The Agrupamento de Escolas de Barcelos was born on 4 July 2012, due to the unification of Abel Varzim School and Barcelos Secondaryschool.
It is about an Union of schools with an important dimension, with the implantation in an extended area of Barcelos District, in the two banks of the Cávado river, and it gives an educational response to student people from Barcelos urban area to Póvoa de Varzim and Esposende's district borderline.
The area of influence of the Union is felt deeply in the communities of Barcelos, Arcozelo, Vila Boa, Vila Fresquinha, Barqueiros, Cristelo, Faria, Fornelos, Gilmonde, Milhazes, Paradela, Vila Seca e Vilar de Figos but it is extended, through traditional strength previous to have been composed, across for all communities of Barcelos, in particular those communities set close to Cávado river.
In spite of it is a new Union, in this first year of existence, the initial configuration already suffered change, due to opening of Gilmonde School Center, which it includes the previous schools of Fornelos, Gilmonde, and Vila Seca, and clousing Foria's kindergarten. These changes, similarly to a fusion, due to the administrative effects, between Paradela 1° cycle school and Paradela kindergarten, brought the Union to became, in this school year, from 14 to 9 schools, the total number of organic unity.
Internally, in addition to the management, that it is set in Barcelos Secondary School, the Union is organized through 5 coordination of establishment, that is, the EVEN 2,3 Abel Verzim School, in Vila. Seca., Barqueiros School Center, Gilmonde School Center, Milhaze Elementary School and thecoordination of joint of the Estabilishment EB1 of Igreja-Criteria, EB1/JI of Ferreiros-Cristelo and EB1 of Paradela.