The UAARE model was inspired by the High Performance Support Office (GAAR) of the Montemor-o-Velho Secondary School. Created in 2009, GAAR has gained consistency and undeniable importance, proof of which is the success that young people have achieved in school and in their sporting activity, in a perfect symbiosis among all the actors involved in the process.

On November 20, 2009, a Protocol was signed between the Montemor-o-Velho School Cluster (AEMOV), the Montemor-o-Velho City Council (CMMV), the Portuguese Canoeing Federation (FPC) and the Federation of Triathlon of Portugal (FTP) which aimed generically to complement sports promotion interests, use of facilities (CAR de Montemor-o-Velho) and technical resources (coaches of the federations) and to support resident high performance students.

In this context, the Signatories assumed a set of obligations, leaving AEMOV in clause 2, paragraph a), point 7: to support in the psychopedagogical domain (monitoring and integration) high-performance student-athletes who were enrolled in AEMOV and based in Montemor-o-Velho.

The sports and school results achieved left no room for doubt about the success of that project: several national champions, several international medals, students integrated in the Olympic project and a school success rate above 90%. It was therefore important to highlight the experience acquired and the manifest success achieved in the project developed in Montemor-o-Velho, replicating it in other areas of the country.

It is in this context that the pilot project “Units of Support of High Performance in School (UAARE)” is created by Joint Order No. 9386-A / 2016, of 21 July, from the Offices of the Assistant Secretary of State and Education and the Secretaries of State for Education and Youth and Sport.

The pilot project is coordinated by the Directorate-General for Education, in collaboration with the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth, IP, Directorate-General for Schools and School Clusters / Schools involved, with the Ministry of Education supervising the same.

Professor Victor Manuel de Oliveira Maia Pardal was the coordinator of the then GAAR of Montemor-o-Velho;

In the 2016/2017 academic year, the pilot project was implemented in 4 schools: Santa Catarina School Cluster (Linda-a-Velha) | Dr. Augusto César da Silva Ferreira Secondary School (Rio Maior) | Fontes Pereira de Melo Secondary School (Oporto) and Montemor-o-Velho School Cluster.

In 2017/2018, the pilot schools integrated the UAARE national network of schools, together with the Fonseca Benevides Secondary School, the center of the distance education offer for student-athletes. Pedro Nunes (Lisbon), Martins Sarmento (Guimarães), Gaia Nascente (Gaia), Ponte de Sor (Portalegre) as pilot schools and Coimbra Centro (Coimbra) as an associated school were also integrated in that school year.