About our School

WE EDUCATE STUDENTS WHO ARE AUTONOMOUS, SUPPORTIVE AND COMMITTED TO THE FUTURE

What distinguishes us

Familiar Environment

At Escola Ave Maria, we promote a welcoming and familiar environment, where from the first day each student feels happy, integrated and valued. We believe that school should be a place of trust, where every child feels that it is safe to learn, grow and develop their full potential.

More than teaching, we build close relationships, valuing the spirit of unity between students, teachers and the entire educational community. We know each student, respect their individual journey and closely monitor their growth and academic development.

The whole team shares a genuine commitment to the Pedagogical Project, assuming with responsibility and dedication the duty of guiding students on their academic and personal path, always aligned with the values that define us.

What distinguishes us

Community Connection and Spirit of Solidarity

We believe that education goes beyond the classroom. We maintain a strong connection with the community that surrounds us, creating cultural and solidarity partnerships that enrich the daily lives of our students and promote their social awareness. Always following the values that have guided us since the beginning of our history.

We are a school in constant movement, open to new challenges and projects, so that our students can explore different perspectives and realities. In addition to the internal projects we create, we also participate in competitions and seek recognition from competent authorities, ensuring rigor and excellence in everything we do.

More than learning, we encourage our students to act. With a strong spirit of solidarity and cooperation, we actively engage in campaigns and volunteer actions, teaching the importance of helping those who are most in need.

At Escola Ave Maria, we educate active, responsible citizens who are prepared to make a difference in the world.

What distinguishes us

Serious and Demanding Quality Education

At Escola Ave Maria, we believe that education should be a challenge and an inspiration. Therefore, we provide quality, serious and demanding teaching, which allows each student to develop all their skills and talents, building a strong, balanced and confident personality.

More than transmitting knowledge, we seek to educate students with critical thinking and intellectual autonomy. We encourage reflection, analysis and questioning, helping them to understand the world in a conscious and informed way.

Through dynamic and engaging teaching, we provide an environment where each student feels motivated to overcome challenges, grow academically and strengthen their personal identity. At Escola Ave Maria, knowledge prepares you for life.

What distinguishes us

Individualised Learning

At Escola Ave Maria, we recognise that each child is unique and learns at their own pace. That’s why we take a more personalised approach to education, helping each student polish their skills and abilities while building confidence in their academic journey.

We support each child individually, identifying challenges and implementing adapted strategies to overcome difficulties and achieve academic success.

In addition to having a stable and dedicated teaching staff, we have a specialised team at EMAEI, which provides personalised support, ensuring that each student receives the necessary support to grow, learn and reach their full potential.

What distinguishes us

Developing Virtues, Talents and Capabilities

At Escola Ave Maria, we believe that each student has unique talents, and we seek to help them discover and enhance them. Through music, arts, dramatic expression and other creative areas, we encourage self-confidence and self-esteem, creating solid foundations to form active, confident citizens prepared for the future.

Shaping a complete student goes beyond academic or artistic development. Therefore, we cultivate essential human virtues, such as sincerity, joy, generosity and sharing, a sense of justice, companionship, simplicity and perfection in work.

We teach that true success lies not only in knowing, but also in knowing how to be and how to behave. We support our students in building an upright character, encouraging them to recognise the dignity of others and to contribute to a more just and supportive world.

What distinguishes us

Responsible Autonomy

At Escola Ave Maria, we teach students to be autonomous, confident and responsible, preparing them to face challenges with maturity and respect for others.

We believe that true autonomy does not only mean independence, but also the ability to act responsibly, valuing dialogue, understanding and tolerance.

We guide each child on this journey, helping them to develop critical thinking, empathy and a sense of justice, so that they grow up as upstanding citizens, capable of making informed decisions and contributing to a better world.

Mission and values

Our mission is to provide a comprehensive, demanding, and high-quality education that values each child’s abilities and talents. We combine the strength of our history with an innovative vision, fostering academic success and the personal development of our students.

Affective and Family Environment

As a project that conveys sensitivity, innovation and safety, we are a school of affection, which protects children’s physical health and stimulates their psychological health and well-being.

Families are always welcome and are a fundamental part of the school community.

Visão Global e Empreendedora

We assume a global and entrepreneurial vision, which seeks a comprehensive and integrated understanding of Education and the World, considering different perspectives and concepts. We encourage the development of skills such as critical thinking, proactivity, decision-making and resilience, as well as the ability to generate new ideas, act on opportunities and create value.

Truth, Justice and Peace

Escola Ave Maria is a Catholic school that piers its educational activity in Jesus Christ and His Message. The school considers Truth, Justice and Peace to be eternal and immutable values. Its main objective is to guide children towards Responsible Autonomy, through a set of daily actions and practices that deepen Christian values, taking Our Lady as an example.

Social Impact

We embrace sustainable development objectives, committing to practices aligned with managerial, ethical, social, environmental and quality standards. We promote the exercise of active, informed and responsible citizenship, with a positive social impact on the local and global community.

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Discover the educational project of Escola Ave Maria and ensure a complete and individualized learning and development experience.

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History

1945

Escola Ave Maria was born from the dream and dedication of Maria Alexandra Ranito de Almeida Eusébio. “Minhana”, as she was affectionately known, she was born in Covilhã on the 22nd of July 1917.

Daughter of Ana Ranito de Almeida Eusébio and José de Almeida Eusébio, solicitor, Mayor of Covilhã and, later, Minister of Justice, she was a student at Sisters of Dorothy School and Sacred Heart of Mary, in Guarda, she completed secondary school, in Lisbon, at the Maria Amália Vaz de Carvalho High School.

She graduated in Mathematics at the Faculdade de Ciências de Lisboa and later on she attended João de Deus School with a very specific objective: to create her own school.

Education was her great passion and her life´s reason. On the 24th of October 1945, the Escola Ave Maria opened at Rua da Lapa, no. 101, with just one student and just one teacher – “Minhana”, the teacher and the director.

Her father, on the day before the blessing of the school, wrote her the following words: “If I were to begin my life today like you, I would behold at the sky and say: Master, teach me How to preach Your Name and How to teach Your Work! I will seek to be faithful.”

History

1996

Shortly before she passed away in 1996, Minhana decided to leave the assets of the Escola Ave Maria School to a foundation, which she named after her father.

For 27 years, several members of the Minhana family were part of the José de Almeida Eusébio Foundation, the school´s owner always managed it based on what Minhana had envisioned for her project.

History

2023

In 2023, Escola Ave Maria became part of the Project to Be group of schools (PTB Education II, S.A.), reinforcing its commitment to excellent, innovative education aligned with the challenges of the future.

At the same time, the José de Almeida Eusébio Foundation redefined its mission, focusing on initiatives that promote educational success, such as support scholarships, education-related awards and other projects that benefit the school and its students.

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