Admissions FAQ

How old is the school? 
The British College of Brazil(BCB) first opened in 2011 under The British Schools Foundation, before joining the Nord Anglia Education family in December 2017. 

Teaching and Curriculum

What qualifications do your teachers have? 
We only hire highly qualified teachers with several years’ experience. All teachers have Qualified Teacher Status such as a degree in teaching or a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) from the UK or an equivalent qualification from their country of origin. The majority of our teachers are native English speakers.

What curriculum do you teach?
We offer the English National Curriculum (British Curriculum) with an international focus. Secondary examinations are IGCSE and the IB Diploma Programme in Year 12 and Year 13.
Along with the English National Curriculum, our students learn Portuguese and Brazilian history, culture and geography.

The British College of Brazil offers double certification. By obtaining the Brazilian diploma, students are allowed to continue their studies in Brazil, as the school is fully certified by the Ministry of Education.

What are your class sizes?
Depending on the year group class size can vary between 16 - 22 children. 

What foreign languages do you teach? 
We teach Portuguese to all students and Spanish from secondary school.

Do you have teaching assistants?
We have highly qualified Teacher Assistants (TAs) within all of our primary classes. 

How do you deal with children with limited English?
We have an excellent EAL (English as an Additional Language) programme to cater for children arriving with low levels of English. At BCB, in our English-speaking environment, children learn English incredibly quickly.

Do you have provisions for children with Special Education Needs?
As an inclusive school, we understand that not all children find it easy to learn. Our Learning Support department provides targeted assistance for children that need additional help. The teaching team is made up of specialist teachers with experience in this area. If you believe that your child needs this type of support, please contact us with your child's requirements so we can assess if we can help.  

Activities and Trips

Do you have after school activities?
We view after school activities as an integral part of the education of our pupils, and to that end offer a wide range of clubs that aim to introduce the pupil to potential hobbies, develop particular sports, provide English learning support or give IT support.

We aim to inspire an interest in areas that perhaps they would not be exposed to through the normal curriculum. After school activities are not compulsory but highly recommended.

What sort of excursions and trips do you offer your students?
One of the key things that being part of the Nord Anglia family brings is opportunities for inter-school events and curriculum collaborations within the Americas region. For example, The Global Games.

We also provide local excursions and trips giving pupils opportunities to learn more about the natural resources, history and culture of Brazil.

What is your sport programme like?
We compete locally against other local and international schools regularly. We have a unique sailing programme in Secondary school and both girls and boys teams for basketball and football.

We work in partnership with some clubs and gyms conveniently located 5 to 10 minutes away from the school where many of these activities take place.

What is your music programme like?
Our music programme is excellent. Music is a fundamental element of our curriculum. We provide instrumental programmes for Primary and Secondary students allowing pupils to develop their skills in core instruments such as guitar, keyboard and drums. We also have an excellent Choir, School Concert Band, and Rock Band.

We also offer one-to-one private instrumental lessons for students wishing to perfect their abilities.

School Life

Is a school lunch provided?
Yes, a school lunch is provided for our pupils. The school prepares healthy, balanced lunches and snacks onsite. The school also has a nutritionist to support pupils in developing a healthy eating regime.

How do you ensure my child acclimates quickly to this new school?
We are known for our warmth in welcoming new families to the school. We provide lots of information about the class and school prior to your arrival and are ready for you from your first day.

We can put you in touch with a family before your child starts here, and we always arrange a ‘buddy’ for our new pupils.

How do you ensure good behavior and manners? 
We have a school culture that promotes respect for others and good manners. We also encourage self-expression and work so our pupils develop self-esteem. We actively reward our pupils for demonstrating respect for others and teach these values at assemblies and in the classroom.

We have a very strong house system that encourages positive behaviour and achievement.

Where do your families live and do you provide school buses?
We have many families living in Moema, Itaim, Vila Nova Conceição, Pinheiros, Portal Do Morumbi, Panamby, Chácara Flora, Alto da Boa Vista.  We have two outsourced school bus companies that provide bus services to most of the main residential areas in São Paulo.

Please contact us to find out if our bus service runs in your area. 

Parental Involvement

How do you communicate with parents?
We send weekly emails to parents with information on what the children are learning and doing in school. We also use the parent portal messaging app that make the experience more efficient.

We have regular monthly coffee mornings with the Principal and staff to allow parents a more relaxed setting to discuss school requirements and meet other parents.