The British School of Quito
Encyclopedia
The British School Quito (BSQ) is an international secondary school
in Quito, Ecuador. It was founded by Gloria Hooper, Baroness Hooper
and the former British Ambassador in Ecuador Richard Lavers in 1995.
In Years 12 and 13, the school offers the accredited IB Diploma Programme. The British School is currently the only school in Quito to offer, in English, all of the “Higher Level” IB programmes of Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
The School is taught in English. The curriculum imposed is the British National curriculum from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 4, this includes GCSE examinations recognised in the United Kingdom
.
The school was then created under a bilateral agreement signed on 9 June 1995 by the Government of the Republic of Ecuador and Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom
. This agreement established The British School Quito with the Foreign Ministry of Ecuador, within the framework of a broader cultural agreement between the two countries.
In September 1995, the BSQ started with 26 pupils and a high degree of dedication and enthusiasm amongst the staff and a good deal of improvisation. Sylvia Harcourt, current President of the Board of Trustees, will remember this as she was a member of our community from its very beginning.
From 1995 to 1997, numbers increased dramatically to the point that the school had to move to larger premises in Tumbaco.
During 1999, the school built the classroom block below the swimming pool, purchased several prefabricated classroom buildings and modified the main building in a number of ways. Community spirit was shown during the summer holidays as the staff gave up their free time and helped moved the School to a better and bigger place, which was quite an achievement.
This year’s Student Council's principal aim was to develop an enjoyable environment amongst all the students and teachers by organising events such as Fiestas de Quito with the typical ‘Cuarenta’, Valentine’s Day and Jeans Day, in order to create a strong BSQ community. All of these events have been successful thanks to the support of all the community. The money raised in these events was aimed to help non-governmental organisations and charities like The Book Bus, Hospital ‘Baca Ortiz’ and ‘Mother Teresa’Retirement House. Our main target as the Student Council is to help not only our school, but also the country we are living in, and the community that surrounds us.
Another success for this year’s Student Council is the membership we obtained to the ‘Red de Consejos Estudiantiles’ (Student Councils Network). The ‘Inter-schools rose mail’ was the first successful event coordinated with other student councils for Valentine’s Day. This link will enable us be connected with other schools and we hope that this will help us learn new ideas for the development of our prestigious school.
The Brirish School Student Council has achieved all the goals proposed throughout the year and will continue to work for the benefit of all the students and the entire British School community. Future projects include the design of 'hoodies' to supplement the school uniform and the improvement of the Secondary Library by equipping it with better technology accessible to students.
Overall, the Student Council works to make a positive contribution in making a difference in improving the student life at The British School Quito.
Students have performed plays such as: Romeo and Juliet
, Casablanca, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
, The Crucible
and Rope
.
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in Quito, Ecuador. It was founded by Gloria Hooper, Baroness Hooper
Gloria Hooper, Baroness Hooper
Gloria Dorothy Hooper, Baroness Hooper, is a British lawyer and a life peer in the House of Lords.The daughter of Frederick Hooper and Frances Maloney, she was educated at La Sainte Union Convent High School, Southampton and at the Royal Ballet School...
and the former British Ambassador in Ecuador Richard Lavers in 1995.
In Years 12 and 13, the school offers the accredited IB Diploma Programme. The British School is currently the only school in Quito to offer, in English, all of the “Higher Level” IB programmes of Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
The School is taught in English. The curriculum imposed is the British National curriculum from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 4, this includes GCSE examinations recognised in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
History
The British School of Quito was conceived in the mind of Ambassador Richard Lavers in 1994 when he arrived to find that Ecuador was one of two countries in South America without a British School. He assembled a small group of volunteers who, as a first step, conducted market research which established the fact that there was a demand for British education in the Spanish-speaking country.The school was then created under a bilateral agreement signed on 9 June 1995 by the Government of the Republic of Ecuador and Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. This agreement established The British School Quito with the Foreign Ministry of Ecuador, within the framework of a broader cultural agreement between the two countries.
In September 1995, the BSQ started with 26 pupils and a high degree of dedication and enthusiasm amongst the staff and a good deal of improvisation. Sylvia Harcourt, current President of the Board of Trustees, will remember this as she was a member of our community from its very beginning.
From 1995 to 1997, numbers increased dramatically to the point that the school had to move to larger premises in Tumbaco.
During 1999, the school built the classroom block below the swimming pool, purchased several prefabricated classroom buildings and modified the main building in a number of ways. Community spirit was shown during the summer holidays as the staff gave up their free time and helped moved the School to a better and bigger place, which was quite an achievement.
Student Council
Each year students from high school vote for The British School Student Council. The BSSC is a group of representatives for high school that engage on different number of activities and organize events in the school and outside it. Candidates from the Student Council come from Year 11 to Year 13.This year’s Student Council's principal aim was to develop an enjoyable environment amongst all the students and teachers by organising events such as Fiestas de Quito with the typical ‘Cuarenta’, Valentine’s Day and Jeans Day, in order to create a strong BSQ community. All of these events have been successful thanks to the support of all the community. The money raised in these events was aimed to help non-governmental organisations and charities like The Book Bus, Hospital ‘Baca Ortiz’ and ‘Mother Teresa’Retirement House. Our main target as the Student Council is to help not only our school, but also the country we are living in, and the community that surrounds us.
Another success for this year’s Student Council is the membership we obtained to the ‘Red de Consejos Estudiantiles’ (Student Councils Network). The ‘Inter-schools rose mail’ was the first successful event coordinated with other student councils for Valentine’s Day. This link will enable us be connected with other schools and we hope that this will help us learn new ideas for the development of our prestigious school.
The Brirish School Student Council has achieved all the goals proposed throughout the year and will continue to work for the benefit of all the students and the entire British School community. Future projects include the design of 'hoodies' to supplement the school uniform and the improvement of the Secondary Library by equipping it with better technology accessible to students.
Overall, the Student Council works to make a positive contribution in making a difference in improving the student life at The British School Quito.
Artistic Support
Perhaps one of the most important points about The British School is its support to Drama. Each year the school in conjunction with the Secondary students "company", Tiny Piano Productions, organise the Annual Dramatic Production. Students involved, with help of English and Drama teachers, direct, produce and project a professional production which is recognised in the media.Students have performed plays such as: Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
, Casablanca, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (play)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a play based on Ken Kesey's 1962 novel of the same name. Dale Wasserman's stage adaptation, with music by Teiji Ito, made its Broadway preview on November 12, 1963, its premiere on November 13, and ran until January 25, 1964 for a total of one preview and 82...
, The Crucible
The Crucible
The Crucible is a 1952 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatization of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay during 1692 and 1693. Miller wrote the play as an allegory of McCarthyism, when the US government blacklisted accused communists...
and Rope
Rope (play)
Rope is a 1929 British play by Patrick Hamilton. In formal terms, it is a well-made play with a three-act dramatic structure that adheres to the classical unities. Its action is continuous, punctuated only by the curtain fall at the end of each act. It may also be considered a thriller whose...
.