St. Nicholas School Alphaville: Details and Information

Leaving qualifications
Language of instruction		English
Native English teachers
Extra languages (other than English)
Class sizes	Average	20 students / class
Class sizes	Maximum	24 students / class
Extracurricular activities
School bus

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Number of students	480+
Number of nationalities represented in the school	28
Most common nationality	Brazilian
Ratio of local students to international students	85% local: 15% international

Native English speaking teachers	We have a number of English first language speakers, and our Portuguese teachers are all native Portuguese speakers.
Language support for students not fluent in English	We provide language support as part of the timetable. English and Portuguese as an Additional Language is provided for students who require it, based on assessments.
Additional language classes offered by the school	Portuguese, Spanish (Secondary) and French (Secondary extra-curricular activity)

Max. number of students per class	24
Average number of students per class	20
Does the school employ teaching assistants?	Yes, in Early Years and Primary
Use of technology in the classroom	All classrooms have either projectors or televisions, there are sets of iPads across the campus, and students in Grades 6 - 8 are provided with 1:1 Chromebooks.
Is the school ready to use virtual classrooms when needed? (e.g. teaching lessons online if the school is closed, e.g. during COVID-19 closures)	We are very prepared if need. This was the practice during the pandemic but since then, we have only provided in-class lessons.
Do students practice religion at the school? What religion?	No. We are non-faith-based school, but as an inclusive school, we run learning units, such as ‘World Religions’ and engage students from Primary upwards in discussions and visitors of different faiths.

External examinations or assessments available	Formally, students in the Secondary may opt for the MYP e-Assessments from this year.
Results in these examinations	This will be the first year (2023)
Do teachers assign homework to their students?	Yes, but carefully aligned to what is being studied in the classroom, not simply as a routine. A maximum amount is set depending on the age, but it is not compulsory nor expected to be set every week.
Approximate hours of homework given	It ranges from 30 minutes per day in Primary, which might be some reading activities, to 90 minutes in Secondary. However, again, on a needs basis.
Percentage of students who pursue further education post-graduation	Our oldest students are completing their middle years this year (2023) so we do not yet have graduates.

Dedicated staff/programs for students with special learning needs	Yes. Approximately 25% currently receive support.
Learning support offered	In-class ‘push in’ and occasional ‘pull out’ for literacy and numeracy, and language support as mentioned above.
The school supports gifted, able and talented students	In the same way. Individual Education Plans would help to focus on a student’s needs.
Student access to education psychologist	We have two school counsellors on campus who are able to monitor and support students, but we make referrals for assessments if deemed necessary.

Entry evaluation for students	Yes.
Brief description of entry evaluation required	Simple assessments of language and mathematics in order to assess where there might be needs. We are not selective.
Waiting list	Not currently, but some grade levels are full.
Deadline for registration (new academic year)	We accept admissions throughout the year, but the majority would join us either in August (the beginning of our academic year) or January (the beginning of the Brazilian system academic year)
Students can join after academic year begins	Yes.

School start time	8am
School finish time	3:30pm
Supervised care before/after school	Only in the form of extracurricular activities
School bus service available	Parents are able to contract the service with an external provider.
School provided lunches	Yes, paid for by the parents.
Food alternatives for special dietary needs (ie. vegan, kosher, halal etc)	Yes.
Uniform required	Yes.

Extracurricular activities or clubs offered	More than 50 extracurricular activities of sports, arts, cooking, MUN/debate, gardening, board games, etc.
Sports activities included	A broad and balanced sports curriculum for students of all ages.
Sports teams or sport competitions available for students	Yes, football and basketball currently.

Facilities at the school	Purpose-built campus with an Award-winning design with 2 libraries, 3 Science Labs, 1 Media Center with a Podcast Studio, 3 Music rooms with more than 450 individual musical instruments, 2 Art ateliers, 1 Drama studio, 1 Auditorium, 1 Amphitheatre, 3 Lunchrooms, 7.500 m2 of outdoor play areas, a purpose early years center with an exclusive playground.
Sports facilities at the school	2 multi-purpose Sports Court, with a track and field facility beginning construction this year.

Qualities and characteristics best defining the school	We are an inclusive and friendly school, with an emphasis on the community. We believe in partnership with the families, and provide a range of community events and information sessions.
Teaching approach of the school	We adhere to the IB philosophy where we believe in the importance of learning how to learn and the development of skills, rather than focusing on the taught content. We are aligned with the Brazilian national curriculum but adapted for an international context and the development of student agency and student-centred approaches.