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Brazil, Sao Paulo
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The campus is designed for learning and play. The school was designed by renowned architects Isay Weinfeld and Márcio Kogan, with spaces that support teaching and learning through smart, functional design. Large early years rooms have sliding glass doors that connect indoor and outdoor spaces, and the patio uses a free-span design to enable safe outdoor exploration. Inside, ramps interconnect all floors to improve accessibility for younger children.
Outdoor spaces for physical activity include a soccer/basketball court in the elementary area and a roof terrace with a soccer/basketball/volleyball court for middle and high school. The elementary area also features a hanging garden, a covered area with a climbing wall, and tables for ping pong and foosball, plus a jump rope station and hopscotch. The middle and high school roof terrace has a panoramic view and a sunny seating area. The roof terrace also includes a giant chessboard.
An extensive library is open to all students. Early years 4 begin checking out a book weekly; early years 5 through elementary years visit the library twice weekly, once during Portuguese hours and once during English hours, checking out one book in each language weekly. First grade uses leveled readers in English to develop reading skills. Older students use the library to study, read during downtime, play chess, and conduct research.
Labs and extracurricular activities complement and extend learning beyond the classroom, available to students from early years 5. Clubs run after school every day with options including book club, school band, robotics, arts and crafts, and study groups in English and Portuguese. Soccer is offered from age 3, plus ballet, capoeira, judo, and circus skills for elementary students. Older students can join ECJ teams in volleyball, soccer, and basketball. Special events such as Carnival, Halloween, St. Patrick's Day, and Cognita Be Well day are organized throughout the year.
PlayPen Escola Cidade Jardim in Brazil is an independent bilingual school within the Cognita network, the first Cognita school in Latin America. It offers English-immersion from Early Years and bilingual literacy in English and Portuguese within the IB framework, with Spanish taught as a foreign language. The school serves ages 1 to 16, from Early Years through secondary, delivering the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) while pursuing authorization to offer the Middle Years Programme (MYP) as a candidate. The PYP emphasises inquiry-based learning and global perspectives, integrated with social and cultural development. The campus, designed by Isay Weinfeld and Márcio Kogan, connects indoor and outdoor spaces and features ramps for accessibility. Facilities include extensive library, outdoor and rooftop sports areas, and spaces for labs and after-school activities. With about 130 staff, the school offers after-school clubs in languages, robotics, arts, and sports, plus international experiences and Cognita Be Well day.
