Oporto British School

Oporto British School (OBS) is a British school established in 1894 in Foz do Douro, Porto, Portugal. It is the oldest British school in mainland Europe.[2]

Oporto British School
Address
Oporto British School
Rua da Cerca 338

Porto
,
4150-201

Portugal
Coordinates41.1527074°N 8.674045400000068°W / 41.1527074; -8.674045400000068
Information
TypeIndependent day school
International school
Established1894
HeadmasterRobin Silk
GenderCoeducational
Age3 to 18
Enrolment414 (2013[1])
Websitewww.obs.edu.pt

It is a private, day school for both boys and girls, aged 3 to 18, with approximately 425 pupils on roll. It follows a British curriculum until the completion of the IGCSE.

Senior pupils then study the IB Diploma Programme and many go on to higher education in the UK, Portugal, and other locations around the world.

Accreditation

OBS received CIS Accreditation in 2005. It is a member of the European Council of International Schools, the Council of British International Schools.[3]

Houses

OBS has three houses named after prominent royal houses:[4]

History

The Oporto British School opened in 1894 with 11 boys, with the Rev WS Picken MA as the Master. The School house, in the Porto suburb Foz do Douro, was rented at the time but was purchased in 1922 and remains part of the school's facilities. Non-British boys were accepted in 1902, and girls in 1914.[1] Pupil numbers remained small, and it was not until well after the Second World War that the roll exceeded 100.

The school, founded as a Prep School, continued as such until the mid-1950s, when some pupils remained to take their GCE examinations. The early 1960s saw a further development in provision for Portuguese pupils, as the school ensured that, in addition to following an English curriculum, a parallel course in Portuguese was also followed.

Growing pupil numbers through the 1970s and into the 1980s meant that a significant building programme was required to provide the accommodation and facilities for in excess of 200 pupils. A curriculum for post-IGCSE pupils was developed in the early 1990s with the provision of courses leading to the award of the International Baccalaureate Diploma. By this time, the proportion of pupils from a Portuguese background exceeded that of all others, including British students. This trend continued, and there are in excess of 400 pupils in the school, 80% of whom are from Portuguese families, 10% are British, and 10% from other backgrounds.

Along with recent growth in pupils numbers has been significant curriculum and campus development. The school achieved fully accredited status by the Council of International Schools.

Leadership and management

The school is run by an elected board of governors (chairman of the board Maria João Carrapato) and the Senior Leadership Team include: Headmaster Robin Silk, Head of Primary Section Lucy Austin, Head of Secondary Section Chris Payne, Deputy Head (IB Coordinator) Claire Marsden, and the Business Manager André Guardado. There are also two elected members of staff representing staff members at all board meetings.

The school has a Head Boy and Head Girl who represent the pupil body at public and ceremonial events.

The school has a Parent-Teacher Association (The President of the Parents Association is the Head Master and the current Chair of the PTA is Elisabeth Martorell).

Location

The school is in the suburb of Foz do Douro in Rua da Cerca, Porto, Portugal.

Sports, initiatives and extra-curricular activities

Oporto British School has a range of sports. Traditionally, the main school sports have been football and basketball. The school's sport colours are blue and white. The school participates in school competitions annually and term-by-term.

The school received Green Flag status on 29 September 2009 for environmentally friendly practice.

The school participates in many national and international trips annually of sporting, charitable and cultural significance. These include:

  • IB Charitable and Educational rally in Tanzania
  • in 2016 a group of IB pupils as part of CAS went to different parts of India on an outreach program.
  • Model UN trips to Budapest, Belém, Lisbon, and Paris
  • Science trips to Sierra de Gredos
  • Multi-school sports festival (basketball & football) in Cascais, Lisbon
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References
  1. "Inspection Report on Oporto British School" (PDF). Independent Schools Inspectorate. 2013.
  2. "About". Linkedln.
  3. "Accreditations". obs.edu.pt.
  4. "Houses". obs.edu.pt.
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