escolaglobal as Cambridge International School: why?

At a time of rapid technological innovation and significant social change, our education system faces unprecedented challenges, but also unrivalled opportunities. Today’s students will need to be agents of change, able to think critically and solve complex problems creatively, quickly and effectively. Schools therefore need to promote personalised learning, where each student learns at their own pace, following paths that are compatible with their personal interests and aspirations. In addition, it is essential to stimulate and develop skills that go far beyond traditional academic knowledge, namely:

•  Digital and technological skills: at the heart of Education 4. 0 is the need to equip our students for a world dominated by robotics, automation and artificial intelligence;
•  Socio-emotional and interpersonal skills: collaboration, communication and emotional intelligence are just as important as technical skills, enabling tomorrow’s professionals to work effectively in groups, resolve conflicts and make a positive contribution to society;
•  Critical thinking and creativity: encouraging students to question, explore and innovate is crucial to overcoming challenges and creating ways of solving problems;
• Responsibility and global awareness: educating students who understand global challenges and cultural diversity, but who are also committed to acting responsibly is essential to ensuring a better future.

These competences are essential and represent a paradigmatic shift from teacher-centred education to student-centred education, where learning is seen as a continuous process that extends beyond the school walls. In addition to these competences, there is a key point that must be integrated into any curriculum that wants to prepare students for a global world: effective English language learning. In our interconnected world, English is emerging not only as a communication tool, but as an essential bridge to global personal, professional and academic opportunities. English is the lingua franca of international business, science, technology and diplomacy, facilitating communication and collaboration between people from different nations. In addition, proficiency in English is often a requirement for positions in multinational organisations and can be decisive for a successful career. Another aspect to emphasise is that a large part of the world’s knowledge, whether in the form of books, academic articles or online content, is available in English. Fluency in this language provides almost unlimited access to a vast pool of educational and information resources. Moreover, English is the predominant language at the world’s leading universities, which not only facilitates international academic mobility but also expands the frontiers of higher education and research. Finally, learning English allows for greater exposure to diverse cultures and perspectives, enriching personal experience and promoting a deeper intercultural understanding.

Our school has been on this path of preparing our students for a technological and global world for some time now, in which creativity will play a key role. We have an ongoing Cambridge English project that has borne fruit, with our school being, year after year, the best or one of the best in terms of Cambridge exam results, even though we don’t exclude any students from this external test. Our Erasmus+ accreditation has also allowed us to establish institutional partnerships with the best schools in Europe, ensuring that our students have a unique international and multicultural experience. We want our students to feel able to study or work anywhere in the world, equipping them with the necessary skills to succeed academically or professionally, whether in Portugal or abroad.

escolaglobal as Cambridge International School: what changes?

We feel we are ready to take the next step: to become a Cambridge International School, in a model where we continue to follow the Portuguese curriculum but enrich it with content from the Cambridge curriculum from Pre-school to 8^th Grade.

Cambridge International offers a holistic international curriculum, designed to challenge and inspire students from 3 to 18 years of age, adaptable to diverse cultural contexts and often integrated with national curricula in a bilingual approach, without alienating students with more language difficulties.Today, more than 10,000 schools in 160 countries follow the Cambridge International curriculum, whose qualifications are recognised by universities around the world, broadening students’ academic and professional opportunities globally.

From the 8th grade onwards, we will continue our Dual Education offer, allowing any student to obtain a secondary school leaving certificate in both the Portuguese and North American education systems. The aim is to continue opening doors for our students. Every year we have students who prefer to study abroad. We’ve already had students studying in the United Kingdom and the United States, for example, and we believe that this trend will increase and become much easier as of next school year.

We also believe that in education all new developments must be introduced slowly, in a structured way, with the right profile of teachers and in a way that includes all students. So, from September 2024, changes to the curriculum will include the introduction of a new curriculum unit, taught entirely in English, from Year 1 to Year 8, called Cambridge Global Perspectives. Science will also be enriched with content from the British curriculum, potentially taught in English, from pre-school to Year 8. The Arts in pre-school and primary education, as well as STEAM and ICT, from 5th grade onwards, will also have elements taken from the British curriculum.

In pre-school education, the whole curriculum approach will be enriched by joining the Cambridge University Press & Assessment Early Years programme. In any case, it’s important to state that we are still opting for the curricular basis of our educational project to be that of the Portuguese system, enriching it with the best that Cambridge has to offer us and supporting students who have difficulties with English language proficiency.

We are confident that being a Cambridge International School will significantly enrich our educational project and offer our students a unique educational advantage, while preparing them to exercise responsible global citizenship.