Dual International School - Florianópolis

A Swiss non-profit, working since 1968. Its programmes are among the most widely recognised school programmes in the world. Authorisation is granted stage by stage, so a school with the final stage does not necessarily run the younger ones; which stages this school holds is set out in the line below.

What the badge means for this school. The school is allowed to run this programme and to award its certificate. This is a confirmation of the programme, not a judgement on the school as a whole. The entry stands in the organisation's public register - anyone can check it. At this school: PYP (ages 3-12), DP (ages 16-19). PYP is the primary stage, ages 3 to 12. It is not a set of subjects but a frame for the whole school: learning is built around lines of inquiry, and there are no exams at the end. DP is the final stage, ages 16 to 19: six subjects plus a compulsory core of theory of knowledge, an extended essay and CAS. The diploma is accepted by universities all over the world, and in a number of countries it counts for admission on the same footing as the local leaving certificate.

A publicly traded Brazilian education company, listed on the exchange under the ticker BIED3. It traces its roots to 1953 and Bahema S.A. in Salvador, became an operator of basic education in 2016 and has carried its present name since 2024. Its own site names 12 schools, 23 units and over 10,000 pupils in five states: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Santa Catarina and Pernambuco. It describes itself with the formula "not a network of schools, but schools in a network": the site insists that the schools keep their own pedagogy while the group gives them shared management.

What this means for this school. The network owns or operates the school. Its accreditation and programme authorisation the school obtains separately, in its own name.