Escola Nova

Escola Nova by SIS is located in the Gávea neighborhood in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The campus address is Rua Major Rubens Vaz, 392, Gávea, RJ 22470-070. It is part of the SIS Swiss International School network.

Preschool, Primary School, Secondary School, and College. Preschool offers shifts (morning or afternoon) or a bilingual English-Portuguese day school option; Primary offers shifts (morning or afternoon) or a day school concept, with Year 1 being bilingual (English and Portuguese).

Private day school; bilingual education; offers the IB Diploma and Brazilian college degree, with ENEM preparation.

Brazil

Preschool offers shifts (morning or afternoon) or a bilingual Portuguese-English day school. Primary School also offers shifts or day-school options, with Year 1 bilingual (English and Portuguese).

Preschool offers a bilingual option (Portuguese and English) in shifts (morning or afternoon). Primary School offers a day school concept or shifts, with Year 1 taught as bilingual (English and Portuguese). Secondary School focuses on developing academic skills with critical, ethical, and reflective thinking. College provides the possibility to obtain both the IB Diploma and the Brazilian college degree, as well as preparation for ENEM.

During college, students have the opportunity to obtain the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB Diploma), accepted by universities worldwide. They also receive preparation for the ENEM, a Brazilian national university entrance exam.

Day School Community offers a structured and challenging programme with consistent bilingual instruction, fixed hours, lunch, supervised homework hours and additional supervised periods and activities. The environment is stable and nurturing, where students learn to share, develop assertiveness, and take pride in their achievements. The teaching philosophy is based on core values such as honesty, appreciation, personal responsibility and commitment. The school aims for students to develop their cultural, linguistic and social identities so they become independent, reflective learners and global citizens. The SIS network supports international mindedness and cross-border collaboration among schools.

A psychopedagogue is part of the staff to support learning differences and neuropsychopedagogical approaches. A guidance counsellor coordinates support across preschool and primary, with ongoing involvement in secondary education. The secondary school includes a guidance counsellor as part of the management team. Fernanda is the educational counsellor for college students. The educators and staff regularly participate in internal and external professional development to support student needs.

Portuguese and English (or German or French at ESB Rio de Janeiro) play equal roles in school communication, in the classroom and in daily life. Language is learned through immersion, inviting children to dive headfirst into the new language. Faculty members are native speakers who use their mother tongue in the classroom, in the school yard, at lunch and during events to support bilingual learning. Non-native speakers can learn both Portuguese and the second language through immersion. The approach ensures bilingual education from early years through to college within the SIS network.

The school provides mental wellbeing support through a psychopedagogue and guidance counsellors. Luciana Arrabal is Preschool and Year 1 Coordinator and a guidance counsellor, supporting early learning and literacy. Patricia Boccanera is the Secondary School Guidance Counsellor, with a background in education and ongoing involvement in student guidance. Fernanda is a psychopedagogue and the educational counsellor for college students, contributing to wellbeing across secondary levels. Educators and staff regularly engage in professional development to maintain high standards of student support.

E-safety is integrated into the IT curriculum, with students learning about digital safety, programming and media from preschool onwards. Technology is used across subjects in a targeted way to promote safe and responsible learning. The SIS IT Curriculum provides a structured foundation for safe digital practice as students progress through the levels. The day school community is stable and nurturing, supporting safeguarding through consistent routines and active family engagement. Staff training for safeguarding and student protection is a regular part of professional development.

Step 1 — Submission of the Admission Form. The candidate family fills out an application form that is available in the Admissions section. After submission, the secretariat will contact the family to schedule the next steps. Step 2 — Info Session. The first meeting with the Director takes place during the Info Session, where the educational concept and pedagogical approach are presented. The Coordination then details the specifics of each segment. Step 3 — Assessment, Experience and Documentation. For Early Childhood and the 1st year of Elementary School, there is an on-site activity session (vivência) conducted by the school's team. For the 2nd year of Elementary through the 2nd year of High School, there is a presencial assessment, following the school's guidelines, with a mandatory interview for candidates from the 4th year of Elementary onwards; the interview is not eliminatory but required. Documents to present on the day of assessment or vivência include a birth certificate copy and the school report or transcript from the origin school. Step 4 — Vacancy Reservation and Enrollment. After all steps, the admissions team contacts the family to confirm a vacancy or place the candidate on the waiting list. Enrollment is allocated according to the priority order set in the admission notice, with enrollment calls starting on October 3, 2025; failure to attend results in withdrawal and the vacancy being offered to the next candidate on the waiting list; waiting-list candidates may be called to enroll starting November 3, 2025. Age eligibility and other enrollment details follow the policy below: entry into preschool and 1st grade requires the student to meet the age by March 31 of the year; Preschool: 3 years, Pre I: 4 years, Pre II: 5 years, 1st grade: 6 years. For other grades, a declaration of schooling and the transcript are required; for students from abroad, equivalent documents with sworn translation are required. The school also states priority for applicants who are children of teachers and staff, siblings of currently enrolled students, and those who complete the admissions process in order of date. Calendar notes include visa dates such as vacancy reservations (June 26–July 3, 2025) and rematriculation (October 20–24, 2025); first waiting-list calls occur from November 3, 2025, with additional details and tuition schedules published annually. For new entrants after the start of the school year, tuition is calculated pro rata and may be paid in installments over the remaining months.

Candidates on the waiting list may be called to enroll after the initial admission rounds; the first waiting-list calls begin on November 3, 2025.