Guides
Practical guides for choosing a school
Plan applications, compare curricula, discuss language support and understand fees. Choose the guide that matches your next question.
Schools in Almancil: Loulé, Faro and Nobel Almancil
Almancil sits in Loulé municipality in the central Algarve, between Faro, Loulé and the coastal resorts. Families here compare Portuguese state schools with an English-medium school offering the IB Diploma, and most plan their days around the car and Faro Airport.
3 minSchools in Bergen (North Holland): Alkmaar links, Dutch schools and ES Bergen
Bergen is a coastal municipality just north-west of Alkmaar, with dunes, villages and a European School created for the EU research site at Petten. Families here are choosing between Dutch local schools, that European School and a longer commute towards Amsterdam.
3 minSchools in Bertrange: the western suburb, its rail link and nearby options
Bertrange is the commune on Luxembourg City's western edge, next to Strassen and Mamer, with its own station on the Arlon line. Families look at it mainly for European School Luxembourg II, but it also works as a base for schools in the city.
4 minSchools near Clane: north Kildare, Dublin links and Clongowes
Clane is a north Kildare town within commuting range of Dublin, with Sallins station nearby and buses into the city. Most families here choose between local co-educational schools and Dublin day schools; Clongowes Wood answers a narrower question about full boarding for boys.
3 minSchools in Clervaux: family life in the north, the rail line and alternatives
Clervaux is a small town in Luxembourg's rural north, the Éislek, on the railway that runs down to Ettelbruck and Luxembourg City. Families come here for space and a public European school, but every other option means a longer journey south.
3 minSchools in Crowthorne: Bracknell Forest, rail links and Wellington
Crowthorne is a village in Bracknell Forest, between the M3 and M4 on the Berkshire–Surrey edge. Families here usually weigh good local state schools against independent day and boarding options, with Reading and Guildford as the nearest rail hubs.
3 minSchools in Differdange: a south-western town, its rail line and nearby options
Differdange is a former mining and steel town in Luxembourg's far south-west, on the railway through Belval and Esch to the capital. The free public European school EIDE has its main sites here.
3 minDuino and Trieste: schools, travel and UWC Adriatic
Duino is a coastal village in the bilingual Italian–Slovene municipality of Duino Aurisina, north-west of Trieste. Most families know it through UWC Adriatic; a family moving to the area will mainly compare Italian state schools, Slovene-language schools and options in Trieste.
3 minSchools in Esch-sur-Alzette: Luxembourg's second city, Belval and nearby options
Esch-sur-Alzette is Luxembourg's second city, with the Belval district and the University of Luxembourg's main campus on its edge. It has two stations on the line to the capital and a site of the free public European school EIDE in the town centre.
4 minSchools in Eton: Windsor, Slough and the Eton College question
Eton is a small riverside town facing Windsor across the Thames, with rail links through Windsor and Slough. Most families searching here are really choosing between Windsor's state schools, Slough's selective grammars and boarding further afield.
12 minHow European School admissions work in Brussels and Luxembourg
At a European School, your employer and your child's dominant language decide more than your preferred campus. This guide explains the 2026–27 rules for Brussels and Luxembourg once, so each school profile can focus on the school itself.
3 minFlekke and Fjaler: schools, travel and UWC Red Cross Nordic
Flekke is a fjord village in Fjaler, a small rural municipality in Sunnfjord, about 150 km north of Bergen. Most families meet it through UWC Red Cross Nordic; a family that would actually live here relies on Norwegian-language local schools.
4 minSchools in Ixelles: the commune, the commute and EEB3
Ixelles is one of the most international communes in Brussels, but living there does not give a child a place at its European School. Plan the school search around the language and admissions route your child can actually use, then test the journey across a commune split in two by Avenue Louise.
3 minSchools in Junglinster: the commune east of the capital, buses and alternatives
Junglinster is a growing commune north-east of Luxembourg City, with villages such as Bourglinster and Gonderange. It has no railway, so families judge it by the bus and road link to Kirchberg and by the public lycée that offers European classes on its doorstep.
4 minSchools in Laeken: commute, local options and EEB4
Laeken is a district of the City of Brussels on the north side of the capital, and its European School draws pupils from far beyond it. Decide which admissions route and teaching language your child can use first; then judge Laeken on the journey, which works best from the north and west of Brussels.
3 minSchools in Lagoa: western Algarve living, Portuguese schools and Nobel Lagoa
Lagoa is a small Algarve municipality between Portimão and Albufeira, taking in Carvoeiro, Porches, Ferragudo and Estômbar. Families here weigh free Portuguese state schools against a fee-paying school with British and Portuguese sections, and plan most journeys by car.
4 minSchools in Leysin: boarding village, local schools and the Vaud Alps
Leysin is a mountain village above Aigle that most international families meet through a boarding school, not a house move. Decide first whether your child will board here or live here, because the local schools, the rack railway and the nearest alternatives answer very different questions.
4 minSchools in Lugano: Ticino's Italian-language system, Montagnola and the commute
Lugano is an Italian-speaking Swiss city with one English-medium school on our list, up the hill in Montagnola. Most families should decide first whether their child will join Ticino's free Italian-language schools or stay on an international route, because that choice shapes where you live.
3 minSchools in Mersch: living mid-country, the rail line and nearby options
Mersch sits in the Alzette valley in the middle of the country, on the railway between Luxembourg City and Ettelbruck. That makes it a realistic base for families who want a public European-curriculum school and a train commute in either direction.
4 minSchools in Mol: the Kempen, the commute and the European School
Mol is a Flemish town in the Kempen, well away from the school markets of Antwerp, Brussels and Eindhoven. Its best-known international employers are research institutions. Decide early whether your child will join the European School or a Dutch-language local school, because the alternatives are a long commute away.
3 minSchools in Mondorf-les-Bains: the spa town in the south-east and nearby options
Mondorf-les-Bains is a small spa town on the French border in Luxembourg's south-east, close to the Moselle wine villages around Remich. It has no railway, so it suits families whose week is centred on the south-east, and its free public European school is the main reason international families look here.
3 minSchools in St. Blasien: Black Forest boarding, local schools and getting there
St. Blasien is a small town in the southern Black Forest, reached by bus rather than train. Families either choose its Jesuit Gymnasium as a German-language boarding school or move to the area and work through Baden-Württemberg's state system, where the move to G9 has changed the rules.
3 minSchools in St. Gilgen: Wolfgangsee living, Austrian schools and the Salzburg link
St. Gilgen is a lakeside village in the Salzkammergut, linked to Salzburg by bus rather than rail. It suits families who want village life with an English-medium IB school on the doorstep; families who need city choice or Austrian public schooling in German should weigh Salzburg first.
4 minSchools in Varese: Ispra commutes, Italian schools and the European School
Varese is a Lombard city between Milan and the Swiss border, and the home base for many families tied to the EU research site at Ispra on Lake Maggiore. The school decision usually turns on eligibility for the European School, the daily triangle between home, school and work, and whether Italian schools are a real option.
4 minSchools in Woluwe and Evere: communes, commute and EEB2
In both Woluwe communes, more than a quarter of residents hold another EU nationality. European School Brussels II, however, now splits its pupils by age between Woluwe and a site in Haren, beside Evere. Choose a home that works for both journeys, or for the local school you would actually use.
4 minSchools in Zuoz: Upper Engadine life, Romansh local schools and the Lyceum
Zuoz is a small Romansh-speaking village in the Upper Engadine, a long mountain rail journey from Zurich. Families either send a teenager here to board or move to the valley and use its local schools, and the two routes have almost nothing in common.
2 minChoosing a school in Aarhus: English IB or Danish private school
Aarhus International School teaches the IB in English through age 16. Århus Privatskole follows the Danish curriculum through 9. klasse.
2 minChoosing a school in Aberdeen: Scottish qualifications or the IB Diploma
Robert Gordon’s College offers Scottish National 5s, Highers and Advanced Highers. International School Aberdeen leads to the IB Diploma. Both are day schools.
2 minChoosing a school in Aix-en-Provence: IBS and Georges Duby
Compare a private bilingual school from age two with a public international lycée. Both have boarding, but their entry ages, qualifications and admissions processes differ.
2 minChoosing a school in Alicante: European Baccalaureate, IB or A Levels
The European School and King’s College Alicante have different eligibility rules, language choices and qualifications. Establish the admissions route before comparing fees.
5 minWhat an American school in Europe offers
An American-style school may offer a familiar curriculum, but its diploma, courses, language support, and admissions rules need individual checks. Start with the child’s next educational step.
3 minChoosing a school in Amsterdam: four genuinely different routes
Compare private and subsidised IB schools, Dutch secondary education and French primary education. Eligibility, campus and the child’s next qualification matter more than the international label.
4 minChoosing a school in Ankara: language, eligibility and the route after 16
Ankara’s four profiled schools offer different qualifications and nationality rules. Check eligibility first, then the teaching language, final school year and actual campus.
2 minChoosing an international school in Antwerp: English IB or French curriculum
Antwerp International School in Ekeren offers the full IB in English. Lycée Français International d’Anvers follows French programmes in central Antwerp.
4 minChoosing a school in Athens: languages, qualifications and the correct campus
Athens offers British, American, Greek, French and German routes. Match the child’s language and qualification needs before comparing campuses across the northern and eastern suburbs.
2 minChoosing a school in Babice and Říčany: private boarding or public gymnázium
Open Gate in Babice and Gymnázium Říčany are in different towns east of Prague. Compare entry stage, Czech-language readiness, leaving qualifications and boarding.
2 minChoosing a school in Barcelona: curriculum, Catalan and the daily journey
ASB, Oak House and BFIS offer different routes through the school years. Compare the final qualification and the role of English, Spanish and Catalan.
2 minChoosing an international school in Basel: English IB or bilingual Swiss route
International School Basel offers the full IB in English across Aesch and Reinach. SIS Basel provides German-English education with Swiss Matura and IB options.
2 minChoosing a grammar school in Belfast
Methodist College and Victoria College are state-funded voluntary grammar schools, not English-style independent schools. The entrance assessment and the later school application are separate steps.
3 minChoosing a school in Bergen: childhood at ISB and the later IB Diploma
International School of Bergen finishes at Grade 10. Bergen Katedralskole offers a separate upper-secondary IB route, with residence and academic entry requirements.
3 minChoosing a school in Berlin: JFKS, BBIS and Canisius
Compare a public German-American school in Zehlendorf, an English IB school in Brandenburg and a German Jesuit school by the Tiergarten. Eligibility and location come first.
2 minChoosing an international school near Bilbao: IB or British curriculum
The American School of Bilbao in Berango offers the full IB continuum. St. George’s in Leioa follows the British curriculum through IGCSE and A Levels.
3 minChoosing an independent school in Birmingham
King Edward’s School and King Edward VI High School for Girls share an Edgbaston foundation and admissions timetable, but they are separate single-sex day schools.
8 minChoosing between boarding and day school
Start with the child and a realistic weekly timetable. Then confirm who provides care, which nights are covered, and what happens when plans change.
2 minChoosing a school in Bologna: English IB or Italian liceo classico
International School of Bologna offers an English IB continuum. Liceo Minghetti provides a public Italian classical education. Compare the child’s age, language and intended qualification.
3 minChoosing between Bonn’s two international schools
Bonn International School offers the IB through Grade 12. Independent Bonn International School combines British teaching with German provision in the younger years and requires a later-school plan.
2 minChoosing a school in Bordeaux: private IB or public international lycée
International School 33 in Gradignan and Lycée François Magendie in Bordeaux serve different ages and qualifications. Start with the teaching language and your child’s entry year.
3 minChoosing a school in Bristol: day school or boarding at Clifton
Bristol Grammar School is an independent day school. Clifton College offers day and boarding places. Compare the right year group and residential arrangement before comparing fees.
3 minChoosing a school in Brno: Czech schooling or an English-medium IB route
PORG Brno and International School of Brno differ in teaching language, final qualification and cost. Check the child’s entry year and campus before comparing them.
2 minChoosing an international school in Brussels: eligibility before visits
The four European Schools use category and language rules. BSB, ISB and Lycée Jean-Monnet are fee-paying alternatives with different curricula and locations.
2 minChoosing between The Perse and The Leys in Cambridge
The Perse is a co-educational day school that cannot sponsor a Child Student visa; The Leys offers day and boarding places and is changing sites for younger pupils from 2028.
2 minChoosing an independent school in Cardiff
The Cathedral School in Llandaff and St John’s College in Old St Mellons are co-educational day schools for ages 3–18, with different locations and cathedral traditions.
2 minChoosing a school near Cascais: St. Julian’s and St. Dominic’s
Compare St. Julian’s in Carcavelos with St. Dominic’s in São Domingos de Rana. Both are day schools, but their curricula, fee transparency and locations differ.
3 minChoosing a school in Cheltenham: girls’ education, co-education and boarding
Cheltenham Ladies’ College and Cheltenham College differ in entry age, pupil mix and sixth-form qualifications. Compare the exact year group and boarding arrangement, not just their names.
2 minChoosing a school in Copenhagen: six routes and the CPR question
Copenhagen offers IB, British, French and Danish routes. Check the child’s later qualification, actual campus and CPR-related fee rules before comparing schools.
3 minChoosing a school in Cork: comparing PBC and CBC
PBC and CBC are fee-paying Catholic boys’ day schools following the Irish curriculum. Compare their admissions rules, current costs and practical journeys before choosing.
7 minIB, A-Levels, Bac, Abitur: understanding school-leaving qualifications
Start with the qualification your child would actually receive. Then check its subjects, language demands, and recognition in the countries where they may study next.
2 minChoosing a school in Dublin: qualification, ethos and boarding
Dublin’s options include Irish Leaving Certificate, IB and French routes, with day and boarding schools. A religious ethos and a familiar school name do not replace admissions checks.
2 minChoosing a school near Düsseldorf: ISD or ISR in Neuss
ISD offers the full IB continuum in Düsseldorf. ISR in Neuss leads through IGCSE to the IB Diploma. Compare the curriculum before planning the commute.
2 minChoosing a school in Edinburgh: Highers, A Levels or IB
Fettes combines day and boarding education with A Levels or IB. George Watson’s and Edinburgh Academy are day schools following Scottish qualifications.
3 minChoosing a school in Eindhoven: ISE or a Dutch bilingual route
ISE separates international primary, Dutch-bilingual primary and IB secondary. Stedelijk College offers Dutch secondary qualifications with optional bilingual teaching, not the IB Diploma.
3 minChoosing a school in Espoo: English basic education and the later IB
Espoo International School ends at Grade 9. Mattlidens and Etelä-Tapiolan offer separate English-language IB routes at upper secondary, with their own admissions and residence conditions.
10 minEuropean Schools and other international schools
Start by identifying the school’s system. Similar names do not mean the same admission rules, language arrangements or leaving diploma.
3 minChoosing an international school in Florence: IB or French curriculum
ISF offers an English-medium IB path on two campuses; Lycée Victor Hugo follows the French curriculum in central Florence. Compare qualifications, locations and current fees.
2 minChoosing a school near Frankfurt: FIS or the European School
Frankfurt International School offers English-medium education in Oberursel and Wiesbaden. The European School in Praunheim has category-based admission and a different diploma.
3 minChoosing a secondary school in Galway
Coláiste Iognáid and The Bish offer the Irish secondary curriculum without tuition fees. The main differences are coeducation, school ethos and admissions priorities. For entry in 2027–28, both have an October 2026 application window, but their acceptance deadlines differ.
4 minChoosing an international school in Gdańsk
The main decision is not simply whether a school teaches in English. BISG leads to the IB Diploma; GFO’s International School of Gdańsk is developing an on-site secondary pathway towards A levels. Your child’s year group and the school’s actual campus are essential checks.
2 minChoosing a school near Geneva: the programme belongs to a campus
Ecolint has three campuses with different programmes. Compare them with Collège du Léman and Florimont, and distinguish a daily commute from a boarding search.
4 minChoosing a school in Ghent
ISG and De Kleine Icarus solve different problems. ISG offers paid English-medium continuity and a developing secondary section. De Kleine Icarus is a Dutch-medium public primary school, so it better suits families ready to enter Flemish education.
2 minChoosing an independent school in Glasgow
Glasgow’s three profiled schools are co-educational day schools following Scottish qualifications, but their campuses and entry arrangements differ.
4 minChoosing an international or bilingual school in Gothenburg
ISGR’s international section offers English-medium IB education through age 16, but no IB Diploma. Its Swedish section and The English School Gothenburg lead through Sweden’s national curriculum. Eligibility, fees and the next upper-secondary step therefore matter as much as teaching language.
3 minChoosing a bilingual secondary school in Graz
Both schools are publicly funded Austrian academic secondary schools. GIBS offers extensive English-medium teaching and an IB Diploma option alongside the Austrian curriculum. Akademisches Gymnasium’s Project English Plus adds English in selected subjects, within a predominantly German-language school.
2 minChoosing a school in Hamburg: English IB or bilingual Abitur
International School Hamburg teaches in English and offers IB qualifications. Phorms combines German and English within a route to the German Abitur.
4 minChoosing between Harrow School and John Lyon
Harrow School and John Lyon share a foundation, but they are separate admissions choices. Harrow is a boys’ full-boarding senior school. John Lyon is coeducational and day-only, with provision from age two to eighteen. Start with that distinction before comparing results or fees.
2 minChoosing a school in Hellerup: IB, Danish STX or IGCSE
ISH and Rygaards overlap in age but lead to different qualifications. Check the actual campus, the 16–19 plan and the CPR-related fee rules before choosing.
5 minHelsinki schools: choose the qualification, then the language
Compare English-medium IB, bilingual Finnish schools and German education in Helsinki. Check the actual campus, admissions route and residence-based fees before choosing.
7 minHow to choose a school in Europe
Start with your child and the family's likely plans. Define the non-negotiables, verify the school's claims, compare three realistic options and visit with specific questions.
3 minChoosing a secondary school in Innsbruck
International School Innsbruck offers bilingual learning inside a public Austrian Gymnasium, with the IB Diploma available in the final two years. Ursulinen is a private German-medium academic secondary school leading to the Matura. Neither is an English-only international boarding school.
6 minChoosing an international or foreign-language school in Istanbul
Start with the child’s eligibility and the qualification you want to preserve. Then check the campus for the actual year group. Istanbul’s English-medium international schools, French lycée, German school and Italian liceo have different admissions rules; they are not interchangeable options for every passport.
4 minChoosing an international school in Izmir
MEF Izmir offers English-medium Cambridge education followed by the IB Diploma in Gaziemir. Deutsche Schule Izmir offers German schooling and a bilingual IB in Urla. Their nationality rules differ, so establish eligibility before comparing either programme or commute.
3 minSchools in Karlsruhe: European Baccalaureate or Abibac?
European School Karlsruhe and Fichte-Gymnasium offer different multilingual routes. The choice depends on the child’s teaching language and intended qualification, not simply an interest in French.
3 minSchools in Kilkenny: day places and weekly boarding
Kilkenny College offers co-educational day and weekly boarding places. St Kieran’s is a boys’ day school, while Loreto is an additional girls’ option. Check each school’s own 2027 admissions process.
3 minSchools in Kraków: BISC and ISK compared
BISC and ISK both teach in English and offer the IB Diploma. Their earlier curricula, locations and admission arrangements differ, so the IB label alone cannot decide the choice.
7 minThe language of the classroom and the playground
Ask how your child will learn in class and how they will join in outside it. The school’s teaching language is only part of the answer.
2 minChoosing a school in Lausanne: day IB or broader diploma and boarding options
International School of Lausanne offers a day IB continuum. Collège Champittet adds Swiss and French qualifications and boarding from age 11 at Pully.
3 minIndependent schools in Leeds: day or boarding?
The Grammar School at Leeds is a day school. Woodhouse Grove offers day and boarding places on the Leeds–Bradford side of the region. Decide on the weekly arrangement before comparing entrance dates and fees.
3 minSchools in Leuven: English primary or Dutch local education?
International School of Leuven and De Klare Bron both serve primary-age children in Heverlee. The important differences are teaching language, educational approach and funding—not simply the word international.
3 minSchools in Liège: understanding language immersion
Liège has French-system schools that teach some subjects in another language. The child’s age and previous immersion experience matter more than a general request for an English school.
2 minChoosing a school in Lille: Jeannine Manuel and Montebello
Compare a bilingual school from preschool in Marcq-en-Barœul with a public international lycée in Lille. Age, language readiness and boarding needs should shape the shortlist.
3 minLimerick schools: language, day places and boarding
Limerick’s secondary-school choice is not simply fee-paying versus free. Teaching language, single-sex or co-educational provision, and the need for boarding produce different shortlists. First Year day applications share a local system; boarding and transfers need separate enquiries.
2 minChoosing a school in Linz: private IB or public Gymnasium
ABIS offers a private IB continuum from early years. LISA is a public English-medium Gymnasium route from about age ten, with the Austrian Matura and IB Diploma.
3 minChoosing a school in Lisbon: city, coast or Sintra
Lisbon-area schools lead to British, American, IB, French, German and Portuguese qualifications. Choose the route first, then test the actual western or city commute.
3 minChoosing a school in London: narrow the map first
London's independent and international schools differ in entry age, qualification, gender, boarding and visa support. Define those constraints before comparing names.
3 minChoosing a school in Luxembourg City
Compare private English and French schools with public international and European routes. Eligibility, language section and leaving qualification matter as much as tuition.
3 minLyon schools: a French international section or English-medium ISL?
CSI Lyon and the International School of Lyon serve different educational plans. CSI combines the French curriculum with international sections. ISL teaches in English and leads towards the IB Diploma. Start with the language and qualification your child needs, then compare costs and journeys.
3 minMaastricht schools: UWC’s IB or Dutch bilingual education?
UWC Maastricht offers English-medium IB education and a residential senior programme. Porta Mosana combines Dutch secondary qualifications with bilingual teaching. They are different educational routes, not interchangeable international schools; age, eligibility and the intended diploma should guide your shortlist.
3 minChoosing a school in Madrid: north, west or French
Madrid's British, American and French schools sit in distinct corridors. Compare qualification and boarding first, then test La Moraleja, Tres Cantos and Pozuelo.
2 minChoosing a school in Málaga: British curriculum or French lycée
The British School of Málaga and Lycée Français International de Málaga share a postcode but lead to different qualifications. Compare curriculum, languages and complete fees.
3 minMalmö schools: municipal MIS, Bladins and the IB Diploma route
Malmö’s English-medium IB options do not form one continuous route. Municipal MIS and fee-paying Bladins cover the compulsory years; Malmö Borgarskola provides senior IB programmes through a separate application. Check eligibility and the next transition before choosing the first school.
2 minChoosing between MGS and Withington Girls’ School
Manchester Grammar School and Withington Girls’ School are nearby single-sex day schools for ages 7–18, with different entrance dates and financial-aid conditions.
2 minChoosing a school in Milan: two English-medium routes
Milan's main English-medium choices sit on different parts of the city. Compare American versus British progression, then test the journey to Opera or north-east Milan.
8 minMoving school mid-year: a practical transfer plan
A mid-year move is more than finding a vacant place. You need to know what your child will study, how the school will support them, and when they can actually start.
2 minChoosing a school around Munich: IB or European Baccalaureate
Munich International, Bavarian International and the European School serve different locations and admissions routes. Start with eligibility, qualification and the actual campus.
3 minNæstved schools: local STX and HF or Herlufsholm boarding?
Næstved Gymnasium is a public day school for Danish STX and HF. Herlufsholm combines Danish schooling, Pre-IB and the IB Diploma with day and boarding places. The right choice depends on qualification and residence needs, not simply which campus is better known.
3 minOdense schools: English Cambridge education or Danish HHS?
Odense International School and Henriette Hørlücks Skole share an organisation and location, but not a curriculum or application. OIS teaches in English through IGCSE at 16. HHS is a Danish private school. Choose by academic language and the next qualification, not by the shared address.
2 minChoosing a school around Oslo: English, French or German-Norwegian
Oslo's international routes have different leaving qualifications, fee rules and locations. Bekkestua, Frogner, Vulkan and Sagene are distinct school-run decisions.
2 minChoosing between Dragon School and MCS in Oxford
Dragon is a co-educational day and boarding prep that ends at 13; Magdalen College School continues to Sixth Form and is gradually becoming co-educational.
2 minChoosing a school around Paris: three distinct routes
Compare an American school in Saint-Cloud, bilingual Jeannine Manuel in Paris and the public international sections at Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Qualification and language decide the shortlist.
2 minChoosing a school in Porto: Cambridge or IB
CLIP and Oporto British School both teach in English, but their final qualifications differ. Compare the senior course, Portuguese support and the actual campus journey.
3 minChoosing a school in Prague: curriculum, Czech and campus
Prague's English-medium, Czech, German and French schools serve different ages and qualification plans. Keep the actual campus and Czech requirements visible throughout the search.
6 minHow to evaluate progressive and alternative schools
A teaching philosophy is useful only when you can see how it works for your child. Ask how the school teaches, checks progress, provides support, and prepares pupils for their next stage.
7 minHow to read a school fee schedule
Tuition is only one line of the budget. Separate charges from advance payments, record what each figure includes, and ask the school to confirm your calculation in writing.
3 minChoosing an international school in Rome
Rome’s four profiled schools differ in age range, final qualification and boarding provision. The campus matters too: the Aventine, La Storta and Via Cassia are not one school run.
4 minChoosing a school in Rotterdam: three distinct international routes
Rotterdam offers three quite different international routes. Harbour is an English-medium primary within BOOR, RISS is a subsidised international secondary with eligibility rules, and Nord Anglia is a fully private school from age three through the IB Diploma.
4 minChoosing a school in Salzburg: American diploma or Matura plus IB
Salzburg's two featured international routes lead to different qualifications. AIS-Salzburg offers an American high-school diploma, Advanced Placement courses and boarding from Grade 7. SALIS is a public bilingual Gymnasium whose upper years can lead to both the Austrian Matura and the IB Diploma.
4 minChoosing a school in Sandefjord: an IB continuum or a public Diploma
Sandefjord offers two very different IB routes. Skagerak is an English-medium private day school from kindergarten through the Diploma. Sandefjord videregående is a county upper-secondary school with Pre-IB in Vg1 and a tuition-free IB Diploma in Vg2–Vg3.
7 minTen questions for a useful school visit
A useful visit should help you picture your child’s school day and resolve the questions that matter to your family. Ask for concrete examples, then separate what you observed from what you were told.
4 minChoosing a school in Sevenoaks: IB boarding or girls' day education
Sevenoaks School is co-educational, offers day and full boarding places, and requires every sixth-former to take the IB Diploma. Walthamstow Hall is a girls' day school whose sixth form offers A levels. That curriculum and boarding distinction should drive the shortlist.
4 minChoosing an international school in Seville: IB or French curriculum
Seville's two featured international routes serve different plans. Yago offers the full IB sequence in English, alongside Spanish education and boarding from MYP 4. The Lycée Français follows the French curriculum in a trilingual setting and leads to the French Baccalauréat.
4 minChoosing a school in Sigtuna: SSHL or Arlandagymnasiet
Sigtuna municipality contains two very different upper-secondary options. SSHL offers Swedish programmes and fee-paying IB routes, with day or boarding places in Sigtuna. Arlandagymnasiet is a municipal Swedish-language school in Märsta with national and vocational programmes.
5 minChoosing between single-sex and co-educational schools
Start with your child’s needs and the schools you can realistically access. A boys’, girls’, or co-educational label does not tell you enough about teaching, friendships, support, or daily life.
4 minChoosing a school in Stavanger: ISS or the public IB route
International School of Stavanger offers an English-medium route from the early years through IGCSE and the IB Diploma. St. Olav is a county upper-secondary school whose IB Diploma begins after Vg1. Age, language and fee structure make these complementary rather than equivalent options.
4 minChoosing an international or English-medium school in Stockholm
Stockholm has private and municipal international routes, but eligibility is programme-specific. A personnummer alone does not guarantee subsidised fees.
4 minChoosing a school in Tampere: English, Swedish and upper-secondary routes
Tampere now has a clearer English pathway across age groups, but it is not automatic. FISTA provides tuition-free English-medium Finnish education through Grade 9. Pyynikin lukio offers an eligibility-limited English route to the Finnish matriculation examination, while Svenska samskolan provides Swedish-medium continuity.
4 minThe Hague school search: five international routes compared
The Hague offers five distinct international routes: a subsidised IB school in Kijkduin, an American school in Wassenaar, British campuses across the region, a European School, and a French lycée. Start with legal eligibility and the qualification your child needs, then compare campuses and total cost.
4 minThessaloniki school search: Anatolia, Pinewood and DST compared
Thessaloniki's three main international-facing options serve different needs. Anatolia is a Greek through-school with boarding and a joint English-language IB route; Pinewood offers an American education and the same joint IB; Deutsche Schule Thessaloniki leads through German and Greek qualifications.
2 minChoosing a school near Toulouse: two different routes in Colomiers
The International School of Toulouse teaches in English from age three. Lycée International Victor Hugo offers French secondary education with international and binational pathways.
2 minChoosing a school in Trondheim: English education to 16, then an IB route
Birralee serves ages 6–16 in English and ends with IGCSE. Trondheim Katedralskole offers public Pre-IB and the IB Diploma in upper secondary.
4 minTurin school search: IST and Lycée Jean Giono compared
Turin's two principal international routes are geographically and academically distinct. IST in Chieri offers an English-medium IB continuum; Lycée Jean Giono on Corso Casale follows the French national curriculum. Compare the child's next qualification before comparing fees or housing.
3 minTurku school search: English and Swedish municipal routes
Turku's main language-route choices are municipal rather than fee-charging international schools. TIS provides English-medium Finnish basic education through Grade 9 in Kupittaa. Cygnaeus provides Swedish-language Years 1–6, followed by S:t Olofsskolan for Years 7–9.
4 minUppsala school search: bilingual classes, English transition and IES
Uppsala's two established English-facing routes still follow the Swedish curriculum. Kvarngärdesskolan offers bilingual Swedish–English classes from the early years and a short-stay English class in Years 1–4. IES offers Years 4–9 with up to half the teaching in English.
2 minChoosing a school in Utrecht: subsidised IB or Dutch gymnasium
International School Utrecht is an English IB school for internationally mobile pupils. Utrechts Stedelijk Gymnasium is a Dutch public vwo school with Latin and Greek.
4 minValencia school search: Caxton and ASV compared
Valencia's two featured international schools are both in Puçol but lead in different directions. Caxton combines a British route to A levels with required Spanish studies. ASV combines an American programme with the IB Diploma. Check the qualification first and the full fee structure second.
8 minChoosing an international or Austrian school in Vienna
Vienna offers English-medium IB and American schools, a French-system lycée, and German-medium Austrian Gymnasiums. Start with the qualification and teaching language, then test admissions, support, cost and the daily journey.
3 minChoosing an international or bilingual school in Warsaw
Warsaw’s six profiled schools offer different qualifications and age ranges. Compare those first, then check the real journey to Sadyba, Bielawa, Wilanów or Saska Kępa.
6 minWhen to start looking and how to build an admissions calendar
Start by checking the next deadline that applies to your child. A school’s term dates, application dates, and your moving date are three different things.
4 minWinchester school search: Winchester College and St Swithun's
Winchester College and St Swithun's serve different pupils. The College is full-boarding for boys from 13 and co-educational at 16+, with day places then available. St Swithun's is a girls' day and boarding school from 11. Entry point and boarding need should decide which application is relevant.
4 minWrocław school search: WIS and IPS compared
Wrocław's two featured English-medium schools lead to different upper-secondary routes. WIS offers IB PYP and MYP through Grade 10, with the Diploma at a separate high school in the same foundation. IPS combines PYP ideas and Cambridge in younger years, then offers IGCSE and A levels.
5 minZug school search: ISZL and Institut Montana compared
Zug's two featured international schools solve different problems. ISZL is an English-medium day school across Baar and Hünenberg. Institut Montana combines Swiss and international programmes on the Zugerberg, with boarding from age ten. Curriculum, age and boarding need should narrow the choice before fees do.
3 minChoosing an international school near Zurich
Compare ZIS and ICS by curriculum, language needs and the child’s actual campus. Both are day schools outside central Zurich, and cantonal admission rules need checking.