Leonardo Gifted School is partner or member of: ECHA - European Council for High Ability, WCGTC - World Council for Gifted and Talented Children, AERO - Alternative Education Resource Organization, BPLUSA - Big Picture Learning Design USA, University of Bucharest - Faculty of Phychology and Educational Sciences, University of Connecticut - Neag School of Education, Simon Fraser University - Faculty of Education

Accreditation

Accreditation

Strategy

Leonardo Gifted School serves the needs of highly intelligent children. We will work with children of all ages (3-18) and we start primarily as a pre-primary and primary gifted school (3 to 12 years). We became an ICEOTAS associated center in May 2025 and we aim a British Schools Overseas (BSO) accreditation process. The BSO accreditation and inspection takes place first year or second year of functioning, based on our team’s choice. After the BSO accreditation we follow the normal process for enlisting in the special registry of International schools in Romania and become in this way, an accredited Romanian school. Our strategy includes building a campus, and here you can make a difference.

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What is next? What can your child do after the school ends?

Leonardo Gifted School is a school exclusively dedicated to highly gifted children and children of high potential proved by our internal assessments. This is a tremendous chance for a child to learn in an environment which respects from the start the special needs of the child and supports the child in developing an autonomous being, an independent thinker and a healthy emotional behaviour. This is the right kind of school for a gifted child.

  • Children learning in our environment have the resilience and adaptability to go and pursue state schools or private schools later
  • Children can come to our organization for more, like volunteering, internships and specialized programs for gifted like bootcamps when they grow
  • We provide the following at School Entrance for parents: Certificate of Participation and School Recommendation
  • We provide the following with the School leaving: an “Attendance Affidavit” they are enrolled without any other formality. Becoming an ICEOTAS accredited center, we provide an “Attendance Affidavit” (Adeverinta de Frecventare) and also, real information from parents who have undergone this procedure, based on request.
  • Children graduating Leonardo who wish to return to the system are enrolled in the age-appropriate clas without any other formality, based on the documents: Attendance Affidavit, Transfer Form (Foaie de Transfer), School Transcript & Activity Report, Individual Education Plan (IEP), School Recommendation. From Asociatia Re-Design the child gets a Certificate of Completion – either upon completion of KS 4 & 5 (14-16 years of age), or upon return to the standard education system.

  • Through the wonderful work of a neuroscience researcher, member of the ICEOTAS board, Ms. Adriana Braescu, children who need a different kind of education, talented, exceptional children, expats’ children, any neuroatypical children, children with 2e (twice-exceptional) or with learning difficulties, or who feel that they have wasted potential in schools, can benefit through us, and through her work, from a rich knowledge of the challenges of parents who want something different, as well as of the numerous opportunities that children can access.

    The benefits of the ICEOTAS partnership with Asociatia Re-Design (CEREHARD) include:
    📍Counseling our students, online and offline on specific topics (exams, topics, options, etc.)
    📍Non-formal assessments, through interviews, upon request (at least once a year)
    📍Formal assessments, upon request, through written testing
    📍Evaluation reports, with scores and recommendations
    📍Issuance of a Certificate of Completion – either upon completion of KS 4 & 5 (14-16 years of age), or upon return to the standard education system
    📍and other benefits that are so important for a student who takes responsibility for their own development.

What can children opt for?

Children can opt for 2 types of exams. They can choose the subjects they want to perform in from the age of 12. From the age of 14, more intensive preparation begins (textbooks, tutors).

They UK exams are:

  • Cambridge IGCSE (the most popular international qualification in the world for children aged 14 to 16)
  • GCE AL (minimum 2 exams), gives children access to school equivalence.

Where can these exams be taken?

In Cluj, Bucharest, etc., as external candidates (with a fee)

https://altereducluj.wordpress.com – https://www.facebook.com/AlterEduCluj

And for all levels and CSC = Cluj Study Centre – Julian Hingley, for humanities (literature, history, philosophy, sociology) – cluj.study.centre@gmail.com – but for the older ones (over 12-13 years old)

Where can the preparation be done?

With us, with tutors, at the headquarters. Or online with Britannia International Academy (NCC Education): https://mystudycorner.co.uk/

What diplomas are given in the British system?

Upon graduating from high school in the UK, the following types of documents are obtained:

  • Level 3 Diploma, which has under 120 credits (which will be equivalent to the High School Leaving Certificate)
  • Level 3 Diploma accompanied by GCE – 2 AL exams, BTEC Level 3 / extended Diploma (which is equivalent to the Baccalaureate Diploma)
  • Level 3 Diploma with a minimum of 120 credits (which is equivalent to the Baccalaureate Diploma)

Children finish high school at 16 years old with level 2 diplomas. And from 16 to 18 they do either college or sixth form. Those over 19 can also go to college. Any diploma that has OFQUAL on it is accredited by the UK, and in Romania as well. These diplomas in the UK can be obtained without actually being enrolled in school, you take the exams as an external candidate, do your schooling at home and go to the exam afterwards and you get exactly the same diplomas. At the university, these diplomas are required upon enrollment.

What happens in Romania?

In August 2024, the ministry passed a law that says that for the equivalence of studies (be careful, we are talking about “the studies”), not of the “BAC” diploma, proof of attendance is also required at the ISJ. If, for example, you come with your child from the UK at 16 years of age and you want to enroll him in high school in Romania – naturally he has to take equivalence exams. But if you come with exams equivalent to the BAC after he has taken all the exams and you want to enroll him in the university, CNRED does not ask you for anything. These diplomas are enough. The equivalence of the BAC diploma is not done at the ISJ, but at the CNRED. At the ISJ, the equivalence of studies for admission to a high school or school is made, through art 125 of ROFUIP 4183 of 2022, known to most schools and high schools. From 2024, exams are required for those who cannot show attendance with a school (homeschool either in the UK or in the USA, or Romania). Please see here legislation.

More about the exams

  • Cambridge IGCSE (the world’s most popular international qualification for 14 to 16 year olds), GCE AL (minimum of 2 exams), give children access to school equivalence. GCSE does not get equivalence in RO, only AL – 2 exams, are equivalent to our “BAC”. GCE Advanced Level (GCE AL) (United Kingdom): The General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level, or A Level, is a main school leaving qualification in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It is available as an alternative qualification in other countries. Students generally study for A levels over a two-year period. This is what diplomas obtained in the UK look like – they have “UK OFQUAL” qualification. So the diplomas of IGCSE or GCSE look like this:



If you wish to learn about the admission criteria used by Universities nowadays, or how gifted kids manage around the system to cater for their special needs, you can come to one of our workshops to discuss at large so please send an email to our team. There are multiple ways to get admission to a University: the classical way, or by making a portofolio, which is what more and more secondary schools /universities are asking nowadays, other school-equivalence tests or see this article to learn what it took Alexia in 2023 to get admission to a Faculty with UBB in Romania (*it took 1 day Alexia to get recognition for her credit studies with Citizens High School in US and skip BAC)