FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
about hypha
What is Hypha International School?
Hypha is a Cambridge-accredited international school in Sintra, Portugal. We serve children from ages 3 to 11, across Pre-Primary and Primary. Our approach balances a nature immersion with strong academic foundations, in a community of small classes and highly-trained educators.
When was Hypha founded and by whom?
Hypha was founded in July 2023 by Jennifer Nava, an engineer who went looking for a school for her own daughters. She found that the schools available either took academics seriously or took nature and childhood seriously, but not both. So she built one that does. Hypha opened its doors in September 2023 with our first Pre-Primary cohort, and Primary launched the following year.
Who is Hypha for?
Hypha is for families who want a school that takes academic rigor and a nature-immersed childhood equally seriously.
Parents who choose us value real foundations in literacy and numeracy, and they want their children outside, moving through the world around them with curiosity. They believe these things go together, and that spending time in nature is an essential part of a holistic education.
What makes Hypha different from other schools in the area?
Hypha is the only internationally-accredited school in the Sintra-Cascais area that integrates daily nature immersion across every year group. Most schools in the region choose an academically rigorous approach or an alternative, nature-based approach; Hypha is the only school that gives children both.
Our Primary classes have sixteen children with two to three educators in each room, closer to a tutoring ratio than a traditional classroom. We use the Cambridge International framework, and our days move between structured work and time outdoors.
From the upper primary years, our learners participate in a dedicated Critical Thinking and Socratic Seminar program that is rare at this level.
Is Hypha accredited?
Yes. Hypha is licensed by the Portuguese Ministry of Education and accredited by Cambridge International, a department of the University of Cambridge.
curriculum and approach
What curriculum does Hypha follow?
In Primary
We use the Cambridge International framework. Cambridge defines a set of clear learning objectives in each subject for every year group, recognized by international schools and universities around the world. We work to meet those objectives in our own way, which is rigorous and sequenced but does not rely on the textbooks, testing cycles, or homework that Cambridge schools traditionally use.
To deliver the academic foundations, we choose evidence-based curricula that engage children and reflect current best practice. Read Write Inc. anchors our literacy work, and Singapore Mathematics anchors our numeracy. Both have decades of research behind them. For other subjects, we choose curricula that are evidence-based, engaging for children, modern, and compatible with our outdoor learning model.
In Pre-Primary
We follow a Reggio Emilia and Montessori-inspired approach with forest school sensibilities, grounded in the foundations of early literacy and numeracy. As in Primary, our choices of curriculum and materials are evidence-based and built around the way children learn best at this age.
How much time do children spend outdoors?
Children are outdoors 3 hours or more every day, including rainy days. We make use of outdoor tables and whiteboards to bring the learning outside, as well as a variety of outdoor spaces such as our pond, fields, shaded forest areas, and covered outdoor areas.
what language is the school taught in?
The main language of instruction is English, and we have minimum English language requirements for children in Primary.
Children are also exposed to Portuguese through Portuguese lessons, as well as specialist subjects that are delivered in Portuguese, including Physical Education, Music, and Art. There is no minimum Portuguese language requirement to enroll at Hypha.
What is the Critical Thinking and Socratic Seminar program?
Children in Years 3 and up participate in a weekly Critical Thinking and Socratic Seminar program, designed to give children the tools to question and discuss ideas thoughtfully. The program includes learning about the many biases and logical fallacies that we commonly encounter in our daily lives.
A Socratic Seminar is a formal, student-led discussion that centers around an open-ended question. For example: Is it acceptable to send animals to space? The goal is not to debate or prove a point, but rather to use logic, sound reasoning, and evidence to arrive at a shared understanding. Seminars are usually held at university-level courses; they have been adapted for Primary-aged students at Hypha.
do you give tests?
No. Our approach involves continuous assessments, where children are observed and their learning is documented rigorously on a daily basis. Children are assessed against specific objectives in ways that are low-stakes and invisible to the child. This could be in group project for example, classroom activities, or one-on-one questions asked to the child. We also perform periodic reading assessments to ensure every child is improving in literacy.
While we assess each child’s progress internally, we do not give grades and do not share the results directly with the children.
Parents receive a comprehensive report on their child’s learning at the end of each term, along with personalized comments from every educator that teaches their child.
Do you assign homework?
No; Hypha students are not assigned homework. Teachers may occasionally request students complete an activity at home or prepare something to share with the classroom from their personal life.
What is Hypha’s policy on screens and technology?
Children are not allowed to bring personal screens to school, and they do not use laptops or other personal devices at Hypha. The only exception is for the Years 5 and 6, who occasionally will use shared Hypha devices to research on Britannica or to learn basic computer literacy. Children are never given open access to the internet or to computers.
Teachers may use classroom projectors to enhance the learning, such as by showing an image or a video, or to use the projector as a whiteboard. However, screens are never at the center of the learning, and the curriculum is designed to be delivered in person by the teacher rather than through a digital medium.
How does Hypha support children who are highly academic or gifted?
Our small class sizes allow teachers to know each child and adapt learning to their individual level. Children who are ready for greater challenge are offered more advanced material, higher-level questioning, independent projects, and opportunities to work at an accelerated pace where appropriate.
Because our classes are small and flexible, we can sometimes allow children to join an older year group for specific subjects such as Mathematics or English when it is clearly the right fit academically and socially. This allows children to continue being challenged without losing the benefits of their peer group and wider classroom community.
We aim to nurture not only strong academic ability, but also curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, and a genuine love of learning.
daily experience
how are meals handled?
Hypha offers a morning snack, lunch, and an afternoon snack for all children.
The morning snack consists of fresh fruit prepared in our kitchen.
Lunch follows a Portuguese-style, whole-food diet, with many dishes based on traditional, local ingredients.
The afternoon snack may be yogurt, bread, or fruit.
We accommodate any food restrictions. Children are also allowed to bring their own meal if they prefer.
We follow a no-sugar policy in the school. This includes during birthday celebrations.
Is there a school bus?
Yes. We offer transportation to/from Cascais, and will add a route to Ericeira in September 2026.
Children are picked up and dropped off from a central location by a certified transportation provider.
what sports facilities does hypha have?
Hypha enjoys an exclusive partnership with União Mucifalense (UM), a local sports club that is walking distance from the school. We use it regularly for Physical Education and have exclusive access to their facilities throughout the school day.
The facilites include a full-size football pitch, and indoor gymnasium, volleyball courts, a gymnastics studio, a martial arts dojo, and a yoga room. We also have a swimming pool at Hypha, which we use for our extracurricular activities.
What extracurricular activities do you offer?
Hypha offers a wide range of extracurricular activities for children from Monday to Thursday, with a mixture of included and paid options depending on the activity and external providers.
Recent offerings have included swimming, surfing, robotics, coding, gymnastics, violin, piano, taekwondo, astronomy, strategy games, crochet, gardening, science clubs, cooking, construction club, drama, sensory play, Portuguese club, and more.
We aim to offer a balance of sports, arts, music, STEM, outdoor learning, and creative activities so that children can explore new interests and develop skills beyond the classroom. Clubs are led either by Hypha educators or by highly qualified specialists and external instructors.
is there a uniform?
Hypha does not have a school uniform.
Children wear a Hypha t-shirt for certain occasions such as field trips, school events, or class photos, but otherwise children may come to school in comfortable, practical clothing suitable for active learning, outdoor play, and messy creative activities.
admissions process
how do i apply?
Visit our Application Portal to submit an application.
Can i visit the school before applying?
Yes. You can schedule an in-person visit or.a remote meeting with us here.
what are your fees?
Can my child start mid-year?
Yes.
For Primary, we accept children at the beginning of each Term: September, January, and April.
For Pre-Primary, we accept children in September and January.