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Colegio Gran Bretaña
Colegio Gran Bretaña was founded with the intention of offering the National Curriculum (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)), which is in place throughout the school, but which includes accommodations for the Colombian National Curriculum and for international students moving between different systems.

In Primary section, which includes Foundation Stage, Key Stage One and Key Stage 2, we are introducing the IPC (International Primary Curriculum) in the academic year 2013-2014.

In Secondary section (KS3 – years 7, 8 and 9) students follow the British National Curriculum and in Year 10 and 11 (KS4) are prepared for and take the IGCSE exams. In years 12 and 13, we offer the IB Diploma programme, which is a requirement for all students in line with our policy of inclusion.

For students who have special or different needs we are able to offer accommodations, adapt the curriculum or design an alternative curriculum.

IB
We currently offer a number of different subjects at higher and standard level in the IB years, and throughout the rest of the school have a Gifted and Talented Programme to support all learners. We also offer opportunities for learners to participate in the John Hopkins Scholarship programme to support talented students at all levels.

As mentioned above, we offer the IB Diploma Programme to all students in years 12 and 13. This offers our international population of students international opportunities as a globally recognized qualification of excellence.

Testing Programs (PSAT & SAT)

We do not have a formal preparation programme for PSAT or SATs, as the needs of our students change every year. We are equipped to establish groups to prepare students for SATs and PSATs and have done so successfully in the past.

In addition, we also offer preparation for the ESOL exams (FCE, CAE and CPE) to those students who speak English as a Second or Additional Language, and have also prepared and entered students for the IELTS exam, which is also a requirement in many universities in many countries.

The British National Curriculum uses a standardized testing system (also named SATs) which we use in KS1 and KS2 to evaluate our learners in line with their counterparts in the United Kingdom.

We have introduced the NWEA MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) testing this academic year for Secondary students from years 7-12 to evaluate their learning skills and capabilities in line with their counterparts in the United States and in similar learning contexts around the world.

Following the Colombian Ministry of Education regulations, we also offer the ´Pruebas Saber´, which are taken in years 5, 9, 11 and 13. With the exception of English, these exams are written in Spanish and cover Maths, Science, Sociales, Humanities, Philosophy, Spanish, Interdisciplinary Studies and English.

In years 10 and 11, students are prepared for the IGCSE exams, which are taken at the end of year 11. Last but not least, students are evaluated in line with the IB examination protocols for their individual subject choices.

Accredidation /Memberships Colegio Gran Bretaña is accredited by the following organisations: •	CIS (Council of International Schools) •	NEAS (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) •	IB (International Baccalaureate) & AACBI (Asociación Andina de Colegios de Bachillerato Internacional) •	Cambridge ESOL Training and Assessment Centre •	Member of LAHC (Latin American Heads Conference) •	Member of UCB (Unión de Colegios Bilingües)

Team Sports: The school has the following team sports: Basketball, football, rugby, volleyball, athletics and these are divided in different categories. There are various championships throughout the year in which our teams play against the other 15 schools that belong to the “Union de Colegios Bilingues”. Individual Sports and Fitness Activities in the School Community: We have a Wake-up/Shake-up activity twice a week with all the Primary students.

Music/Art/Theater: We promote excellence in all aspects of music, dance and drama performances and we are one of the very few international schools to offer such a wide variety of options. Our students may choose to learn any of the following instruments/options:

Guitar, Violin, Cello, Double bass, Flute, Clarinete, Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Ethnic percussion, Stomp, Recorder, Dance, Drama. Each year the Music Department presents two main performances: The Christmas concert and the Spring concert. These concerts include several bands, orchestra, jazz ensembles, ethnic music, concert choir, dance and drama. Our teachers belong to several well-known professional groups and ensembles.

A primary and a secondary play are organized every year with a high participation of students.

Clubs and Organizations: The school belongs to the UCB (Unión de Colegios Bilingues) Association, and participates throughout the year in different championships with 15 different schools. Football, basketball, volleyball, athletics are some of the sports involved.

The school plays rugby and organizes on an annual basis the Alex Bjoroy Tournament with the participation of 10-15 different schools. Community-Sponsored Activities: Día de la raza, Model of United Nations, Halloween, Alex Bjoroy Tournament, Health Brigade, Fun Day for the children of Cazucá, Inter-house Athletics, Remembrance Day, St. Valentine’s Day, Talent Show, Carrols by Candlelight, Día del Libro, are just some of the activities which are sponsored at the school.

House System: Pupils are allocated to Houses from Nursery. They stay in the House as allocated throughout their time at Colegio Gran Bretaña. All family members are put into the same House, i.e. parents, children, siblings, and cousins. The major inter house competitions of the year are the Athletics Days. These are held twice a year and each section (FS/KS1, KS2,KS3, KS4) has its own day.

Co-curricular Programme. CGB offers a unique co-curricular programme. Through creative timetabling, all students take part in our Co-Curricular Activities during the school day with the same commitment and engaging than the academics. Wall climbing, swimming, SCUBA diving, photography, French cooking and robotics are just a few of the activities on offer. Additionally, the CGB football, basketball, volleyball and rugby teams train during this time to prepare them for inter-collegiate competitions, as well as our inter-house events. Through the Co-Curricular programme, balance is promoted; students are encouraged to move out of their comfort zone, experiment with something unknown and develop new interests