Middle School
The educational philosophy of Brazilian International School for Middle School (Ensino Fundamental II) is directed towards the acquisition of competencies through interdisciplinarity. Students are encouraged to develop leadership, autonomy, and a love for learning.
The pedagogical approaches proposed in this cycle aim to promote meaningful learning through sensitization, interpretation, critical analysis, and logical reasoning.
Committed to excellence in bilingual education, BIS provides Middle School students with access to proficiency exams and international experiences. These experiences aim to broaden students’ horizons culturally and in terms of knowledge.
Middle School Educational Proposition: Year 6 to Year 8
In order to offer students the resources to develop their full potential, BIS adopts both the Brazilian formal curriculum (BNCC) and an international curriculum. That makes the bilingual education program richer, giving students access to a broader range of content.
The Brazilian curriculum includes Portuguese (Grammar, Writing, Literature, and Reading Comprehension), Mathematics, History, Geography, Science, Multiple Languages, Human Formation, and Computer Science. The international curriculum comprises Language Arts, Science, History and Geography, Arts, Spanish, Maker, Global Perspectives, Speech, and PSHE (Physical, Social, and Health Education).
The school’s educational project is structured based on a socio-interactionist and humanist approach, in which learning occurs through interactions and stimuli from the social environment. With this in mind, the institution incorporates creative and innovative methods into its plan.
The role of the teacher in the Middle School (Ensino Fundamental II) is that of a facilitator, presenting proposals, challenges, and activities so that students have constant opportunities to evolve. Teachers mediate an active learning process, as the true protagonists of education are the students.
For BIS, students must expand their intellectual repertoire and be fully capable of sharing it. Therefore, they are encouraged to present their hypotheses and conclusions, practicing communication skills that are valued personally and professionally.
One of the most significant difficulties of outdated teaching models is the gap between content and students’ reality, which is reversed with an interdisciplinary approach. Students connect the topics with their context, generating proximity and visible transformations.
The assessment system developed by BIS observes the student holistically and procedurally, identifying their difficulties and indicating ways to overcome them. From this perspective, the student becomes not only the protagonist but also co-responsible for their learning.
In this sense, when students realize that they have the potential to promote their own knowledge, it is natural and expected that they feel compelled to demonstrate greater involvement in the process. That means the impact is much more positive and lasting.
Cambridge Exam
As done during the Elementary School Years, Middle School students can also sign up for the Cambridge exams. The available ones for this phase are the KET (Key English Test) and PET (Preliminary English Test).
Both assessments are the initial levels of Cambridge ESOL, the official proficiency test of the institution for non-native English speakers. The evaluation of language skills occurs in various everyday situations, covering reading, writing, use of English, listening, and speaking.
Students receive an international certificate issued in England by the institution according to their performance.
BEO - British English Olympics
Oxford Education annually organizes the BEO – British English Olympics – a knowledge olympiad aimed at Middle School students from over 20 countries. The event takes place in the United Kingdom and consists of seven multidisciplinary competitions, such as debates and dance performances.
Since 2015, BIS has participated in the contest thanks to the excellent performance of our students in the Cambridge exams. At this moment, we are the Brazilian school with the most trophies, an achievement that demonstrates the results of intense preparation and the students’ proficiency in English.
Criteria for student classification:
- Fluency in English;
- Commitment;
- Maturity;
- Autonomy;
- Poise;
- Appropriate behavior;
- Ease of socialization;
- Satisfactory academic performance.
