International Schools Guide 2023

Finding the right school for your children is as difficult as it is essential. WHEREVER is here to help.

Academic achievement is more easily measured (at schools with students who have sat the IGCSE and/or IB DP exams) but what is not as evident is the support or lack thereof provided to students on both ends of the achievement spectrum.

On a more practical level, I recommend that you:

Start your search as early as possible as the popular schools fill up quickly. Visit all of the schools you are interested in and ask detailed questions.

With so many options, how do you choose the right school for your family?

The educational landscape is booming in Portugal. Families starting their search for an international school in the country are now spoilt for choice, especially in the Lisbon region where the number of English language schools has increased by 80% over the past five years, with no end in sight. Indeed, three more schools are set to open their doors in September 2023. First, compile a list of your requirements, research schools that match these and then dig in. Typically, the highest priority factors for families are curriculum, school culture, academic achievement, fees and location.

Many families assume that the curriculum will not have much of an impact on their child’s learning experience and outcome. However, it is one of the main reasons for discontent.

School culture and community should also be key considerations as your child’s school will likely be a social focal point.

Don’t blindly follow others. What works for your friends, may not be right for your family.

Best of luck with your search!

Nathalie Willis-Davis, Founder & Educational Consultant at Tendoria tendoria.com

Our guide is in no way an exhaustive list of all the options, merely an indication of what is currently available to parents seeking international schools and educational options in Portugal.

TASIS Portugal

3-15 years

520 Students

Core Knowledge PK-8, IGCSE 9-10 (in the future), IB 11-12

Opened 2020

Estrada Nacional No 9, Quinta da Beloura II, 2710-697 Sintra T +351 219 241 004 W tasisportugal.org

TASIS Portugal is the newest campus in the TASIS family of schools founded in Switzerland in 1956 by fearless educator and entrepreneur M. Crist Fleming, and financially supported by the nonprofit TASIS Foundation. TASIS (Switzerland) was the first American boarding school in Europe, and all TASIS schools maintain the tenets on which it was founded: culture, wisdom, truth, and knowledge, represented by the tower, the lamp, the sun, and the book. .

St. Dominic’s International School, Portugal

3 to 18 years

530 students. Max 20 per class

International Baccalaureate IBO (PYP, MYP and DP)

Opened 1975

Lycée Français Charles Lepierre

3-18 years old

2000 students

French national education program

Opened 1952

The Lycée Français Charles Lepierre (LFCL) is a school that applies the teaching system of the French National Education. Classes are taught in French, but the establishment guarantees teaching in Portuguese and English of a very high standard. It belongs to the AEFE (Agency for French Education Abroad) network, which includes 543 schools from 138 countries. The LFCL has been renowned for its ability to train students with an excellent general culture and a great capacity for analysis, a deep civic commitment and above all an openness to others.

IPSInternational Preparatory School

3-12 years

Classroom average is 18. 1 to 8 teacherstudent ratio. Max capacity on our Primary site is 300

National Curriculum of England

Opened 1982

A 47-year-old IB Continuum school in the Cascais region originally founded by Irish Dominican Sisters. The school adopted the International Baccalaureate system in 1994 and all classes are taught in English, but all students also have Portuguese classes as second language. With students from over 40 different nationalities, SDIS is truly an international school. Since January 2010, SDIS is owned and managed by Veritas Educatio SA and over the last few years, the campus has seen several improvements as well as new buildings such as an Arts Centre and a building for the IB Diploma.