Quick summary of key school information
School details
Nationalities
| Number of students |
160 |
| Number of nationalities represented in the school |
25 |
| Most common nationality |
Costa Rican |
| Ratio of local students to international students |
50% |
Languages
| Native English speaking teachers |
Yes, some of them |
| Language support for students not fluent in English |
Yes |
| Additional language classes offered by the school |
Spanish, Mandarin |
Classroom
| Max. number of students per class |
17 |
| Average number of students per class |
14 |
| Does the school employ teaching assistants? |
Yes |
| Use of technology in the classroom |
Each student has an email address and access to a classroom with all the support materials for classes. They also use their computers to conduct research, present, and conduct presentations. In Technology class, MakeCode microbit, JavaScript, and Tinkercad are used. They also create projects with 3D printers. |
| Is the school ready to use virtual classrooms when needed? (e.g. teaching lessons online if the school is closed, e.g. during COVID-19 closures) |
It is fully prepared for virtual classes; we had that modality during the pandemic. |
| Do students practice religion at the school? What religion? |
Although the students do not practice any religion, we are respectful since we have students with Catholic and Jewish faiths, among others. |
Academics
| External examinations or assessments available |
IGCSE, A Levels |
| Results in these examinations |
100% approval |
| Do teachers assign homework to their students? |
Only from Middle School onwards |
| Approximate hours of homework given |
The average time is 30 or 40 minutes. If the tasks are more extensive, they are assigned a month in advance so that they also learn to plan their time. |
| Percentage of students who pursue further education post-graduation |
100% of our students attend a higher education institution, whether within or even outside of Costa Rica. |
Student support
| Dedicated staff/programs for students with special learning needs |
Yes, we have special programs since we have many cases of neurodivergent children. |
| Learning support offered |
We implement the recommended accommodations, offer the possibility of in-class support with shadow teachers, and provide easy access to support from our educational psychologists. We also have a sensitization process with the group of classmates. |
| The school supports gifted, able and talented students |
They are provided with more advanced content and differentiated practical exercises. In the case of Mandarin, students are divided into groups according to their level. They are also encouraged to participate in external competitions to demonstrate their strengths and put them into practice. |
| Student access to education psychologist |
Yes. We have a team of 2 educational psychologists on staff. |
Admissions
| Entry evaluation for students |
Yes |
| Brief description of entry evaluation required |
There is an academic evaluation, a psychological evaluation, and a language proficiency evaluation. |
| Waiting list |
Not at the moment. |
| Deadline for registration (new academic year) |
It is usually December or January |
| Students can join after academic year begins |
Yes |
School day
| School start time |
7.30am |
| School finish time |
12 m.d. for preschool, 2:30 p.m. for primary school, and 3:30 p.m. for secondary school. |
| Supervised care before/after school |
Only after school until 3:30 p.m. |
| School bus service available |
Yes |
| School provided lunches |
Snacks are provided in preschool, and lunch is offered at no additional cost in elementary, middle, and high school. |
| Food alternatives for special dietary needs (ie. vegan, kosher, halal etc) |
Yes, for vegan and kosher. |
| Uniform required |
Yes, they have three shirt colors based on their grade level. |
Extracurricular activities
| Extracurricular activities or clubs offered |
Tree of Life offers a variety of after-school clubs. These include: football, taekwondo, cooking, textiles, robotics and many more. |
| Sports activities included |
Some of the sports we practice within the school curriculum are: football, basketball, volleyball, ping pong, chess, and physical conditioning. |
| Sports teams or sport competitions available for students |
We have a men's and women's soccer team. |
Facilities
| Facilities at the school |
Library, Science lab, Expression Lab and Maker Lab. |
| Sports facilities at the school |
Soccer field |
About the school
| Qualities and characteristics best defining the school |
🇨🇷🇨🇦🇨🇳 International Trilingual School. Cambridge Accredited. Project-Based Learning. For students ages 3-18. We develop leadership and greatness every day. 📍Santa Ana, Costa Rica |
| Teaching approach of the school |
Our teaching approach is primarily based on Project-based Learning. |