Exchanges and Stays Abroad
Having more autonomy, gaining maturity, developing tolerance towards other cultures and learning another language quickly and effectively are some of the advantages offered by an exchange programme. A differentiating element that will contribute to your academic and professional future.
Agora Barcelona International School offers cultural programmes and stays in England, Ireland, France and the USA. Students in all years have the opportunity to do an exchange with any of these countries, for a month, a term, a semester or a school year. In addition, our Primary 5 pupils have a one-week exchange with Stonar School, a prestigious UK school belonging to Globeducate, and all pupils from the age of 10 can opt for the summer camp abroad and their academic year abroad programmes for a term, a semester or a full academic year.
Curricular Exchanges
At Agora Barcelona International School, we offer pupils numerous opportunities to improve their language skills, including international exchanges. These are unique experiences which not only help pupils improve their competence in another language, but equip them for an international future, build friendships between students from different countries and cultures, and teach them values which will be useful throughout their lives.
Whilst learning a language is undoubtedly one of the main objectives of an exchange visit to a foreign country, the students benefit from this type of experience in many different ways. It opens their minds to other ways of life and helps them to develop values such as respect for cultural diversity. These are skills which will help them to become true citizens of the world, paving the way for a great professional future.
Through international exchanges pupils become more self-confident and more mature. They meet students from other cultures, and the whole experience helps them to define their own personalities and discover their true aspirations. Furthermore, being away from home helps the students become more independent as they face daily challenges that require them to make decisions by themselves.
Boarding in Andorra: an international experience
Thanks to the international network of schools in the Globeducate group and the Agora family of schools in Spain and Andorra, we can enable pupils who wish to do so to study and live a unique experience in Andorra.
Living in our international residence at Agora Andorra International School we work so that pupils from all over the world can enjoy the benefits of studying in Andorra. Located in exceptional natural surroundings at an altitude of 1,250m and just 10 minutes from the ski slopes, it has a complete educational programme. The residents, in continuity with the school's educational work, are guided by two tutors. One in charge of their academic performance and the other in charge of aspects related to coexistence, extracurricular activities and their well-being at school, both in permanent communication with the family.
A multilingual programme is taught in which Spanish is the vehicular language, with emphasis also placed on the study of English and French. Students acquire knowledge of these languages with native or bilingual teachers and with the possibility of taking the official exams and/or the Diploma Programme (DP) of the International Baccalaureate (IB). Our pupils also study Catalan, the official language of Andorra, as a non-vehicular language from Nursery to Baccalaureate.
Furthermore, at Agora Andorra International School we have study-training programmes adapted to the needs of high-performance sportspeople which allow them to comply with the official syllabuses, combining them with the training hours necessary for each discipline.
The programme for boarding students consists of complementing their school day with directed study sessions and sports activities, organised from 5 p.m. until dinner time. And for those whose academic performance is not optimal, reinforcement classes are given for subjects that are still pending.
At weekends, students have the possibility of staying at the residence if they wish, where they are offered supervised study sessions, sports activities and cultural outings.
Academic year at Stonar, UK
Our boarding programme at Stonar School, part of the Globeducate group, gives our pupils the opportunity to become a Stonar student for one or two terms, or for a whole academic year. The 120-year-old school is set on a campus of more than 32 hectares in the glorious Wiltshire countryside near Bath, and is only 90 minutes from London. The class sizes are small, and the school offers many leisure activities. Pupils are able to study the British curriculum without losing touch with their tutors back in Spain.
In addition to its excellent academic programme and exceptional facilities, Stonar offers students an immersive linguistic experience alongside pupils from all over the world; pupils with whom they will be spending 24 hours a day, sharing experiences and forming life-long friendships.
The boarding houses are designed to facilitate the students’ optimum academic development, eliminating unnecessary travel and off-site distractions. The houses are comfortable and well equipped; students are able to spend their free time in the communal areas that are equipped with Wi-Fi, TV, DVD player and videogames.
The Stonar campus has exceptional facilities; the boarders have full access to all the school’s sports facilities where they can play tennis and football, or go horse-riding or swimming with their new friends. This gives the students a chance to relax and socialise with schoolmates from all over the world in an open and supportive atmosphere, learning from older students and giving the younger ones a helping hand.