Secondary School

Learn through a spiral resume

We consciously seek to preserve and develop adolescents natural interest in learning.

The Secondary Program at Eleven School is designed for students aged 12 to 16, where the academic contents of the successful British curriculum are integrated with specific work. The objective is to accompany, guide and equip adolescents with skills and tools as they go through this new stage to become safe, proactive adults capable of achieving what they set out to do.

Students are exposed to daily opportunities to work at their own pace and meet their learning needs, while learning and appropriating such important skills as responsibility in decision-making, empathy, socialization, leadership, respect for oneself and for the work of others. They also strengthen their will, meet deadlines, and master skills and concepts through shoulder-to-shoulder work and guidance from their teachers.

Our pedagogical approach responds to the unique developmental changes of this stage.

• On a physical level: Adolescents experience a period of tremendous physical and neurological growth.
• On an emotional level: They experience self-awareness and self-criticism, emotional ups and downs, and self-centeredness. They feel a greater desire for autonomy, along with a susceptibility to peer opinion and pressure. It is a time characterized by a strong tendency towards values and creativity.
• At the social level: Adolescents seek solidarity with their peers and yearn for greater independence from their reference adults as they forge their own identity. They are concerned about human dignity and well-being, and may exhibit novelty-seeking behaviors and engage in risky activities.
• On a cognitive level: Adolescents are critical thinkers who insist on asking "why." They are creative and have the ability to reason and debate. They want social and economic autonomy.

How do we help our students develop well at this stage?

Spiral curriculum

Our spiral curriculum exposes students to various interrelated and interconnected topics, favoring a real understanding of academic content. Through three-period lessons, practical projects, experiments, key lessons and presentations, among other resources, the excellence of the British curriculum is supported, resulting in a broad and in-depth knowledge of the subjects.

Practical teaching is an important link to establish the theoretical content acquired.

Thus, other components of the CV are:

• Occupations.
• Experiences in nature.
• The business plan.
• The museum of machines.
• The volunteering.
• Residential life.
• The exchanges.
• The forms of complementary work: manual and intellectual.

Training includes:

• Explore the land and living things

Earth Sciences: geography, biology, geology, botany, oceanography, mineralogy, etc.

• Human progress

Precise sciences: physics and chemistry. Mathematics. The fundamentals of economics, etc.

• Language and communication

Native and foreign languages, history, drama. The fundamentals of linguistics, language development, and interaction. Ethical communication standards, etc.

• Society

History and law, modern social activity, culture, art, etc.

• Information

Programming, social networks, technology, the concept of neural networks, etc.

• Practical skills

Tools and skills necessary for the autonomy of an individual

Montessori guides

Trained and experienced teachers in an inviting space, attuned to their needs, safeguarding the emotional well-being of young students while preparing them for adulthood.
Constant work based on understanding and working shoulder to shoulder, giving adolescents the opportunity to become aware of their enormous capacity for achievement.

Dr. Maria Montessori believed in giving adolescents the opportunity to experience self-esteem through real work, contributing to what she called: “appreciation.”

Spaces

The environments occupied by this stage are unique and inspiring. They are characterized by a totally student-centered approach, where they are allowed freedom of movement, manage their time, plan their work, experiment, make decisions, discover their gifts, challenge their mind and train self-regulation within a group context. This development of independent self-management and his social-emotional development will be crucial for success in successive educational stages and, finally, in his adult life.

Mixed age groups

In secondary school, as in later stages, the classrooms welcome students of mixed ages, who respond to the same sensitive period. As in real life, living and interacting with people of different ages gives us a greater focus. Growing up in an environment of mixed ages contributes to training their leadership skills, empathy and collaborative work on a daily basis, skills that are increasingly recognized by experts as a key factor for a full life.

Uninterrupted work periods

Uninterrupted work periods honor student choice, encourage concentration, and support participation, while allowing in-depth investigation into subjects.

Volunteering activities

Montessori recognizes the teenager need to serve others. Through service, students learn the value of hard work and develop empathy, as they are exposed to lives and cultures different from their own. With these experiences they develop their ability to identify problems and contribute to change.

Residential Life and Exchanges

Another highlight at this stage is the need to challenge yourself and experience other contexts and cultures.

• Exchanges abroad.
• Exchanges between national Montessori schools.