Carlucci American International School of Lisbon: Ages, Grades, & Class Sizes

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Admissions / FAQS / Ages, Grades, & Class Sizes

How old does my child have to be to enter CAISL and what grade will they go into?

For entrance into the Early Childhood Program and Grade 1, students must be “age appropriate” on or before 31st August.

Therefore:

to enter the 3-year-old program the child must turn 3 on or before 31st August.
for entrance into the 4-year-old program, the child must turn 4 on or before 31st August
for entry into Kindergarten, the child must be 5 on or before 31st August
to enter Grade 1, the child must be 6 on or before 31st August (exceptions to the age rule may be made for Grade 1 where the student has already completed Kindergarten in an American or equivalent system of education).

For admission beyond Grade 1, CAISL evaluates the records of the child’s previous school and places the student accordingly.

What grade will my child be placed in at CAISL if he7she is coming into Grade 2 or above?

CAISL will evaluate your child’s record and place him/her in the appropriate grade for his/her academic progress and age. If your child passed Grade 4 (4º ano) in an American or Portuguese school, he/she will be in Grade 5 at CAISL. If your child passed Year 4 in a British school, he/she will be in Grade 4 at CAISL.

How do the “grades” at CAISL compare with those in the Portuguese or British systems?

American terminology uses the word “grade” in two ways. First a “grade” is the mark a student got on a test or at the end of a marking period. This is the same as Portuguese "notas".

Second, a “grade” is the level of the class your child will be in a school—i.e. 1st grade, 6th grade, etc. American “grades” are the same as Portuguese “níveis/anos.”

However, American “grades” and British “years” are different. What Americans call Kindergarten or Early Childhood 5-year-olds, the British call Year 1. Thus, British “years” are always one ahead of American “grades.” A child who has finished Year 6 in the British system will enter Grade 6 in the American system the following year. A student in the British system will finish his/her secondary education at Year 13 while a student in the American system will complete his/her secondary education at Grade 12.

What grade will my child be placed in if he/she transfers to CAISL mid-year, after completing the grade at a school in the Southern Hemisphere or parts of Asia?

It is CAISL’s policy to enter the child in the SAME grade he/she just finished in his/her previous school. The child will be evaluated once he/she is in the school and, if it is deemed by the CAISL educators to be in the child’s best educational interest, he/she may be moved to another grade within the first few months of enrollment or for the next academic year.

However, it is important to realize that a child who finished, for example, 4th grade in a Southern Hemisphere school and enters CAISL in mid-year is not well served educationally by being put into 5th grade for a few months and then passed to 6th grade.

How big are classes at CAISL?

Classes in Early Childhood 3, 4, and 5 year olds are usually limited to 20. Early Childhood classes have two classroom teachers, one fluent English speaker and one fluent Portuguese speaker. In Grades 1 through 12, class sizes are also usually around 20, but some classes are significantly smaller, depending on the subject taught and the needs of the children, and occasionally some classes may be slightly larger.

Our Mission

CAISL is a student-centered educational community in which we challenge ourselves and each other to do our best and to make positive contributions to our diverse and ever-changing world.

Governed by Fundação Escola Americana de Lisboa

Rua António dos Reis 95
Linhó 2710-301
Lisboa, Portugal
T: 351-219-239-800
F: 351-219-239-898
E: info@caislisbon.org

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