Welcome to CIV!
The Vilamoura International School (Colégio Internacional de Vilamoura - CIV) is the most prestigious educational institute (Pre-school, Primary School and Secondary School) in the South of Portugal, encompassing the Portuguese National, British (adapted) National and the Cambridge International curricula.
CIV is located in a unique natural environment, with a recreational space of about 18,500m2. It has developed an educational model over the last 37 years that invests in the early learning of foreign languages (Portuguese, English, French and Russian), research programmes, the development of mathematical thinking and the promotion of the arts, sports, democratic values and educational priorities supported by humanistic values.
CIV offers its students a rich and diverse cultural environment, an educational programme focused on the development of cognitive and socio-affective abilities, in an international and multilingual environment.
The educational teams consist of highly qualified and experienced professionals, promoting academic progress and excellence. The Portuguese Studies follow the national curriculum, and the English Studies follow the British National Curriculum (adapted) and the Cambridge International Curriculum (Primary Checkpoint, Secondary Checkpoint, IGCSE, AS Level and A Level) is followed.
At CIV we believe that students are the leaders of their own learning, therefore the educational team establishes strategies to assist each child to achieve academic and personal excellence.
The CIV community comes from approximately forty countries around the world and work with a common goal: Preparing Students for Life!
Mission and Values
Vilamoura International School’s (CIV) mission is to promote international education in Portugal. This entails a permanent focus on research and innovation, ensuring quality and a unique experience in the early learning of foreign languages in an international environment.
CIV is one of the main promoters of the concept of international education in Portugal and it is part of its mission as an international school, to ensure that its students acquire skills throughout their primary and secondary education:
- Communication skills in different social contexts;
- Capacity to form regular and independent reading/writing habits in Portuguese or English;
- Communication skills in different linguistic contexts (Portuguese, English, French, Russian);
- Ability to independently research and transform information into new knowledge;
- Independent organisational skills for personal and work life;
- Leadership skills and the promotion of values and attitudes;
- Ability to cooperate with others and to engage in social issues within the national and international community;
- Ability to critically apply scientific, technological and cultural knowledge to answer simple and complex problems in everyday life;
- Ability to solve simple and complex challenges by weighing different choices and points of view;
- Ability to manage the balance of the body (hygiene / food and physical activity);
- Revealing ecological awareness in their daily routines and in social contexts.
- Vilamoura International School considers all these skills when developing its educational and curricular projects.
Curricula
Two curricula, one school!
Both CIV’s curricula, Portuguese Studies and English Studies, have a common educational programme. The educational programme is the guiding document that gives meaning to all school programmes and which articulates the different forms of participation: of students, teachers, teaching assistants, parents and guardians.
The construction and development of the educational programme of each curriculum follows the following guidelines:
- Detailed understanding of the students enrolled at each level of education, their academic record, their characteristics, their cognitive development, their linguistic and cultural background and their personal knowledge and values;
- Promotion of the educational model and procedures, respecting with the values of international education;
- Promotion of curricular research projects that include the input of expertise from various academic fields;
- Respect for human and cultural diversity;
- Appreciation of active citizenship, justice, solidarity, and social, cultural and environmental volunteering;
- Application of the approved internal policy.
International Education
The Vilamoura International School is a member of the Council of International Schools (CIS), an organisation dedicated to promoting international education, with over 700 international schools worldwide and bringing together an important group of professionals whose interest is in international education.
CIV is also a Cambridge International Examination centre and a Cambridge English Language Assessment centre. It is also an examination centre for the Alliance Française.
CIV promotes an education based on humanistic values which focuses on five key points:
- A special relationship with the Humanities and Science
- An understanding of the world, valuing it in all its diversity, richness and complexity without compromising each student’s points of view, beliefs and feelings
- Permanent encouragement of the inquisitive ability of students
- Research in different areas, linguistic and cultural environments whilst respecting students’ individuality.
- Education as a whole - theoretical academic and practical training with cognitive and emotional development.
Every year, CIV’s ideals and educational philosophy attracts international students as well as those from other Portuguese districts.
Today, in addition to Portuguese students interested in conducting their studies in an international school, CIV welcomes students from a variety of countries, nationalities, cultural heritage and linguistic backgrounds. Between 25 and 40 nationalities have coexisted over the last thirty seven years.
One of the most interesting features of CIV, is its curriculum: it promotes the early learning of foreign languages (Portuguese, English and French).
The multilingual communication and environment cuts across all classrooms. Students can follow the Portuguese Studies Programme or the English Studies Programme, both adapted to International Education.
The History of CIV
The Vilamoura International School - CIV - was founded in 1984 as an international school for students in the Vilamoura area (one of the major tourist centres in Europe, located in the Algarve, in southern Portugal).
To date, the development of teaching has been a clear concern to the overall development of children, whilst the physical structure has been adapting and growing around ground-breaking teaching concepts.
CIV has an educational community of about forty nationalities and has become a benchmark school at a national and international level.
The educational courses and the quality of education provided by CIV, permits national and foreign families to settle in the Algarve and in particular, the Loulé, Albufeira and Faro municipal areas.
Brief chronology
1984 | Founding of the Vilamoura International School
1986 | Creation of the CIV Logo and introduction of the uniform
1988 | Beginning of the 3º Ciclo do Ensino Básico
1989 | First time CIV participated in the Sports Festival
1991 | Construction of the building designated as Block 1
1995 | Opening of the Portuguese Secondary School (Ensino Secundário) and attainment of parallel teaching
1997 | Organisation of the 1st meeting of cultures and launch of the Philosophy course for Children and Youngsters
1998 | First international internship
1999 | 1st Gala dinner to award diplomas of excellence and graduation certificates
2000 | Start of the Mini Olympic Games and work experience programme
2001 | Construction of the building designated as Block 2 and developments of the sports fields
2001 | Introduction of the Annual Project
2002 | Introduction of the Reading Project
2005 | Additional subjects added to the Cambridge International Curriculum
2007 | Improvements to Block 1 and Dining Hall and introduction to Academic Week activities
2008 | Flexible technology project and introduction of laptops in the classrooms
2009 | CIV amongst the 10 best schools internationally with regards to its involvement in research projects (The world’s largest climate forecasting experiment for the 21st century), introduction of the Cambridge Secondary 1 Checkpoint Programme.
2011 | 1st place in the National Secondary School examination rankings
2012 | Summer School and Afterschool activities are initiated
2013 | Opening of the Cambridge English Assessment Examination Centre
2014 | Celebrations of CIV’s 30th anniversary, tribute to the founders
2014 | Introduction of the Cambridge Primary Curriculum programme and the teaching of Mandarin in the Primary School.