Agora International School Andorra

• Location: L'Aldós, Andorra,
• Year of foundation: 1999,
• Language of instruction: English, Spanish, French,
• Type of studying: mixed.

Agora International School Andorra is an international private school, one of the best secondary education institutions in Andorra. Since 2017, it has been included in the Gradeducate educational network, local and foreign students study on campus. It offers programs for children of all school ages, from kindergarten to high school, and in addition, Agora International School Andorra is accredited to teach the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, which diplomas are recognized by leading universities around the world.

Located at an altitude of 1250 meters above sea level, adjacent to the mountain peaks of the Pyrenees, Agora Andorra offers stunningly picturesque, modern, comfortable, safe conditions for learning, developing talents, and language skills. In 2000, Agora Andorra opened a residence in which about 50 foreign students live today - children come from different countries to gain international educational experience, enjoy the natural beauty of Andorra, learn several languages, earn qualifications that will allow them to continue their academic path at the best universities of the world.

A special advantage of the educational institution is trilingual education - classes are held in English, Spanish, French in the same ratio, a small part of the lessons can also be taught in Catalan. Language learning takes place not only in classes and by participating in campus events, but also during trips abroad: to England, Ireland, the USA, France.

All students are given individual attention based on the comprehensive development of their talents: academic support, a variety of themed clubs, sports sections, participation in external events, career mentoring, travel abroad and much more. In the educational process, children are effectively prepared to continue their academic activities at the university, creating a solid base of knowledge and skills.

Agora Andorra employs highly qualified educational psychologists with extensive education, experience in the field of child and adolescent psychology. They help children who require varying degrees of support or guidance in areas such as special educational needs, behavioral, emotional problems, gifted, talented children, and offer a wide range of practical solutions.

The needs of students vary greatly, which is why Agora Andorra uses monitoring to identify, respond to any difficulties that students may face during their time at school. The Department of Educational Psychology provides support to children experiencing academic, emotional, or social challenges, including learning difficulties in areas such as reading, writing, and math, emotional difficulties related to relationships with friends and classmates, behavioral and attention disorders.

At Agora Andorra, children study at all levels of education: kindergarten, primary, secondary, high school. In the summer months, short-term thematic courses are organized on campus.

Agora International School Andorra offers special online SAT test preparation for admission to a US university through Blyth Academic. The school has the official title of exam center for these tests for ASCIS students and students from other schools.

The SAT is an admission test accepted by U.S. universities, which assesses students' readiness for university life. It is based on the work students are already doing in the classroom, the skills and competencies students have acquired in high school, focusing on the knowledge they will use in college, in the real world. The SAT exam is required for all students wishing to continue their studies at US universities, it is a prerequisite for receiving an athletic or academic scholarship. The exam is held face-to-face, consists of several sections: reading, writing and language, mathematics, optional essay.

The comfortable residence of Agora International School Andorra is a two-minute walk from the educational buildings, 10 minutes from the ski slopes. 50 students aged from 9 to 18 years old live here, choosing the format that suits them best: for one or two semesters or for a full academic year. Residents are looked after by two mentors: one is responsible for academic performance, and the other assists in the individual needs of each student, including living conditions, extracurricular activities, their overall happiness, well-being. The school maintains constant contact with the families of students, ensuring maximum comfort, safety, and success of pupils.

The residence provides students with all the amenities to make them feel at home: double, triple bedrooms with personal furniture sets, WI-FI, cleaning and laundry services, a quiet study room, an outdoor patio with a basketball hoop, a barbecue area, impressive views of the Pyrenees. On the ground floor there is a comfortable common area with TV, table football, tennis, darts.

Students have dinner in the school cafeteria. As for breakfast and snacks, they are provided at the boarding house. A qualified team of chefs, together with a nutritionist, prepare a balanced menu that meets all the needs of the younger generation: hot dishes, healthy snacks, salads, vegetables, fruits, pastries and much more. The menu can be personalized for a student with special nutritional needs: allergies, medical conditions, religious requirements.

An extensive extracurricular program offers students the development of their abilities in different areas: sports, creativity, international experience. Extracurricular activities support the physical, social, intellectual development of students, provide many benefits that complement the education they receive as part of the main curriculum. Events help children learn to work in a team, develop a higher level of skills in their chosen activity, manage their energy levels, control their emotions, acquire skills such as determination, independence, and a sense of responsibility.

• Sport

Participation in sports activities contributes to the development of a sense of teamwork, self-improvement, purposefulness, responsibility, which are part of the comprehensive development of students. The school has excellent sports facilities where students get the opportunity to improve their physical abilities, relax and have fun by participating in one of the many activities on offer, including swimming, tennis, yoga, children's gymnastics, rhythmics.

• Creation

Music, dance, and theater form an important part of the extracurricular program, starting from an early age. Children can attend electives - classical ballet, violin playing, various types of dance, drama.

• Languages

The Language Department offers additional English classes for middle school students to help them improve their confidence and fluency, preparing them for the official Cambridge English qualification: First Certificate English (FCE) or Cambridge Advanced English (CAE).

• Robotics

Robotics is a valuable tool, encouraging children to develop, explore their abilities for logical, strategic and scientific thinking. The use of robotics and related technologies motivates students to learn by doing, develop technical, problem-solving skills. This field gives students the opportunity to use skills acquired in other subjects – mathematics, physics, computer science, electronics – to find creative solutions to problems.

Extracurricular activities are not limited to campus: students often travel around Andorra, go abroad in order to expand their horizons, gain international experience. Some of the projects in which the students of Agora International School Andorra are involved:

• The Posidonia Experience is a unique project in the Balearic Islands that goes beyond a simple academic experience. In order to demonstrate and raise students' awareness of the importance of preserving the purity of the seas and oceans, the program includes a series of seminars, lectures, excursions, events where students will get acquainted with the marine environment and methods of its conservation. The program includes a diving course with official PADI certification, accommodation at the Formentera aparthotel in the port of La Savina, 500 meters from the dive center, interesting sea master classes.
• The Body Mind & Spirit program, which takes place in the northeast of the Principality of Andorra, in La Massana, is focused on adapting students to a rigorous academic load, combating emotional fatigue, the ability to manage stress and be stable, concentrated, tolerant. Students spend a lot of time in nature, learning to control their emotions, take care of their moral and physical condition under the guidance of specialists.
• Ski courses on the slopes of the Pyrenees are conducted by professional instructors in English. In the winter season, students are divided into small groups of up to 8 people according to their level of education, skiing one day a week. Students can take part in 11-12 ski sessions (compared to 5 classes offered by other schools in the area).
• Thanks to the extensive international network of schools making up the Globeducate Group, in addition to trips stipulated by the main academic program, students at Agora International School Andorra have the opportunity to spend time as a resident at one of the partner schools abroad. Exchange programs provide a valuable opportunity to gain a truly international experience, leaving memories that will last a lifetime.

Pupils are offered one or two semesters or a whole academic year at Stonar School, a prestigious private school in England, located in a large, beautiful country estate. Students are accommodated in residence, attend subject classes, participate in extracurricular activities together with regular students of Stonar School.

As part of the extensive Globeducate network, Agora International School Angorra participates in international events with students from other schools in the network. Such events are held regularly:

• Model UN – students become delegates of countries, discuss global problems in English,
• Academic Olympiads in science, computer science, mathematics, languages, where students from different schools make friends, competing in an international multilingual environment,
• International Music Festival – for one week, students professionally demonstrate their passion for the world of music,
• The Global Olympic Games are a sports competition in which pupils show their best results in various sports disciplines: football, rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, athletics and other sports.
• An art competition is organized, in which students demonstrate all their creativity, artistic sensitivity,
• Student Leadership Summit – brings together students aged 17-18 in a program, which includes workshops, presentations, interactive activities on topics such as public speaking, communication skills, problem-solving,
• Iberia CUP is a basketball and football festival open to students from 12 to 14 years old, held in one of the schools in Spain or Portugal. The event provides children with the opportunity to communicate with students from other institutions, to show their abilities in a competitive context.

• International Baccalaureate Accredited School (High School Diploma Program),
• Two options for completing studies: International Baccalaureate and National Baccalaureate,
• Specialized preparation for the SAT exam for admission to US universities,
• 40% of students are foreigners representing more than 30 nationalities,
• Campus is located in the heart of the Pyrenees Mountains,
• Trilingual tuition: English, French, Spanish,
• Qualified teaching staff (each teacher knows one or two taught languages perfectly),
• Ample opportunities for extracurricular development,
• Participation in international travel, exchange programs for a period of one month to a full academic year,
• A strong program of arts, music both at the level of a hobby and at a more professional level.

Agora International School Andorra is located in a beautiful setting in the middle of the Pyrenees Mountains. The campus of 7,000 square meters is designed in such a way that students can study in large, bright rooms with natural light, walk, and play sports in safe areas. Students have access to:

• Spacious classrooms,
• Specialized laboratories of sciences for practical classes,
• Self-study zones with access to electronic databases, computers,
• Canteen, cafeteria,
• Libraries for each academic department with reading rooms,
• A FIFA-approved indoor sports center that is used for football training,
• Indoor tennis courts,
• Year-round heated swimming pool,
• Outdoor areas for team and individual sports,
• Residence with dining room and other amenities,
• Agora School Store where students can purchase school uniforms, textbooks and other necessary stationery.

Near the school, a 10-minute walk, there are ski slopes with equipped trails for skiing, snowboarding.

Agora Andorra has several buses taking students to their homes outside the school, used during excursions.

The academic year lasts from September to mid-June, includes academic and extracurricular activities on weekdays, rest on weekends, national and international holidays, and vacations. The daily schedule is balanced: studies end in the afternoon, followed by activities in sports and creative clubs. Teaching staff offer an extended day service - from 8:00 to 9:00 every morning, from 17:00 to 19:00 every evening.

Additional costs include:

• Enrolment fees, deposits for place reservations,
• Accommodation, meals,
• Individual nutritional needs,
• Additional care before or after classes,
• Additional academic support,
• Accident insurance,
• School uniform,
• Some textbooks, stationery for individual use,
• Some extracurricular activities,
• Pocket money.

The admission procedure consists of several stages:

• Submission of the application, required documents,
• Payment of registration fees,
• Passing entrance exams: interviews, tests in English, Spanish, mathematics,
• Obtaining an official invitation,
• Making a deposit to book a place,
• Arrival at campus for accommodation in residence, start of classes.

High school students at Agora International School Andorra achieve excellent results at the final stage of their studies, the exams in their chosen subjects. The grades obtained allow them to enter leading universities around the world: from the prestigious British University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge to Spanish public and private institutions.

Prospective students must provide the following documents:

• Personal: passport, visa or residence permit, health insurance, health certificate,
• Official transcript for two academic years,
• Language test results are optional, but may be considered when submitted; Upon admission, applicants pass entrance tests.

Agora Andorra offers a system of discounts, covering part or all of the cost of the curriculum for the third, fourth, fifth child from the same family – 20, 50 and 100% respectively. Also, a discount is provided to candidates for admission who filled out an application in the early admission period - about 2% of the full cost.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision