Learning
Learning Beyond Walls.
Two mixed-age studios. IB-inspired inquiry braided with the craft disciplines that turn wonder into mastery.
The literacy shift
Skills expire. Tools change. Concepts endure.
Critical Thinking
over instruction
We do not tell children what to think. We build their capacity to analyse, evaluate and decide for themselves — the single most in-demand skill in every future-of-work report, and the one thing AI cannot replace.
Transferable Concepts
over memorised content
Facts are free and infinite. We teach mental models, frameworks and patterns of thinking that travel across subjects, careers and technologies — so knowledge compounds instead of expiring.
Wise Discernment
over blind compliance
Obedience is a factory skill. We develop ethical reasoning, self-regulation and the courage to question — so children lead with integrity, navigate misinformation and choose wisely under pressure.
Human-led. AI-supported. Concept-based learning builds capacities that travel across unknown futures.
Curriculum
The IB PYP pathway, guided by the PPPP™ compass and powered by WEITS™.
Inquiry-driven, concept-based and future-facing. Six transdisciplinary themes spiral through Studio 1 and Studio 2 — each one mapped to the full Programme of Inquiry.
Explore the full POI for Studio 1 & Studio 201
IB-inspired inquiry
02
youcubed Mathematics (Jo Boaler)
03
Writers Workshop
04
Project-Based Learning
05
Outdoor Learning
06
Design Thinking
07
Portuguese
08
English
09
Visual Arts
01
Music
02
Movement
03
Toddle portfolios
04
Human-centred technology (Harvard Project Zero · Common Sense Media)
Cascais as our classroom
The town itself becomes
an extension of the studio.
Located in the heart of Cascais, every beach, market and museum becomes a living learning environment.
Why Cascais
A town engineered for future-proof learning.
Cascais is not the backdrop — it is the curriculum. Ocean, marina, markets, museums, start-ups, sustainability labs and a multilingual civic culture line up — square by square — with our PPPP™ compass and WEITS™ pillars.
PPPP™ compass · how Cascais shapes the inquiry
Purpose
Civic life on display — town hall debates, heritage trails and community festivals give every inquiry a real audience and a real reason.
People
A multilingual, multicultural population of fishermen, founders, artists and scientists — children learn directly from the humans who built the town.
Place
Atlantic coastline, Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, cobbled squares and historic forts — a living geography lab within walking distance.
Practice
Markets, marinas, ateliers and labs become weekly studios — knowledge is rehearsed in the world, not just on the page.
WEITS™ pillars · how Cascais grows the child
Wellbeing
Beaches, forest trails and slow Mediterranean rhythms — nervous-system regulation built into the school week.
Entrepreneurship
Family-run markets, ateliers and a thriving small-business culture — children pitch, prototype and trade in real economies.
Innovation
Nova SBE, Cascais start-up hubs and design studios — proximity to people reinventing how Portugal works.
Technology
A Smart-City pilot town — sensors, mobility tech and digital civic services become hands-on case studies.
Sustainability
Marine reserves, recycling pioneers and the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park — stewardship is lived, not lectured.
One town. Two frameworks. Every walk becomes a lesson that future-proofs the child.
Founder's Tools & Resources
An ecosystem that supports the learning at ISI.
Human-led AI tools, parent resources, story books and journals — designed by our founder and woven into daily practice.
Research-grounded
Standing on the shoulders of giants.
The thinkers and institutions whose work shapes our daily practice — translated into something a six-year-old can feel.
A defensible system — not a programme.