Parent
We have been visiting this school from 2022–2024 in primary. A school is difficult to describe because it has to match so many different expectations – so this is my personal point of view and how our kids perceived it. The school is quite popular, so it must be doing something right.
First – the positive points.
It is more affordable compared to other private schools – this opens up the opportunity to go to an English-speaking school in the Algarve without selling a kidney.
The second positive point is the community around the school. This is the strongest positive aspect. The parents’ community is very open and welcoming, so it is easy as a new family to connect with other expats.
Now the negative points.
The school does not provide consistent books and also does not offer any way of preordering them as a class from the parents’ side. It is probably because the fees are low, but this really annoyed us. Kids got photocopies of photocopies – I found it was worse than my school 30 years ago.
Facilities.
The building is a nice old, I think, hospital – but it needs many repairs. The toilets had no mirrors and some of the toilet seats were missing.
The food.
Hands down – our kids said it was awful. We did not know one family where the kids complimented the food. Everybody was afraid of the lunch break, because the kids were – how to put it – strongly encouraged to finish the food they got. So they came up with tricks to let things fall on the floor so they had to eat less. The kids from secondary could go out of school to eat – which they also did.
Quality of teachers.
When we started at the school, we really liked the teachers! And although we understood the other shortcomings, we appreciated the particular staff. But at the end of the year, the good teachers all quit at once and moved to another school – with no explanation or communication from the school. The next year, the quality of teaching went down rapidly. From our point of view, it degraded to the level that the school was mainly providing social interaction – which is of course very important – but all the real learning had to be done at home or with tutors. After the second year, we realized that despite being affordable and nearby, we had to change the school.
The head teacher.
She has a strong personality and an even stronger opinion about how things should work. And since the school is quite full, it seems this works for many. But she follows a strict “if you don’t like it – leave it” approach, which was also the reason for the teachers leaving.
So this is a quite long review – but my opinion in a nutshell: if you want the kids to have a nice time without much learning, want to come to the Algarve for a year or two in primary so the kids can pick up some English, and do not want to spend a lot of money – it could probably work out.
If you plan to stay longer and need a school that will prepare your child for university – I strongly doubt that this will be possible without excessive tutoring after school.
7 other reviews for Colégio Santiago Internacional - (Reviews aren't verified )
Parent
We have our two kids in primary and they love it. They have been there for two years now. The academic level is high, the teachers are super kind and really take care of our kids.
After reading the other comments here, i can't recognise many of the issues they mention. We still have the same teachers, only a few left, which is kind of normal.
The kids like the food, the building used to be a hospital and is now remodelled to a school, its in good condition. Some lockers need to be changed, some hinges need to be replaced here and there, but its more cosmetic than actually preventing the kids from learning and have fun.
I agree some of the teachers including the head teacher has a strong personality. My kids told me several times that the teachers can tend to be strong in their expression, if some kids are disturbing the class. Initally i dont like it, but its nessesary to kee... read full review
Parent
The biggest problem in the school lies with the administrators, that is, the principals.They seem to be only in it for the money. The deposit in our contract, it is written that it can be refunded, but there is no clear deadline.When we applied to withdraw, they said the deposit would not be refunded.The reminder email is a small line below the monthly fee email.The terms and conditions were not clearly stated in the contract we signed, but were instead located in a corner of the school website.We applied to have the school improved for the better, but they refused.It seems like they hope that more parents will lose their deposits in the future.As a place to educate children, they only think about how to cheat parents out of their money.God sees it all!I hope parents can see the true face of the school.Don't lose the money you would have spent raising your children.We will also send a lawyer's letter.
Parent
Our daughter attended CSI in Tavira, and we couldn’t be more pleased with her experience. The teachers were exceptional, creating a welcoming and accommodating atmosphere that made learning enjoyable. They employed differentiated teaching techniques which treats each child as a unique person. Tailoring lessons to meet each student’s unique needs.
This greatly enhanced our daughter’s progress. The school’s commitment to fostering a vibrant and friendly environment feels more
Balanced and less clinical than academic only schools. Along with mindfulness, psychology drama and music it has a balance of life teaching.
We highly recommend CSI Tavira to anyone seeking quality language education in the Algarve.”
Parent
We have had a wonderful experience at CSi, our daughter started in secondary there in 2019 and has since graduated. She had some difficulties with dyslexia but the staff were amazing and so supportive. Her learning was the focus for all her teachers and they regularly asked us how they can best help her. She is going to move back to our home country and will go to University as she wants to be a pharmacy technician. I cannot say she would have done this without the help and support of all her teachers in CSi. Try it and communicate with the teachers, you will not be disappointed. Happy parent here!
Parent
CSi is a fantastic school with a beautiful and vibrant atmosphere.
Pupils at this school are very happy. The teachers are very professional always taking into consideration people's abilities and feelings.
The management is a highly qualified and experienced one. There is zero tolerance to bullying and the use of mobile phones is strictly forbidden in the school premises.
My children are very happy in this big family environment.
Parent
The only thing positive that I would like to say about this school is that is in good location and the restore building is beautiful.
Apart of that, it is a pity that a some teacher the minority of them are nice and deserve to work in a better place.
The school problem came from the administration and management of this school from the headteacher.
The parents paid a high fee monthly for send the children in this school and you are expecting quality, Instead, we found the headteacher doesn't want to listening any feedback constructive or negative about the school rules or the teachers there because the majority of them are good friends or relatives of her. The headteacher doesn't want to listening or compromise with anybody, it is her way or nothing that is why due her attitude the parents get fed up and removed the children for this school.
Some of the teacher doesn't have pedag... read full review
Parent
A very international school with a friendly, family feel to it. The teachers are also of different nationalities so even if the curriculum is the British one there is a strong multicultural vibe and encouragement to learn Portuguese. The school is very representative of the character of Tavira as a town, friendly, vibrant and colourful.
