School Life

Co-Curricular Activities

SCHOOL LIFE

Co-Curricular Activities

The co-curriculum programme is designed to promote the Learner Profile and development of the whole child, and has five main goals:

  • to enhance the learning experience of the taught curriculum outside of the classroom through day and residential school trips, whole school theme days and educational visits.
  • Raise awareness of the work of charities and encourage active community service, in and outside, of school.
  • Build teamwork and foster positive relationships.
  • Encourage leadership, environmental stewardship and compassion for others.
  • Provide opportunities to get involved in extra-curricular activities and to try something new.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award and the TBS Diploma

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is well-established and extremely popular at TBSRJ and is offered to students aged 14 years and over.


Set-up in 1996, our school has the distinction of being the first school in Brazil to offer this internationally re-known programme. Adventurous hiking and camping expeditions take place in rugged areas of Brazil and other countries in South America, such as the Patagonian wilderness around Bariloche in Argentina. In addition to the expeditions, students complete the service, skills and physical recreation requirements of the DofE International Award to gain Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards.


Younger students in the Primary school from the age of 10 years onwards can take part in residential Pre-DofE weekends. Activities include hiking, camping, horse riding, mountain biking, archery and other team-building exercises. In addition, students from Class 5 upwards are encouraged to participate in the TBS Diploma Programme. Following a similar structure to the Duke of Edinburgh Award, the TBS diploma recognises student participation in activities outside of school encouraging them to try out something new and reflect upon their experiences.

Model United Nations and Student Conferences

The British School hosts an annual Model United Nations (MUN) conference which is open to participants from Class 5 upwards. The conference allows students to discuss and seek solutions to world problems ranging from human rights abuses, conflicts between nations and environmental issues. In addition to the TBSRJ conference, students have the opportunity to participate in several other MUN conferences such as the annual Brazil MUN and internationally acclaimed events such as the Harvard and Columbia MUN in USA.


Participation in these events enables students to develop a better understanding and appreciation of global affairs. Several subject areas support the MUN programme by encouraging debate and public speaking within the academic curriculum.


In addition to the MUN conferences, IB students may be selected to take part in the IB Leadership Challenge, a Theory of Knowledge and outdoor activities course in the Andes mountains, together with students from other Latin American IB schools. Students might also have the opportunity to represent the school in the annual LAHC (Latin American Heads Conference) student conference, which has a varied theme from year to year, but always focusing on leadership. In recent years, TBS has hosted this conference twice.

Student Council

Student Councils exist on all three sites and are elected annually to represent the views of students in all year groups, from Class 1 to Class 11, regarding how the school can be improved. STUCO Executives take part in discussions, projects and presentations in order to achieve this and have regular meetings with site leadership teams. Membership of the student council is an excellent opportunity to build cooperation and leadership skills and is highly valued at TBS