Agrupamento de Escolas Dr. Correia Mateus
Our school encompasses pre-school, primary and Middle School of education, including five classes dedicated to music education and two classes dedicated to dance education. It is located in Leiria, in central Portugal, about 120 km from Lisbon.
Leiria is a city with a rich cultural heritage and a strong tradition in industries such as glassmaking and mould production. To promote the inclusion of all students, we have been working for years in the artistic and creative domain through activities such as the Music Club, Theatre Project, Cinema Project, UBUNTU, PNA, School Sports, and dedicated music education in collaboration with the local organisation SAMP. We also organise activities with the local Senior Academy (Pousos) and have a partnership with the INpulsar institution to support mediation with students of gipsy ethnicity. Our school also works with several special needs students and we develop activities to promote inclusion and their well-being.
At our school, there are approximately 1,300 children and young people aged between 3 and 15 years. The school has around 130 teachers and 40 administrative and support staff. We have a diverse student body, most of whom come from lower-middle or low-income families. Many of these families face financial difficulties, leading to an increase in the number of families receiving social assistance. There are immigrants in this area, and we therefore have students from many different backgrounds, with Brazilians being the most represented group (around 20%). Additionally, we have students from minority ethnic groups and some with very significant learning difficulties.
For more information, please visit our website at: agcorreiamateus.ccems.pt
Role in the EcoMystery project
Agrupamento de Escolas Dr. Correia Mateus functions as the consortium’s inclusivity lead and primary pilot-school partner. It is charged with designing, implementing and monitoring the project-wide Equity and Inclusivity Plan, drawing on its long-standing experience of educating minority and socio-economically disadvantaged pupils. Within the Teachers Advancement Programme (WP2) the school authors the specialist module “Inclusivity & Escape Rooms”, equipping educators to apply game-based climate instruction in diverse classrooms. In Work Package 3 it develops the student-facing module “A Collection of Climate Change Games” and co-facilitates the practical components of modules 7, 8 and 9 (case studies, physical escape rooms and EcoMystery-platform activities), before leading classroom pilots that validate the full coursework in real Portuguese school settings
Team Members
Vera Simões has served as a lower-secondary mathematics teacher at Agrupamento de Escolas Dr. Correia Mateus for the past 29 years. Since 2019, she has also held the post of Vice-Director, assuming responsibilities for pedagogical oversight, staff development and strategic planning. In parallel, she acts as the institution’s Erasmus+ project coordinator, managing international partnerships and mobility initiatives. Throughout her career, Ms Simões has been deeply committed to programmes that encourage students to modify their behaviours and develop into responsible, engaged citizens.
Angelica Rodrigues has taught Physical Education since 2001 and has been a member of Agrupamento de Escolas Dr. Correia Mateus for the past fourteen years. In addition to her teaching duties she serves as the school’s Sports Coordinator, directing all extracurricular athletics programmes and advancing whole-school health and wellbeing. Since 2012 she has also sat on the Erasmus+ project team, bringing twelve years of experience in trans-national cooperation, mobility management and programme evaluation. Across these roles, Ms Rodrigues consistently leverages sport and international exchange to instil teamwork, resilience and intercultural awareness in the pupil body—contributions that position her as a key driver of the school’s holistic development agenda.
Lídia Raquel Delgado has been a lower-secondary geography teacher since 1994 and holds a master’s degree in Geography. For the past three years she has served at Agrupamento de Escolas Dr. Correia Mateus, where she combines her teaching duties with the coordination of the Erasmus+ project “Leave”, managing its strategic planning, partnership development and international mobility activities.
Carla Oliveira has been a Physical Education teacher since 1994 and, for the past five years, has served at Agrupamento de Escolas Dr. Correia Mateus. She holds a master’s degree in Adapted Sports and Physical Activity, expertise that underpins her work as the school’s boccia training instructor and informs her broader commitment to inclusive sport. Through both her teaching and specialised coaching, Ms Oliveira promotes equitable access to physical education and fosters the development of motor skills, teamwork and self-confidence among all students, particularly those with special educational needs.
Filipa Toco has served as a primary-level English teacher since 1999 and, for the past five years, has been a member of the teaching staff at Agrupamento de Escolas Dr. Correia Mateus.