Learning Community
Tomar Vila Escola is born as a living learning community, rooted in Tomar and developed in partnership with Vila Escola Sustentável de Lisboa.
A community to awaken curiosity, stimulate critical thinking, integrating reason, emotion and compassion, to develop ideas, make mistakes and be free, in a logic of learning to unlearn.
In a wide open space, full of trees and secluded corners, where sustainability, respect for nature and animals is part of everyday practice, where one learns with hands in the earth, with the heart in relationships and with the mind in curiosity.
Our vision
In a world marked by speed and an excess of stimuli, Vila proposes a space of shelter, rhythm and presence. We value the integral development of the child — body, mind and spirit — respecting the natural rhythms of growth. Where every child is seen, heard and respected in their uniqueness.
At Vila there is time to play, imagine, experiment and create. We draw inspiration from Waldorf Pedagogy and project-based learning from Prof. José Pacheco, integrating art, nature and knowledge on a path that involves thinking, feeling and acting.
We welcome children from 6 to 9 years old — mixed-age class
At Tomar Vila Escola we believe that learning is a natural process, born from curiosity, from the relationship with the world and from direct experience. Our pedagogical approach seeks to create an environment where children can grow with safety, freedom and a sense of belonging.
We value a living learning that integrates different dimensions of human development — intellectual, emotional, social and physical. We seek to balance moments of free exploration with guided activities, always respecting the individual rhythm of each child.
The project follows the National Basic Curriculum, accepting children between the ages of 6 and 9.
We draw inspiration from Waldorf Pedagogy, which understands education as a complete human journey — involving thinking, feeling and acting.
The curriculum integrates:
Learning develops through interdisciplinary projects that start from the questions and interests of the children.
The curriculum integrates:
Through practices such as mindfulness, guided dialogue and ethical reflection, children learn to be with themselves with greater clarity, to relate with respect and to act with responsibility.
It is organised around three fundamental dimensions:
At Vila, SEE offers a structured foundation for what we already value: conscious relationships, peaceful conflict resolution, compassion and a sense of belonging.
Regular moments of dialogue and shared decision-making about the daily workings and challenges.
They promote democratic participation, co-responsibility and the strengthening of relationships between school, children and families.
They develop skills such as listening, respect, empathy and communication.
They constitute an essential space for collective building, reinforcing the sense of belonging and community.
We live sustainability as a way of being — in the gardens, in sharing, in caring for animals and valuing the local economy and artisanal work.
We cultivate values such as respect, truth, compassion and inclusion, nurturing a simple, free and profoundly human spirituality.
The rhythm of the day is designed to offer children safety and predictability, alternating moments of concentration, movement, creation and rest.
We seek to create a simple, welcoming and calm environment that fosters attention, imagination and presence. We value natural materials, spaces for exploration and outdoor learning opportunities.
Vila Escola is also a community project. We believe that education happens in relationship — between children, educators, families and territory.
We seek to build a community where families can participate, follow the educational process and contribute to the growth of the school.
The food is organic, seasonal and ovo-lacto-vegetarian, without ultra-processed products or added sugars, prepared with simplicity and consciousness.
We cultivate a spirituality free from dogma, centred on self-knowledge, ethics and respect for all living beings.
To nurture children who know how to:
Preparing conscious, creative, ethical citizens capable of contributing positively and sustainably to the world.
Contact with nature, essential for the healthy development of the child
Arts, expression and creativity, as fundamental forms of learning
Time to play, a central element in development
Meaningful relationships, between children, educators and community
Projects and practical experiences, connecting knowledge to real life