Raiz International Active Learning School

What Raiz International Active Learning School does

Raiz International Active Learning School (Escola Raiz) is a private bilingual international school in Lisbon, Portugal, operating on the HighScope Active Learning methodology. Founded in 1998 and holding recognized pedagogical autonomy from the Portuguese Ministry of Education, the school serves children aged 2–11 across pre-school and 1st/2nd cycles through two Lisbon campuses (Restelo and Belém). It functions as the model school of Associação HighScope Portugal within the international HighScope network, with all staff — administrators, teachers, therapists, and psychologists — trained in the HighScope model. The core offering is organized into three program tracks: International, National, and SEL (Social and Emotional Learning), with bilingual Portuguese-English instruction, Cambridge English certification pathways, mindfulness, music, sports, in-house psychology, and speech therapy services. Auxiliary offerings include a summer camp, extracurricular STEM and mental arithmetic programs (Happy Code Portugal, The Inventors, Aloha), the 'Escola Verde' outdoor classroom, and the EDUCAST Raiz podcast.

The business model is direct-to-consumer tuition-based, with annual fees that are quote-based and not publicly disclosed, supplemented by recurring ancillary revenue from transportation, catering (three menus), and extracurriculars. Go-to-market is community-driven: Open Days, virtual visits, the school website, parent referrals, and word-of-mouth ("passa palavra"), reinforced by a 90-day family onboarding program. Technology plays a supporting role — including the RAIZ Virtual platform deployed during COVID-19 — but is positioned as a facilitator rather than a replacement for the active learning methodology. No external funding, M&A, or revenue disclosure is present in the available data; the school appears independently owned and operated by the Silveira Rodrigues family with professional management.

Name

Raiz International Active Learning School

Legal name

Escola Raiz

Website

https://escolaraiz.pt

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Raiz International Active Learning School is a private bilingual preschool and elementary school in Lisbon, Portugal, operating two campuses on the HighScope active learning methodology for families seeking alternative, holistic education for children aged 2–11.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Bilingual Primary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Language Schools (611630)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAJABAL

Language Immersion & Bilingual Private Schools

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Private & Independent K–12 Schools

Keywords

• Active learning education
• Bilingual preschool
• Primary school education
• Socio-emotional learning
• Mindfulness education

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisbon

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition and School Fees: The primary revenue stream is tuition charged for schooling. The school offers programs across three tracks: International, National, and SEL (Social and Emotional Learning). It serves pre-school through 2nd cycle (ages 2–11).
2. Ancillary Services: Additional revenue streams include transportation services, catering/meal programs (with three different menus available), and extracurricular activities. These services are offered on top of the core educational program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Raiz is a private bilingual school in Lisbon delivering the HighScope Active Learning methodology to children ages 2–11 across preschool and the 1st and 2nd cycles. Education is offered through three program tracks — International, National, and SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) — supplemented by in-house psychology and speech therapy services, transportation, catering, extracurricular activities, and a summer camp. The school operates two campuses (Restelo and Belém) and holds recognized pedagogical autonomy from the Portuguese Ministry of Education.

Product overview

Raiz International Active Learning School is a private educational institution in Lisbon, Portugal offering a comprehensive educational program from preschool through 2nd cycle (ages 0-12). The school operates on the HighScope Active Learning Method as its core pedagogical approach, supplemented by bilingual education (Portuguese/English), music, sports, mindfulness, and psychology services. Additional offerings include speech therapy, summer camps, virtual learning, and the EDUCAST educational podcast. The school has received pedagogical autonomy recognition from the Portuguese Ministry of Education and serves as the model school for HighScope Portugal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• International Program Track One of three core academic tracks at Raiz, offering an international curriculum pathway for children ages 2-11 with bilingual Portuguese-English instruction aligned to the HighScope Active Learning methodology. Designed for international and internationally-minded families seeking a globally oriented primary education in Lisbon.
• National Program Track National curriculum-aligned academic track for children ages 2-11, delivered through the HighScope Active Learning methodology with bilingual instruction. Designed for Portuguese families seeking an alternative to traditional lecture-based national schooling.
• SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) Program Track Social and Emotional Learning track integrated into the curriculum, focused on emotional awareness, mindfulness practice, habits training, and socio-emotional skill development for children ages 2-11.
• Psychology Services (Gabinete de Psicologia) On-site psychological support services delivered by trained psychologists integrated into the educational team. Available to enrolled students and families to support student wellbeing, socio-emotional development, and learning.
• Speech Therapy (Terapia da Fala) Speech therapy services offered in partnership with Espaço de Saúde e Bem-Estar Vitamina P. Covers intervention in reading and writing, chewing and swallowing, orofacial motor skills, and facial aesthetics for enrolled students.
• Transportation Service School transportation service for enrolled students between home and the Raiz campuses in Lisbon.
• Catering Service On-site food preparation using fresh, local products following nutritional guidelines. Three different menus are available to accommodate various dietary needs for enrolled students.
• Summer Camp (Colónia de Verão) Summer camp program offering outdoor activities including beach visits, surfing, artistic activities, water games, and scientific experiments during school holidays. Open to enrolled and external families.
• Extracurricular Activities Add-on extracurricular activities offered to enrolled students, including Happy Code Portugal (coding and computational thinking), Aloha Mental Arithmetic (mental arithmetic and cognitive skills), and The Inventors (project-based invention activities). Activities are delivered by external partners on campus.

Quantifiable outcome

• Children demonstrate higher levels of responsibility, teamwork capacity, cognitive development, and creative freedom within months of enrollment, per parent testimonials.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cambridge Exam CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2019Raiz developed a partnership with Cambridge English so that the school's English teaching work could be independently evaluated through Cambridge English exams produced by the University of Cambridge. Examinations are administered by the Cambridge Exam Centre with official Cambridge examiners. Students from 3rd to 6th grade can take Cambridge exams as an end-of-year or end-of-cycle evaluation. Exams certify lifelong proficiency levels per the Common European Framework of Reference.
• Associação HighScope PortugalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRaiz is the model school of the HighScope Portugal Association, operating under a model with international certification. The school is part of the global network of HighScope schools worldwide. All teachers and staff receive training in the HighScope model.
• Happy Code PortugalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHappy Code Portugal provides coding and technology education classes as an extracurricular activity at Raiz. This partnership extends the school's STEM offering beyond its core curriculum.
• The InventorsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Inventors program is offered as an extracurricular activity at Raiz, complementing the school's hands-on, experiential learning approach with project-based invention activities.
• Junta de Freguesia de BelémcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Junta de Freguesia de Belém provided financial support to the Raiz 'Outdoor Classroom' / 'Escola Verde' project after it won the 'Escola com Voz' competition. This partnership enabled the construction of the outdoor learning space.
• Espaço de Saúde e Bem-Estar Vitamina PminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRaiz partners with Vitamina P health and wellness space to provide Speech Therapy (Terapia da Fala) services at the school. Services include intervention in reading and writing, chewing and swallowing, orofacial motor skills, and facial aesthetics.
• Grupo KeeperminorOthersGrupo Keeper visited the school in Portugal to learn about its success with active learning, representing an educational knowledge-sharing relationship.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Oeiras International School: International school in the greater Lisbon area (Oeiras) offering IB and Cambridge programs. Comparable as a private bilingual institution in the Lisbon metro targeting internationally-minded families.
• Prime School: Portuguese private school group with bilingual and international tracks serving families across multiple campuses. Comparable to Raiz in targeting Lisbon families seeking bilingual (Portuguese/English) education.
• Deutsche Schule Lissabon: German international school in Lisbon providing German curriculum. Comparable as a Lisbon-based international school targeting a specific expatriate community with their native-language education.
• Lycée Français Charles Lepierre: French international school in Lisbon following the French national curriculum. Comparable as a Lisbon-based international school serving expatriate families seeking their home-country curriculum.
• The British School of Lisbon: British international school in Lisbon following the English national curriculum. Comparable to Raiz as a Lisbon-based private school offering English-language education and a structured alternative to mainstream Portuguese schooling.
• Montessori School of Lisbon: Private school in Lisbon following the Montessori alternative pedagogy. Comparable to Raiz as a Lisbon-based alternative-education private school appealing to parents seeking non-traditional, child-led approaches.
• St. Julian's School: Established international school in Lisbon serving multiple national curricula (British, Portuguese, IB). Comparable to Raiz as a Lisbon-based private school targeting international and local families with bilingual education.
• Carlucci American International School of Lisbon: American international school in Lisbon offering US curriculum from pre-K through grade 12. Comparable as a Lisbon-based private school serving expatriate and internationally-minded families with English-medium instruction.

Regional players

• Escola Alemã de Lisboa (German School): German-Portuguese international school in Lisbon. Comparable as a Lisbon-based private school offering bilingual instruction and serving international families, though focused on German curriculum.

Others

• Associação HighScope Portugal: Portuguese association promoting the HighScope methodology, of which Raiz is the model school. Comparable as a closely affiliated ecosystem partner that enables Raiz's pedagogical positioning and potential franchise expansion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/raiz-international-active-learning-school

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Raiz International Active Learning School