Beyond the Classroom

Regular, varied visits, and field trips complement classroom topics and themes, enabling pupils to develop contextual understanding through practical, real-life experiences. Overnight stays and extended visits are held annually for children from Year 3 up. We further enhance this experience by providing structure and progression through our new framework for outdoor learning.
 

Homework links school and home for pupils, parents, and teachers. Expectations are age-appropriate, increasing in quantity and complexity each year as a child progresses through school. Children can practice their skills independently and develop self-discipline and problem-solving skills. 

Children join a British-style House system and remain in their House throughout their time with us. All children from the same family are placed in the same House to avoid complications and rivalry at home! The system promotes team spirit and a sense of belonging.

Children in Key Stage Two can become involved in our Student Council. Elected members canvass opinions from all children in their classes and across the school. Regular meetings with staff ensure that the school community has a voice.

Older children can be selected for the school teams depending on the season and the sport. We have both girls’ and boys’ teams for football, basketball, and cross-country. Matches are usually after school from 4-6 pm either at IPS Cascais or at another host school. Weekend tournaments are also organized with other schools, and occasionally these will be held further afield in the Algarve.

All children can participate in class assemblies, school shows, and musicals throughout the year. Content is always age-appropriate and the focus changes yearly to avoid repetition. A local theatre is often hired for the occasion with older children, whereas our younger pupils perform at school in a more familiar setting. These productions are lots of fun for the whole family and a great chance for parents to meet each other and see their children perform.

Music is a much-loved and stimulating subject within our curriculum, and the children can extend their talents further through specialist instrumental tuition, singing, and performance. Every year, we showcase our students burgeoning talents through musical matinees and soirees performed for our school community. 

Our library is brimming with fiction and non-fiction books for all ages. It is a focal point within the school. Reading unlocks the world of knowledge and is a passport to real and imaginary worlds. Teachers and parents get involved and sometimes visiting authors and professional storytellers. We have visits from the Roald Dahl Museum in England (their first performance in a school outside of the UK). We’ve also welcomed Niall de Búrca, one of Ireland's finest traditional storytellers, Ian Bland, who inspired our pupils’ love of poetry, and well-known children’s author, Jeremy Strong.