully in their children’s learning experiences.

Learning support groups

Small groups of pupils are organised, during the school day, in order to give support and reinforcement and/or extension in those areas and aspects where it is deemed necessary.

Assessment

  • Early Years (Nursery and Reception).

Throughout this stage the development of each child is evaluated in relation to the objectives laid down in the curriculum. It is a continuous assessment of each child’s progress, both individual and with respect to the class group, in order to analyse his or her readiness to begin the Primary Stage. This is carried out in various ways, including observation, oral questioning and practical testing. The parents are informed of this evaluation both through individual meetings and in two annual reports.

  • Key Stages 1 and 2 (Years 1 to 6)

At this stage, an evaluation of the students is based on a continuous assessment of their work, attitude and effort in the classroom, both by their class tutor and by all their other teachers. The parents are informed of the progress of their child both through individual meetings and in a report at the end of each term.

  • Key Stages 3, 4 and 5 (Years 7 to 13)

At this stage, the school year is divided into three assessment periods. The parents are informed of their child’s progress both through individual meetings and in a written report at the end of each period. These reports, which are discussed at a meeting of all the teachers for that year group, reflect attitude to work and academic results obtained in class work, homework and examinations.

Contact between parents and teachers

We feel that this contact is essential for a fuller understanding and development of the child both at home and at school.

It consists of:
– Collective parent-teacher meetings of each class.
– Individual meetings requested by either parents or teachers.
– A daily correspondence book.
– Circulars and letters.
– School reports.
– Telephone conversations (parents are given a time for contacting teachers to discuss any point of interest or to make an appointment).

Psychologists and careers guidance

These areas are coordinated by the school’s full time educational psychologist. There is close and continuous cooperation between the psychologists, teachers and parents in order to monitor each child’s progress, both within the classroom and on an individual level. The psychologists also help to coordinate special programmes in the various departments for cognitive development, attention, memory, self esteem, academic, social and emotional skills, motor skills, study habits and techniques, sex education, road safety, health issues, etc.

Another important aspect of the psychologists’ work is careers guidance which involves Sixth Form study choices for Year 11 and university choices for Year 13.