SCHOOLING

There is a waiting list for most of the schools approved for children of British personnel serving at JC Lisbon and as such, no place can be guaranteed. However, if the application is sponsored by the UKJSU, then we do get preference and local schools catering for overseas (particulalrly British) children here, have a satisfactory reputation.

You are responsible for direct liaison with the school, who will then forward school brochures and application forms (if required).

Once you have decided on a school, the completed application form should be sent to the UKJSU. We will act as Sponsors and pay the registration fee and submit the application form to the school.

Further advice is available from HQ Children's Advisory Service UK at Upavon, by calling 0044 (0) 1980 618244.

If any of your children have any current learning support needs, this MUST be highlighted to the UK Aministrative Assistant on (00351 21440 8639) as soon as possible, to establish (prior to posting) whether or not these needs can be met by local schools.

The following local private English speaking schools are SCE endorsed, albeit not 'approved', for use at MoD Expense - all are held in high repute:

PRIMARY

International Preparatory School (IPS) - English curriculum Foundation / Key Stage (KS) 1 & 2
St. Julian's - English curriculum KS 1 & 2
St. Dominic's- International Baccalaureate (IB) syllabus

SECONDARY

St. Julian's - English curriculum to KS3 then IGCSE at KS4: IB yr 12 & y13
St. Dominic's - IB syllabus
Alternatively - UK Boarding School

Please be aware that St. Julian's have a 200 Euro deposit for all senior school children for extra-curricular activities and lost books. This is refundable when the child leaves the school, but is not covered by the MoD. The majority of UK children, who will require secondary education, attend St. Julian's.

Despite some curricular differences, children of primary school age should benefit considerably from the experience of living in Portugal and mixing with children from many other nationalities. The same is true for secondary school age children, however, parents will wish to consider their options carefully for those close to taking their exams. In such cases, it is sensible that such children should be able to remain in Portugal to complete any examination course of study for which they had started.

For children rising 5 and older, two main options exist regarding their nominal education: either to use one of the English speaking schools that broadly follow a British curriculum, or to place your child in a boarding school in the UK. There are no Service Children's Education (SCE) schools in Portugal, although there are three private schools that are endorsed by SCE for use, at MoD expense. St. Julian's and the International Preparatory School (IPS) base their syllabus on the Engllish National Curriculum, while St. Dominic's bases it' syllabuss on the increasingly popular UCAS accepted, International Baccalaureate.

It is important that you seriously consider your options if he / she or they are lilkely to reach 14 years of age during a 2-3 year posting / appointment at JHQ Lisbon. International GCSE and Baccalaureate course compatibility can pose a problem for those children, either midway through the syllabus before arrival (i.e. 14+), or those parents who complete their tour before the final examinations (at 16+). In many cases, the children here sit a few GCSEs but proportionally, more International GCSEs, especially in the sciences, humanities and language areas. However, local schools are conscious of these potential difficulties and always strive to help.

SPECIAL NEEDS

Local schools lack Special Education Needs specialist facilities or expertise. If your child currently has 'extra support' or is 'statemented', it is imperative that you contact the UK Administrative Assistant on 00351 21440 8639 to discuss your options. 'Extra Support' can be defined as the requirement for a child to have as little as 1 hour extra teacher time per week, in or outside of the classroom. The Education Officer will liaise with the local schools and SCE to see if local provision can be made and will help you in making a decision. If your child needs greater help than can be provided in Portugal, either your child will have to remain in the UK or you may decide that cancelling your draft / posting / appointment, to stay with your child is the way ahead.

NURSERY EDUCATION

For pre school children there are several options. All three of the SCE approved schools have nurseries / kingergartens or there are several local Portuguese nurseries that can be used. When making your choice of childcare and school, each establishment has different pros and cons. A visit to determine which school would suit your child is a bonus, although not always possible.

Parents have to decide for themselves which school they would like their children to attend. Once decided, applications must be returned to the EdO and not directly to the school. This ensures that arrangements to pay the substantial fees are made via the UKJSU and not from you. You are welcome to email the UK Education Officer, if you have any queries about your children's education.