Telos Academy opens for the 2029/30 academic year. We will open with a founding cohort and grow over several years; our current planning is for around 500 students, though the final size will scale based on demand research from local families. Early families are not an afterthought; they shape what the school becomes.
Three workstreams are running in parallel: site and construction, accreditation and curriculum, and operational readiness. Here's how they progress toward opening day.
All timelines are indicative and subject to planning approvals, regulatory authorisation, and construction progress. If things change, you'll hear it from us first.
Prospective locations assessed and architect selection underway.
Researching regulatory and accreditation requirements across Portugal, Cambridge, etc.
Conversations with prospective families to validate demand and shape the school's design. Read the April 2026 survey and follow-up survey, or join the founding waitlist.
Promissory purchase contract (CPCV) signed for the campus site near Ericeira.
Initial drafting of the school's pedagogical philosophy and approach, feeding both the Projeto Educativo and the architectural brief.
Teacher advisory board convened: educators across Early Years, Primary, Middle, and Senior stages, with Cambridge and IB backgrounds, shape the curriculum.
PIP submitted to Câmara Municipal de Mafra; approval pending, alongside full architectural design work.
First draft of the Projeto Educativo, the foundational document for Portuguese authorisation. Iterates through 2028 ahead of submission.
Full designs submitted to Câmara Municipal de Mafra.
Project-based work, physical development, and real-world labs: the afternoon model developed in full.
Ministry of Education sign-off on the architectural project. Required before the municipality issues construction permits.
Parents can start to officially sign their children up for our opening year.
Detailed engineering plans and the municipal construction permit from Câmara Municipal de Mafra.
Founding head(s) of school appointed, leading curriculum finalisation and faculty recruitment.
Founding faculty pipeline opens across all stages, plus specialist leads for the afternoon programme. Candidates identified through the year.
Expression of Interest submitted to Cambridge International, opening the school's registration record.
Morning academic platforms, student data infrastructure, assessment frameworks, and school-day systems and policies all prepared for opening.
Site works begin once the municipal construction permit is issued.
Full Cambridge International application submitted. Cambridge site visit ahead of registration. The Projeto Educativo is finalised for the licensing dossier.
Founding faculty contracts signed. Systems and school-day routines run end-to-end before students arrive: a dry run of everything, from academic platforms to afternoon programme.
Buildings progress to inspection-ready, with equipment commissioning and snagging ahead of the Ministry inspection.
Formal licensing application submitted to the Portuguese Ministry of Education by the 28 February deadline.
Places confirmed for the school's first intake, following successful completion of the mock year.
Campus inspected by the Ministry of Education. Final clearances obtained ahead of opening.
Portuguese government authorisation granted. Cambridge International registration completed.
Ensuring everything is ready for opening in September.
Telos Academy opens for the 2029/30 cohort.
Buildings and facilities for later year groups completed, supporting the school's growth through full Senior provision.
Existing authorisations extended to cover later year groups, with further accreditations explored as the school's footprint grows.
Additional faculty hired and later-stage students onboarded as the school grows toward full enrolment.