Compare International Schools in Armenia, Colombia

The GI School campus is located at Km 3, via Circasia, Quindío, Colombia. It sits on the Armenia–Circasia route in the Quindío department. The campus is accessible via the main road in this area.

Preschool: Great Kids (from 2 years). Elementary School: Grades 1 to 6. Secondary: Middle and High School, with the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme available in grades 11 and 12.

Private day school offering bilingual education with an IB World School profile; GI School is recognized by the Colombian Ministry of Education as an International Bilingual School and is accredited by the Ministry of Education and by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

Approximately 99% of students speak Spanish at home; approximately 1% speak English or another language at home.

An on-site support team provides services in psychology, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and support for learners with special needs (IEP). The Barton Dyslexia program supports students with dyslexia; language acquisition and development support is provided in English and Spanish, and all English Language Arts teachers in grades 1–12 are native English speakers.

Affiliations include recognition by Colombia's Ministry of Education as an International Bilingual School and accreditation by the MOE and by SACS (USA). It also offers the Colombian bilingual Bachiller and the American High School diplomas and runs the IB Diploma Programme.

School hours are 7:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday–Thursday and 7:00 am to 3:30 pm on Fridays.

Gimnasio Inglés de Armenia is governed and owned by the Fundación Gimnasio Inglés de Armenia.

GI School was founded over thirty years ago to advance regional development through education. The campus spans 11 hectares with native forests, ecological trails, and a robust learning environment. We educate 760+ students from K2 to 12, and the school calendar runs from August to June (Calendar B). GI is internationally accredited by SACS-Cognia since 2003 and became an IB World School in 2021, offering the Diploma Programme (DP) and the Primary Years Programme (PYP) for the IB curriculum, with an IB program for preschool and elementary grades. Great Kids begins English immersion to facilitate acquiring English as a second language while strengthening Spanish as the mother tongue; the preschool includes spaces like a maker space, a reading room, an art and music room, and a living classroom for exploration, with small groups and personalized in-class support. Nationally, the Ministry of Education certifies GI as an International Bilingual School.

GI School has an inclusion framework aligned with IB principles to support students with special educational needs. A dedicated team of Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Psychology professionals collaborates with teachers and leaders to implement a care path, individualized education plans (IEPs), inclusive adjustments, and the RTI system. During admissions, the support team leads evaluations to identify needs, with early detection when appropriate, using tools such as DIBELS, Barton, and i-Ready as part of the assessment process. In preschool and primary grades, the team provides classroom accompaniment, therapeutic and emotional intervention, and trains teachers, co-teachers, and families in inclusive practices. The Diploma Program includes inclusive adaptations and accommodations to uphold curricular standards while supporting students with special needs, in line with IB guidelines. The school protects student information confidentiality, keeping it in secure folders accessible only to authorized staff, and coordinates with families and external health entities as needed.

GI School supports students with special educational needs through a multidisciplinary team of Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Psychology professionals. Identification of needs occurs during admissions and through classroom referrals, using tools such as DIBELS, Barton, i-Ready, and reading-writing screenings to plan supports. An Individual Education Plan (IEP) is created when a disability is diagnosed, with a formal care route and coordinated support among teachers, families, and external health professionals. The RTI (Response to Intervention) system provides three levels of support—primary prevention, secondary differentiation, and intensive intervention—plus classroom accommodations and universal design for learning. The school provides teacher training, collaboration with co-teachers and parents, and ongoing progress monitoring to adjust supports. The IB Diploma Program allows for reasonable adjustments during Diploma assessments to maintain equity, and IB alignment guides inclusive adaptations within the curriculum.

GI School is bilingual from preschool through 12th grade, with instruction in Spanish, English, and French (French offered from grade 4). Working languages are Spanish and English, and language acquisition is supported across the curriculum by an instructional coach and native-English language arts teachers. The school provides on-site support staff to assist students not proficient in the language of instruction, including librarians, speech therapists, reading consultants, and co-teachers. A comprehensive language-education program includes K–12 bilingual education, French classes (grades 4–8), and language-support strategies such as readers/writers workshops and visual scaffolds across subjects. Language assessments include Spanish ProgrAMA Letras, iReady diagnostics for English, PSAT/SAT for DP students, and DELF for French, with extensive exposure to English through drama, pen-pal programs, and other authentic language experiences. All English Language Arts teachers are native English speakers to provide authentic language input.

IB's profile emphasizes personal and social development, including thoughtful reflection, inquiry, balance, solidarity, open-mindedness, and integrity, which GI School supports across the curriculum. In preschool and primary, the support team provides classroom accompaniment and therapeutic and emotional intervention as needed. The school trains teachers, co-teachers, and families in inclusive practices and supports ongoing psycho-pedagogical evaluation. The Diploma Program includes inclusive adaptations and accommodations during DP assessments to ensure equity, in line with IB guidelines. The school engages families and external health professionals as part of safeguarding and well-being, integrating emotional support within the learning process.

Confidentiality of student information is a core principle; information remains in the student's folder and is accessible only to authorized staff. The school coordinates with families and external health entities as needed to support identification, accommodations, and interventions for students with special needs. The inclusion framework requires careful handling of data and collaboration across teachers, specialists, and administrators to protect privacy and promote safe participation in all programs. The policy aligns with IB standards for inclusive education and safeguarding practices within the school community, ensuring appropriate disclosure and process for students requiring health or social supports.

Admissions: The school invites inquiries about admissions. The Admissions Coordinator is Angela María Velásquez. The school is located at Km3 Via Armenia, Circasia, Colombia. Office hours are Monday through Thursday 7:00am–4:00pm and Friday 7:00am–3:30pm.