About our School

We educate autonomous, creative and supportive children

What distinguishes us

Active and meaningful participation of the child

At Colégio Catarina de Bragança we value the active participation of children in their own development and learning process. We believe that each child is the protagonist of their own trajectory, learning autonomously and responsibly. Able to make decisions and solve problems in an environment that values democratic principles.

We respect the individuality of each student, encourage meaningful learning and develop integrated skills. Our goal is to form altruistic, emotionally intelligent children prepared to contribute to a more just, humane and socially responsible world.

We use active teaching-learning methodologies. Our students carry out, from a very early age and in groups, Project Work, which is a powerful instrument for autonomous learning, sharing and integration of knowledge.

What distinguishes us

Developing each student’s unique potential

Our team is dedicated to finding the best answers for each student, ensuring their integration, well-being and happiness. Regardless of their beginning, every child has the right to grow and flourish in a place where education is experienced with individualisation, empathy and equity.

Our educational project supports children from nursery to the end of primary school. This journey reflects the consistency and quality of the teaching we offer. We are also open to students from other educational contexts. At Colégio Catarina de Bragança, each child is welcomed with respect, inclusion and support in any of our school years or classrooms.

What distinguishes us

The importance of educational spaces-environments

At Colégio Catarina de Bragança, we believe that space is an active educator, where it plays an essential role in the development of children. We create welcoming and dynamic environments that promote curiosity, creativity and autonomy.

Our indoor and outdoor areas are carefully planned to reflect an organic and aesthetically pleasing design, where children have access to natural, recyclable and everyday materials that encourage free and creative play. These unique environments are shaped by interacting with children, providing rich opportunities for exploration and discovery.

The school spaces are rich and dynamic environments, designed to promote exploration, collaboration and the integral development of children, aligned with the principles of the Reggio Emilia Approach. They are welcoming, aesthetically pleasing and easy for children to access materials and resources.

What distinguishes us

Learning process Documentation

Documenting the learning process is one of the pillars of the Reggio Emilia approach. The team has created areas dedicated to this purpose, which give visibility to children’s thoughts and reinforce the idea that they are authors of their processes and productions.
Panels, murals, photo albums, drawings and notes from teachers and children display records of activities, projects and reflections, allowing reflection on the learning process and promoting the co-creation of knowledge.
The adult is a reference figure in the learning process, acting as a partner in the children’s discoveries and as manager of an emerging curriculum, built based on the group’s experiences and interests.

What distinguishes us

A comprehensive and innovative educational project

We offer an educational project that promotes the global development of children, in their various areas. We have diverse projects, disciplines and activities, which work on skills, abilities and attitudes: music, physical-motor expression, arts, digital education, chess, workshops, skills promotion programmes, among others.

Music classes are a place for exploration and discovery. From an early age, our students are exposed to a wide range of musical stimuli, promoting musical acculturation and the development of their natural aptitude. Through experimentation, improvisation, composition, listening, reflection, movement and interpretation, children develop skills that transform them into creators, enriching their personal and artistic growth.

From babies, in the areas and time dedicated to psychomotricity (later physical-motor expression), our students are motivated, in an environment of affection and joy, to explore the relationships between the body and the outside world. These activities promote perceptual development through movement and bodily response, improve physical and coordinative capabilities, the acquisition of rules and cooperation.

What distinguishes us

Bilingual Learning and Cambridge Certification

Our English project provides bilingual learning from nursery onwards, investing in the early development of children’s communicative proficiency in English.

Our students benefit from an integrated learning of the English language: in an immersive and informal context – naturally present in their daily routines – and in formal academic moments – classes. This model facilitates the acquisition of a second language and the construction of a relationship of familiarity and pleasure with the new language.

English is taught using Cambridge University curriculum, resources and certification. We are Cambridge Educational Partner and Cambridge Preparation Center for English Qualifications.

Mission and values

Our mission is to offer quality education, centered on active participation and values. We work to promote a more humane and sustainable society, in close partnership with the family.

Affective and Family Environment

As a project that conveys sensitivity, innovation and safety, we are a school of affection, which protects children’s physical health and stimulates their psychological health and well-being.

Families are always welcome and are a fundamental part of the school community.

Autonomy and Responsability

In building the educational process, we value autonomy, responsibility, research and free expression. Children choose the tasks, activities and projects they want to participate in, becoming protagonists of their own development and learning.

Openness and cooperation

We understand the importance of direct and transparent communication, as well as openness and receptivity to new ideas, opinions and experiences. We promote cooperative and inclusive environments, characterised by mutual trust, respect, tolerance and reciprocity.

Participation and Initiation to Democratic Practices

We promote everyone’s participation in the school´s life on a daily basis, where learning is built in cooperation. Pedagogical practice is focused on the active construction of children and not just on instruction.

We aspire to go beyond the consecration of values – values must be reflected in the school’s day-to-day activities.

Friendship and Citizenship

We are a school of friends, which values large group moments for the richness of sharing and experiencing values such as friendship, respect and tolerance. Through dialogue and the exchange of ideas, children learn to make decisions, form value judgments and, cooperatively, develop as citizens.

Social Impact

We embrace sustainable development objectives, committing to practices aligned with managerial, ethical, social, environmental and quality standards. We promote the exercise of active, informed and responsible citizenship, with a positive social impact on the local and global community.

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Discover the educational project of Colégio Catarina de Bragança and ensure a complete and individualized learning and development experience.

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History

2002

Colégio Catarina de Bragança is located in the rural village of Morelinho, in the Parish of Sintra, since December 2002.
With around 450 inhabitants, Morelinho is a small village with a main street, with farms, one to two floors houses, vegetable gardens and farmland.

The school was built in St. António Farm, whose original house dates back to 1954. Over the years, it was expanded and refurbished by various owners until it was acquired in 2001 to build the school.

Colégio Catarina de Bragança was founded by a family for other families, with the purpose of offering an education that values the child as a competent being, capable of actively exploring and getting to know the world around them. It has become a reference in the educational panorama of Sintra.

History

2017

The constant search for pedagogical practices that promote better learning is part of what defines us as a school. In 2017, assuming a commitment to the school’s families, we participated in the Ministry of Education’s Experimental Project for Autonomy and Flexible Curriculum. This participation allowed us to enjoy 30% autonomy in building the primary school curriculum.

History

2020

In 2020, Colégio Catarina de Bragança joined the Project To Be educational group, ensuring the continuity of the pedagogical project and the team.

With this partnership, we promoted the development and continued training of the team, participation in social impact projects and the establishment of new educational partnerships enriching the offering for students and families.

History

2024/25

To provide a safe, pleasant and stimulating learning environment for students, extensive renovation work was done on the entire school – all areas of the building, playgrounds and landscaping.

Colégio Catarina de Bragança will have a highly differentiated space, matching the quality of its pedagogical project.