AGRUPAMENTO DE ESCOLAS PINHEIRO E ROSA (PORTUGAL)

Agrupamento de Escolas Pinheiro e Rosa is an integrated group of public schools composed by 9 schools dispersed in the rural and urban areas of Faro county, in the Algarve, in the South of Portugal. The headquarters of this School grouping is based on the Secondary school Pinheiro e Rosa, in Faro.

There are 2 Basic Schools (from the 5th to the 9Th grades) and 6 Primary Basic Schools (from the 1st to the 4th grades, including Kindergarten).

In our schools attend ca. 2.200 students from 4 to 18/19 years old. The School Grouping has a huge diversity of educational programs, not only in the regular national system and VET, but also in alternative curricula, vocational education and training for young people who have difficulties in integrating school,

becoming possible dropouts. There are also courses for students who have left education system and have illicit behavior in society. The VET courses provide about 40% of our secondary level students (ca.350), with a secondary school certificate and a vocational european Level IV certification andwith all-inclusive extra-curriculum activities focused in citizenship and employability skills. These courses are in the following areas: ICT, Civil Protection, Events Organization, Tourism, Health and Sports.

The conclusion rate of our students is like the national one, however the quality of education success in 2 or 3 schools is below to the national level, registering frequent getaways to the school education, resulting sometimes in dropout. The

cultural socioeconomic background of students is very diverse, integrating students from different strata, predominating the medium socio-economic/medium low levels. There are a large number of students coming from several immigrant communities, as well as students from several different ethnicities.

The Grouping became a member of the network of Democratic Participated Schools and claims to be an Equal Opportunity Organization. Our schools are also UNESCO associated schools. There are 2 units with students with special needs, some with mult deficiency and autism, where are applied specific methodologies (TEACH Model). One of our schools is the headquarters of ICT resources Centre for Special Education.

We focus mainly in diversifying our educational response to our students’ needs and the community demands. Our mission is to provide the community with an educational quality service, regarding participation, inclusion, humanis, lifelong and life wise learning, success and employability. We also aim to become a beacon school through the students’ success and the quality of this success and their academic, professional and citizenship skills and performance and reduce the early dropout and therefore to reach the Europe 2020 strategy.

AEPROSA is characterized by being a plural space of cultural point of view in which the motivations, interests and students’ learning capabilities are very different. The School Grouping provides all the conditions not only for the success of regular students, but also ensures the flexibility of organizing instruments for curriculum management aimed at students who have

repeated school failure or integration problems.

The multidisciplinary team of teachers from different curriculum areas that will develop this project consists of Directors, Courses Coordinators, Department Coordinators, Class Tutors, Social Workers, Volunteer Teachers that will try to

contribute to the success of the Project, helping students, immigrant students and refugees, if they’ll attend our schools. The team of teachers involved in the Project beyond being highly qualified, many teachers have masters’ degrees, has a large

experience in a national and international Projects, including Etwinning, Erasmus and Comenius Projects and recognizes their importance for the establishment of better interpersonal relationship, changes of experiences, practices and teaching/learning methods and methodologies.

The Pinheiro e Rosa Secondary School began its activity in the 1994/1995 school year.

It has a building consisting of three interconnected blocks with 35 classrooms, which include 5 laboratories (Biology, Chemistry and Physics), 6 Computer rooms, 1 Visual Arts room, 1 Pedagogical Kitchen, 1 Restaurant/Bar room and 1 technical room for professional courses, Pavilion and Gymnasium, Library and Auditorium. There are also specific spaces according to the multiple functions that are developed, such as: support spaces (Psychology and Guidance Service, Meeting Rooms, Offices for Clubs and Projects, Reception Room for Parents, Health Room, etc.); a Learning Support Centre, equipped with its own and equipped room; work and social spaces for teachers (work rooms and teachers' room); spaces for school services, management and administration; canteen and buffet and spaces for students (social room and student association).

The school also has a large surrounding outdoor space where there is a playground with benches and multiple leisure and social areas.

https://youtu.be/mzpdkSgF_WU?si=IUaHroqqaIKlYo8O