On 12th February, the first meeting of the Parent Representative Group took place. It was a warm, positive and constructive meeting, marked by open dialogue and genuine commitment to the future of the school.
The members of this group are:
Fábia Martins, Filipa Vaz, Vanessa Martinho, Helena Ferreira, Rui Jacinto, Teresa Batista, Stacey Stuart, Vicki Matos, Cátia Milene Pereira Rodrigues, Ricardo Ferreira, Soraia Freire, Paula Alexandra de Lima Rosa Correia, Tânia Sofia dos Santos, Pedro Gomes, José Neves, Luzileine Fagundes e Filipa Príncipe.
Representatives shared what they value most about the school: the strong sense of community and family atmosphere, the close relationships between students, families and staff, the richness of cultural diversity, and the benefit of being a through-school. The genuine care shown for the wellbeing of children and young people was also highlighted.
Areas identified for further development included: a wider range of extracurricular activities, continued strengthening of security, greater consistency and retention of class teachers, the return of EITV Talks, further development of English and Portuguese teaching in some areas of the school, the creation of a student association and the strengthening of student leadership.
The three strands of the School Improvement Plan – Safeguarding, Raising Attainment and Teacher Retention – were outlined. It was explained how these concerns align with our strategic priorities, particularly in relation to staff stability and pedagogical continuity. It was also emphasised that teacher commitment and retention are strengthened through collaborative work in our Professional Learning Communities, currently exploring areas such as AI in education, interdisciplinary learning, metacognition, student leadership and neurodiversity.
Parents also toured the campus and were introduced to current and planned projects.
This term:
- Opening of a dedicated library and quiet study area near the LED.
- Introduction, ideally by Term 3, of literacy-linked extracurricular activities including Reading Races, Battle of the Books and Writers’ Workshops.
- Installation of a safeguarding entry system to ensure we are fully aware of who is on site at all times, while maintaining our friendly family atmosphere.
Outdoor areas:
- Replacement flooring in two Preschool and Primary areas.
- Planned installation (ideally March/April 2026) of a permanent volleyball court next to the padel and futsal pitches.
- Creation of a 3×3 basketball court in the space previously occupied by the former skate ramps.
- Investment in shaded areas and picnic tables for outdoor study and social spaces.
- Replacement of playground equipment, with students involved in selecting new options.
- Ongoing consultation on the best use of the “green triangle” area as an additional outdoor space. Fencing will be required for safety, but the intention is to create a free-play area with different activity stations. We would very much welcome your suggestions, and there will be an opportunity to comment on your ideas on our community noticeboard next week.
- Development of the School Garden, Outdoor Wild Play Area and Forest Learning areas.
Regarding the mobile phone policy, the possibility of requiring students to hand in their phones at the start of the day and collect them only when leaving was discussed. Some parents supported a complete ban, highlighting the benefits for concentration, privacy and safeguarding. Others felt that older students should be educated to manage responsible use, possibly allowing limited use in defined areas away from younger students as part of preparing them for adulthood. The ideas shared will now be conveyed to the Pedagogical Council to inform the final decision.
The meeting was a positive forum for dialogue, and it was encouraging to see such engagement and commitment to the school’s success. We will meet again before the end of this term and again in May.
Finally, as we develop the new library, we would greatly appreciate your suggestions for books you feel are important for different age groups — titles that have been meaningful in your families or that you believe support creative, factual and literacy development. You can share your suggestions using the following link:
Form
Kind regards,
.
EITV, February 19th, 2026
The Head of School
Kate Sommerville