Ownership & Governance

The school is owned by the Associação Britânica de Educação (ABE) which is the current body of parents of British and Commonwealth nationality. The Board of Governors is composed of: parents elected from and by the ABE; co-opted members; and ex-officio representatives of the British community. Executive authority is delegated to the Director and to the Brazilian Director.

School Roll

The school has a roll of approximately 1750 pupils. Of these, some 85% are Brazilian and the others are from a wide range of other countries, primarily from Britain. Over forty nationalities are represented, including most European countries.

Year Group Organisation

The school is composed of 16 year groups from Pre-Nursery to Secondary Class 11. This table shows a comparison of The British School year groups with the British, American and Brazilian systems.
Each section – Lower Primary, Upper Primary and Senior - has its own Head of Section. The Lower Seniors are managed jointly by the Heads of Upper Primary and Senior School.

Class Organisation

The school has a very favourable overall teacher-pupil ratio of 1:10. Class sizes are from 10 to 24 pupils with ceilings defined according to each year group. Small classes permit greater individual attention and enable our teachers to create a caring and well-disciplined learning environment.
Teaching groups throughout the school are of mixed ability with the exception of Mathematics, currently from Class 8. Portuguese classes are differentiated to take account of the needs of first language students and beginners.

House System

A very active House System promotes the integration of the different age groups all the way from Foundation Stage to Seniors. On entering the school, all pupils are allocated to a House and, in principle, members of the same family will be allocated to the same House. Membership of a House enhances the pupil’s sense of identity and belonging and creates a spirit of friendly competition and cooperation, as well as providing additional opportunities for participation in various non-academic events. The House system provides a vehicle through which social, sporting and cultural events, including competitions, are organised. Each House is led by a Head of House appointed from among the teaching staff. Captains and Vice-Captains, elected from among the student body, are responsible for assisting the Head of House in the organisation of House activities and competitions. See also: Houses

School Year

The academic year runs from February to December. It consists of two terms with a break during July. The main dates for the following academic year are published during the first term and a detailed school calendar is published at the beginning of each term. See also: Calendar.


School Day

The school day is from 07:45 to 15:15 hrs with staggered entrance and dismissal times for different year groups. For Pre-Nursery, there is also a half-day option in the morning. All pupils have a morning and lunch break. Hot lunch is provided every day on all sites. Snacks for breaks are provided from Pre-Nursery to Class 5.
In Zona Sul Unit (Botafogo and Urca Sites) students from Classes 1 to 11 attend Physical Education lessons at sports facilities off campus once a week. Nursery to Infants pupils have PE classes on campus. Transport to sports facilities is provided by the school.  In Barra Unit all pupils have PE classes on campus.
The school does not provide transport services to and from school. These services are contracted directly by parents with third parties.


Uniform

All pupils wear school uniform from Pre-Nursery to and including Secondary Class 9. In Classes 10 and 11 uniform is not required, but students are expected to be appropriately dressed. Parents must provide the regulation clothing and shoes and are directly responsible for the dress and appearance of their children.

Teaching Staff

The British School is highly respected for the quality and professionalism of its staff and benefits from considerable stability in its teaching body. Some 30% of the staff are recruited from overseas. Locally contracted staff are appropriately qualified professionals with the highest possible standards of English.
A comprehensive Staff Development programme, managed by the Staff Development Coordinator, keeps our teachers abreast of latest educational developments. The school has established relationships with higher education institutions that provide both regular in-service training and distance-learning opportunities. See also: Educational Staff

Parental Involvement

Parents are encouraged to participate in school life in a variety of capacities and, indeed, the greater part of the governing body is composed of parents.
Parental involvement takes many forms: from ensuring that each child is properly prepared for classes each day and demonstrating an active interest in their education, to being involved in the various events and activities that are organised each year.
Joining the Parent and Teacher Association - PTA is one way of actively participating in school life. The PTA supports the school in many ways and organises two major events every year - Founder’s Day Fête and Halloween Fun. The PTA is also responsible for inviting guest speakers to regular parents’ breakfast meetings as well as for arranging many of the after school activities.