Vilamoura International School
Vilamoura International School is a co-educational Independent day school located in Vilamoura, Portugal, founded in 1984 by a group of parents and teachers with the aim of providing a quality education to a small group of students which eventually grew to approximately 800.
School
It is an International school, which follows an English and Portuguese curriculum up to IGCSE, AS and A Level Cambridge exams and a National section where Portuguese is taught as a first language and the National Curriculum is taught. French and German are taught as foreign languages. The school has some 800 pupils of over 30 nationalities. In recent years, the practical success of a learning and creative environment has received attention from the scientific community. In 2009, it reached the top high schools in the world in scientific research and in 2011 topped the annual ranking of secondary schools according to the Ministry of Education. Currently, it has a significant community of alumni scattered by various parts of the world, from Europe to Asia, the U.S. and Australia.Sports Facilities
Within the College grounds, there are playing fields. These include, football pitches, volleyball courts, tennis courts, basketball courts, handball courts, and two gymnasiums. Students are actively encouraged to play Golf and conditions are provided for this at a nearby Golf Course.Houses
Pupils are assigned to one of the Houses on entering the school. This is where they interact and build relationships with students which are not necessarily from their class or even Section as the school offers both a National and International Section. The Houses compete against one another in sports, but they are not exclusive and everyone has friends from other Houses.Names of the houses
Curriculum
The International Section of Vilamoura International School follows the International Cambridge Curriculum.The subjects which are currently offered at AS/A Level are:
| Humanities | English Language, English Literature, History, French, Portuguese |
| Sciences | Chemistry, Biology, and Physics. |
| Arts | Art and Design |
| Statistical Sciences | Applied ICT, Mathematics, Business Studies, |
School terms
There are three academic terms in the year:- The Michaelmas Half, from early September to mid December
- The Lent Half, from mid January to late March;
- The Summer Half, from late April to late June. Sixth-Formers commence study leave during this term in order to study for the various National Exams which are sat in May/June.