Agrupamento de Escolas de Pedome , Portugal

The Agrupamento de Escolas de Pedome is located in Vila Nova de Famalicão, district of Braga, north of Portugal. It was established in the academic year of 2000/2001 and it was restructured in 2007/2008. It currently covers 10 educational units. It integrates the Priority Intervention Educational Territory Program (TEIP) since 2009/2010 and has signed an autonomy contract with the Ministry of Education in February 2013.

In the current year, the school population is 1500 students from preschool education, primary and junior high school (from 3 to 15 years old).

In recent years, there has been an increment in the number of students subsidized by the School Social Action, which is related to the crisis of the Ave Valley region, particularly in the textile and building industries, which has dragged families into unemployment, often of long duration.

Last year 910 students (58%) were supported by school social assistance and 87 students (5,5%) had special educational needs.

There are 140 teachers, 4 specialists in psychology, education and social animation and 65 technical and operational assistants in the 10 educational units.

The Agrupamento de Escolas de Pedome intends to continue its European Development Plan, aiming at a regular, increasingly and assiduous participation in international projects and partnerships. In this sense, having the ambition to intensify the European dimension of the group, there is an urgent need to respond to the training needs of our educational agents: innovation and modernization of our pedagogical practices; increasing the levels of professional motivation and satisfaction of students, teachers and non-teachers; promoting awareness of the importance of the European dimension (transmitting a sense of belonging and European globalization); discussing methods and approaches with a view to greater success in the teaching-learning process, becoming familiar with the educational practices applied and used in other countries, either through participation in Training Courses or job shadowing.

This internationalization plan aims, in global terms, for the total development of our students, promoting the acquisition of knowledge, attitudes and skills in different competence areas, according to the Students’ profile when leaving Mandatory Education, driving to a multiple literacy development, such as reading and writing, numeracy and the use of information and communication technologies, which are the foundations for learning and continuing to learn throughout life.

In recent years, the school has sought to promote more inclusive education, fomenting student-centered pedagogical practices, valuing the non-formal curriculum, encouraging students to participate in school clubs (Sciences, European, Laughter, Chess, Citizenship) and took part in different European projects such Comenius and Erasmus+.

For several years, the school has been distinguished with the Eco School award and was recognized by the Portuguese parents' association as a Child-Friendly School.

The school has been a part of the curriculum autonomy and flexibility project, promoted by the Ministry of Education and Science. Therefore, the school is focused on teacher training in project-based learning and innovative pedagogical projects.

In the coming years, the school intends to continue the promotion of pedagogical projects that develop the balance between knowledge, technologies, understanding, creativity and critical sense, thus contributing to the formation of autonomous and responsible people and active citizens.

To learn more about us, please visit: aepedome.net