1. HOW TO PREPARE A STUDY VISIT ARION Read the applications carefully and note each participant’s expectation: What he would like to visit or to discuss during the week? Verify the participants’ functions Verify diet or health needs…

2. PREPARATION CALENDAR 1 full day for presentation and public discussion on the visit’s central subject (on Monday) 2 days and a half for the work program half day (morning or evening) for cultural visit and/or presentation to the local authorities 1 full day for the final report program should end each day about 16h30

3. PREPARATION – hotel BOOKING SEND email to all participants asking for: ** Rectification of their personal coordinates ** RIGOROUS information of the working language ** hotel identification which is the same for everyone (fax, email, phone and website) ** Room prices (single and double) ** the booking is of total responsibility of the participant ** send the hotel the participants' names to be considered as a group

4. PREPARATION- BUDGET THE STRUTURE OF THE VISIT depends on the budget available. All participants might PAY to the Organizer, according to the presentation of a receipt: ** transport in mini-bus during the visit ** the closing dinner ** the cost of an optional visit (boat trip, fado show) This amount should be told the participants before their arrival.

5. PREPARATION – Budget 2 Possible costs of the organizer’s institution lunches in school canteens coffee breaks on the 1st day (public presentation of the ES) and last day (report) CD with the Education System Dossier: week program + various information the cost of the closing dinner for a member of each school host… ….

6. THE DOSSIER ** sheets with Arion, EU and the host institution logotypes daily program content 1 – exact time of departure from the hotel to… 2 – name and localization of the institution (s) to visit 3 – exact working timetable in the host school 4 – identification of the subjects to be observed 5 – time of the cultural visit (historical city center walk, museum, Library, Town Hall, ….) and whether it is compulsory or free attendance 6 – exact time RETURN to hotel. Maximum 17h (NOTE : participants should meet every afternoon in the hotel to discuss) 7 – Name of the co-guide (it is indispensable to have two people for paying attention to everyone and for possible unexpected problems )

7. DOSSIER -2 Others * host institution coordinates (fax, address, phone) * coordinates of the responsible for the visit (phone and mobile) * pharmacy in service during that week * hotel coordinates * city map * tourist information about the country and the region visited * places of interest (museum, typical café, church, market…) * restaurants/ where to eat near the hotel * medium price of a meal This dossier should be left in the hotel to be given each participant when he does the check-in.

8. DOSSIER_ENGLISH CONTENTS General Contacts Main Goals Week Programme – 16th - 21st January Analysis Guidelines Portuguese Education System Tourist information Major Cities Participants list and contacts

9. MAIN GOALS OF THE STUDY VISIT : to get acquainted with the different Educational Systems and educational realities of the countries to get to know the different schools’ administration and management approaches to conceive and establish new approach methods to this issue to promote partnerships

10. “HEADS OF SCHOOL” - Programme – 16th January- 21th January “HEADS OF SCHOOL” - Programme – 16th January- 21th January 16th January – Sunday – Grande Hotel do Porto Informal meeting in the hall Grande Hotel do Porto: welcome, presentation of each participant, distribution of dossiers with information on the week program (Rosa Guedes) 17th January- Monday – Escola Alexandre Herculano - Porto 9h15 – departure from the hotel to the School by bus 9h30 – welcoming reception by the Co - Regional Director of the Northern Education Directorate Mrs Helena Roque 10h15 – beginning of the presentations on “The system of school administration and management” in the countries of each participant according to the guidelines sent by email. (15/20 minutes). The presentation will be by alphabetical order. 13h00 – lunch at the school canteen. 14h00 till 16h30– continuation of the presentations 17h – visit to the Porto Wine cellars: Caves Ferreirinha in Vila Nova de Gaia Note: to this informative meeting DREN has invited one member of the School Administration and management body of the schools and the Directors of the Teachers Training Centres of the districts of Porto, Amarante and Braga Escorting: Rosa Guedes,

11. TOURISTY INFORMATION_PORTUGAL Official name: Republic of Portugal Land Area: 91, 950 square kilometres including Madeira and Azores (35,502 square miles) Location: Portugal is the most western country in Continental Europe. It is bounded by Spain on the north and east and by the Atlantic Ocean on the south and west. Highest mountains: Serra da Estrela 1,993 meters (Continent), Pico 2,351 meters (Azores) Rivers: Mondego, Tejo (Tagus), Douro and Guadiana Capital: Lisboa (2,6 millions inhabitants) Population: Approximately 10,366,000 in 1966, of which 9,4 million live in Continental Portugal ; 257,000 in Madeira and 241,000 in Azores. Population density: 10 8 inhabitants per square km Population growth rate: 0,1% Life expectancy: 74. 9 years - Men – 71.3; Women 78,6 Religion: Roman Catholic (97%), Protestant (2%) and other (1%) Language: Portuguese, one of the 5 major romantic languages derived from Latin. Famous writers: Camoes who wrote Lusíadas, and Fernando Pessoa, José Saramago, Eça de Queirós, Sophia de Mello Breyner Andersen Famous singers: Amália Rodrigues, Marisa, Madredeus Famous painters: Paula Rego, Vieira da Silva, Júlio Resende, Boal Famous Architect: Siza Vieira, Souto Moura Famous pianist: Maria João Pires, Bernardo Sassetti, Pedro Burmester Portuguese famous song: fado Unesco World heritage sites: Douro Vinhateiro, Évora, Guimarães, Angra do Heroísmo, Óbidos, Centro Histórico do Porto Famous sweets: natas Famous wine: Vinho do Porto, Vinho da Madeira Famous sportive people: Joaquim Agostinho, Carlos Lopes, Rosa Mota, Eusébio, Luís Figo, Cristiano Ronaldo Francisco Jacinto Famous last events: EXPO ’98, LISBON STRATEGY - E.U. SUMMIT, 2000, OPORTO EUROPEAN CULTURAL CAPITAL 2001, and EURO 2004

12. CONTACT WITH HOST SCHOOLS * send a letter to school’s Headmaster asking for the possibility of reception of the Arion group according clear information or demands : 1- duration of the presence of the Arion Group in the school including time of arrival and departure (rigorousness and firmness required) 2- number of participants; working language; what we really want to observe/ discuss 3- demand of elaboration of a leaflet with the institution’s characterization its coordinates for future contacts and partnership COMENIUS/ LEONARDO…;… 4- possibility of lunch service (dialogue about a regional menu) or tea 5- invitation of the local authorities, President of Parent’s Association, … 5- diffusion of this Arion study visit in the local mass medias 6- exchange of souvenirs between the Arion group and the school (school manuals - music, draw, mathematics…, bookmarkers, postcards, magnets) 7-Possibility presentation of a cultural moment (folkloric dances, music…) ALL the participants should respect religiously the timetable to avoid delays

13. CONTACT WITH HOST INSTITUITIONS 2 As an ARION GROUP is always a vehicle for sharing knowledge and richness of each country’s culture and patrimony and is also a bridge to other European partners. So, we can always ask for: The possibility of the Arion group reception in the Town Hall where the personality speech should be about the subject of the visit. The mayor should be prepared to answer questions made by the participants and even provoke debate. a guided visit to the TOWN HALL,…. souvenirs, maps, touristy leaflets (in the working language)… a free guided visit to the local museum, wine cellars, Municipal Library, Youth Center

14. CONTACT HOST INSTITUIONS 3 Inform clearly the participants which are the compulsory visits and the optional ones BUT reminding them the effort and the pleasure that the organizers, people or institutions have in receiving the ARION GROUP.

15. PUBLIC PRESENTATION OF the European Education System -EES previous giving to the participant of a thematic guideline with the main topics of the visit’s central SUBJECT, to develop for all the Participants (being so we get a complete panel of the different modus operandi in each EES) Ask the participants to send to the organizer his power-point presentation by email in order that he can put them on the PC and make the presentations more efficient and easier Establish the order of the presentations (alphabetic order by participant’s name or country) and send it to the participants so they are aware of their turn. Invite (with 3 weeks of anticipation) ALL THE REGIONAL SCHOOLS for this public presentation of the EES. Inform school/institutions invited of the working language DEBATE only AT THE END OF THE MORNING AND END OF AFTERNOON

16. THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM according to the following guidelines: : School Administration and Management Constitution of the school administration and management body (SAMB): involved entities, applicant’s requirements, duration and suspension of the mandate SAMB’s intervention sphere in : school administration pedagogical organization of the school budget management evaluation of the teaching staff and non teaching staff hiring of human ressources conflict’s management models of fund collection of extra-resources for the annual budget self-evaluation of the school: aims, intervenient, effects SAMB’s articulation with educative community and with the local authorities: bridges to active life the school’s image within the local community: how to promote it and its results

17. Working STRATEGIES 1- Pre-inscription of the participants in subjects scheduled for the week. This strategy allows the participant to visit what he wishes but obliges a detailed report of observation to be annexed in the final report for the knowledge of everyone. 2- Division of the group ARION in small groups (5-6 participants), distribute them for different contexts of works.

18. OFICIAL CLOSURE Dinner with one member of each host institution promoting the dialogue mixing participants and institutions at the table. Change of gifts significant or not Diplomas/presence certificates delivery to each ARION participant and each institution that has collaborated. Public thanks to those who worked behind.

19. Unexpected accidents Most frequent: acknowledge the fastest way to get to the host school and the exact time needed for the displacement (best to test before the visit) Illness of a participant : go with him to hospital, be a translator, look for a pharmacy, … The presence of the participant’s company: doesn’t participate in any visit session scheduled demand of the presence certificate before the conclusion of the works any volunteer rapporteur OTHERS: disappointment with the program (duration of working day, weather, over information or lack of information) formation of mini-groups by country or isolated people linguistics difficulties (find a volunteer translator within the group) disappointment with the hotel