Agrupamento de Escolas de Cristelo (AEC) is located in Paredes, District of Porto. It is divided into first years (ages 3-5), primary education (ages 6-11) and low secondary education (ages 12- 15). In total, we have 1005 students and 115 teachers.
It’s in a rural area but close to the second most important Portuguese city in Portugal, Porto. The school belongs to the municipality of Paredes, a region famous for the design and manufacture of furniture. AEC has generated educational approaches aimed at students with serious risk of school failure. The main reason for this is the economic and social crisis that has arisen in the region. Due to that, there are several social programs of help and diversification oriented to this type of student.
There are also specific programmes for students with serious pedagogical problems associated with physical, psychological and mental disabilities. Most of the students are from a depressed area with a low family income, where some poverty and illiteracy coexist. This context has led our school and the Ministry of Education to create a “TEIP”- It´s an Educational Field of Priority Intervention, according to an educational contract that has made it possible to achieve the aims and objectives of the school to improve student outcomes. As a public education institution, it defends a strong relationship with the context and the community, always seeking to involve teachers as active agents in the configuration of the curriculum.
With this project, students will get the opportunity of living different experiences, that can make them feel, they are a part of the European community. Many of our students have difficulties in learning the English language. A large number of our students have difficulties in learning the English Language, nor considering it important in their future lives. One of our main aims is to make our students aware that using English will help them throughout their lives.
Our school has extensive experience from participating in Erasmus+KA2 projects since 2014. The key teachers who are part of the Erasmus+ team, for this project, is Célia Barbosa (Project coordinator), Cristina Cardoso, Sandra Pinto, Natalina Nogueira and Manuel Lourenço. Other volunteer teachers will join to execute the activities.
