Bilingual Early Years programme
Our Early Years programme provides a truly bilingual (English and Portuguese) learning experience for children aged three to four years old. Each classroom is managed by a highly trained teacher and a full-time teaching assistant, both of whom are fluent in both English and Portuguese.
The programme encourages students to become independent learners and enables them to make connections between life in school, life at home and life in the world. We believe that helping students see that learning is connected to life helps establish a strong foundation for future learning.
Our educators view learning as a natural part of childhood. Our project-based learning approach makes knowledge acquisition playful, engaging and child-friendly. Children use their imagination to explore, learn and develop their understanding through play, guided by our experienced practitioners. Our teachers provide a wide variety of materials, experiences and activities that help children develop skills in all areas including language, motor and social development.
Communication and play provide the foundation for children’s learning. As children engage in meaningful play and inquiry, they become more knowledgeable, confident and creative lifelong learners. “Little Explorers” works within a well-planned curriculum that is designed to enrich and expand children’s experiences as well as supporting their growth and development. We encourage children to be self-directed, confident learners and embrace the importance of inquiry and discovery.
Play provides children with opportunities to explore, discover, create and experiment. We aim to prepare children to function well in the world by supporting their social, physical and emotional development. Our programme provides a wide range of opportunities for children to develop their communicative and cooperative skills as well as promoting other essential skills and encompassing literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and expressive arts and design.
Early Years curriculum
In Portugal there is an increasing awareness of the importance of Pre-School for the personal and academic success of students, as well as in the overall development of the national educational system. Taking this into account, Pre-School has therefore been considered as the first step towards a solid education.
At Nobel Algarve British International School we want all of our children to enjoy their learning whilst at school. We aim to achieve this within a happy, structured and caring environment. Through a variety of teaching and learning methods and strategies, we prepare children for their future school life and we aim to instil in them through INQUIRY an enthusiasm for learning.
Our bilingual Portuguese/English curriculum is based on the Portuguese requirements for bilingual schools “Programa Escolas Bililingues em Inglês” (PEBI) and the
Early Learning Goals (ELGs) from the UK. At the end of Reception, children should be ready to move into Year 1 of the English/International Primary Section of
the school or to the “five to six years old class”, leading to the “1º Ano” of the Portuguese/National Section (starting at the age of six).
General objectives of Pre-School education
- Promote the child´s personal and social development based on life´s democratic experiences in an educational perspective for citizenship.
- Encourage the inclusion of the child in diverse social groups, regarding various cultures, favouring a progressive consciousness as a member of society.
- Contribute to an equal opportunity to join the school and to the success of learning.
- Stimulate the child´s general development regarding individual characteristics, instilling behaviours that promote favourable significant learning.
- Develop expression and communication through various languages as a means of relating, informing, awareness and understanding of the world.
- Awaken and nurture curiosity and critical thinking skills;
- Offer the child a feeling of well-being and security, namely in the scope of personal and group health.
- Identify any specific learning needs and promote a better learning experience for the child.
- Encourage participation of the families in their child´s education and establish a relationship with the community.