General Information

Porteria principal del Colegio

The Anglo Colombian School is situated in Santa Fe de Bogotá, Colombia in South America. It is located at the Av. 19 # 152 - 48. The school provides its students witha bilingual education based on international courses. The academic part of the scool is divide in three: Pre-school, Primary and Baccalaureate, being thirteen years the time needed to achieve complete education.

Headmaster: Mr.James Walbran
Head of Secondary School: Ms. Mary Anne garcia
Head of Primary School: Mr. Nicholas Barrett
Head of Pre-school: Ms.Trudy Chappell

CHARACTERISTICS
The Colegio Anglo Colombiano, founded in 1956 with the purpose of providing students with a bilingual preparatory education, is a private, coeducational, nondenomi national, international day school based upon the British educational system, and extends from kinder 4 through eleventh grade, equivalent to US kinder, transition and grades 1 through 12. The facilities, located in the north of Santafé de Bogotá, include 15 buildings, computer labs, science labs, theatre, qymnasium, cafeteria, 3 libraries, athletic fields and spacious lawns. Approximately 75% of the classes are taught in English. The school day is composed of seven class hours of fifty minutes. The school year begins in mid August and finishes at the end of June. The school is accredited by the European Council of International Schools, the National Association of Independent Schools, USA and the Colombian Ministry of Education.

STUDENT BODY
Present enrolment is 1529 students, of which 629 are in secondary school (Colombian Bachillerato, grades 6 through 11). There are 89 foreign students. The class of 2001 is composed of 105 students. Approximately 99% of these will attend university.

FACULTY
There are 142 fully qualified teachers on staff of whom 41 are British, 10 of other nationalities and 92 Colombian. In secondary school there are 73 subject teachers.

CURRICULUM
Students are accustomed to high academic standards and a competitive atmosphere. All courses are college preparatory. Sophomore students sit the I.G.C.S.E. (international General Certificate of Secondary Education) exams at the end of the ninth grade. Juniors have the option of choosing subjects for the two year International Baccalaureate at Higher Level (an intensity of 5 hours weekly) or Standard Level ( an intensity of 4 hours weekly), and the I.B. program is complemented so as to fulfil all of the requirements for the Colombian Bachillerato, and prepare students for the Colombian College entrance exam (I.C.F.E.S.) Higher Level I.B. courses are the most demanding. Students are permitted to sit external exams for the entire I.B. diploma or for certificates of their choice. In 2000 57% of the diploma candidates gained the diploma. All Juniors and Seniors must complete 35 hours weekly:

6 I. B.courses: 27 hours (any combination of up to 3 Higher and Standard Level courses)
TOK Theory of Knowledge 3 hours
Colombian and Latin American Studies 2 hours
Physical Education 3 hours

CLASS RANK AND GRADING SYSTEM
The Colombian Ministry of Education requires that student achievement be evaluated on a criterion referenced qualitative system based on letter grades and recorded with teachers' comments. This system provides a comprehensive profile of students' strengths and weaknesses. The Colegio Anglo Colombiano does not rank students. In a transcript for university entrance the grades for the areas of evaluation (knowledge and understanding, analysis, application and work habits) in each subject are:

A = excellent
B = good
C = satisfactory
D = weak
E = very poor

I.B. predicted grades are also available for university entry. These indicate a student's possible chance of achieving the diploma and the probable numerical value.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
The school has a system of four houses in which all students take part. There are student organised competitions in sports, dance, drama, recital and song, general knowledge and debates. Students also enjoy team sports and a variety of clubs. Boys' and girls' soccer, basketball, volleyball, gymnastics and athletics teams compete with other bilingual schools.

To fulfil the I.B. and Colombian Ministry of Education requirement for Social Service, students participate, for a total of 192 hours, in a structured programme of projects in education, psychoactive substance abuse prevention, recreation, sports, communication and general well being in the poverty belts of the city.

All of the above activities develop student leadership and offer each individual the opportunity to take full advantage of his or her potential.

Vision

To be an educational community that good, exemplary, unique, honest individuals with a balanced personality, with freedom to think and express themselves, loyal to themselves and committed to improving their society and the world.

Mission Statement

The Colegio Anglo Colombiano is a non-denominational institution that respects differences in creed, beliefs, lifestyles, family organisation, sexuality, ethnic origin, abilities, and socio-economic and professional status.

The School offers a global education that is committed to:
Developing students with a freedom of thought and of expression that are loyal to themselves.
Developing a sense of social and civil commitment
Considering academic, personal and social, scientific, artistic, sporting and technological aspects.
Orienting action through moral and ethical values with emphasis on honesty, responsibility, respect and solidarity.

It has a HOUSE System, a key aspect of the community through which the students learn to value teamwork and sportsmanship while developing their talent, self esteem and leadership and service qualities and strengthen the unity of the School. The School offers a bi cultural, bilingual education with an international focus. The School gathers the best teaching practices of the Colombian and British cultures.

For more information download the school's community handbook.

Download the Community Handbook (PDF)