Choosing a school in Athens: languages, qualifications and the correct campus

Start an Athens search with the education your child needs, not a single list of “international schools.” The eight schools below cover several different systems. Some have more than one campus, and an IB Diploma at the end does not mean the earlier years are taught in English.

British and American routes

Campion School, in Pallini, follows a British programme through IGCSE before the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. It teaches in English and also offers a Greek apolytirio pathway under specified conditions. Ask how Greek study and additional English support fit the child’s intended route.

St Catherine’s British School also follows British years into the IB Diploma. The Lower School is in Lykovrissi and the Upper School in Kifissia. It is a useful comparison with Campion for curriculum continuity, but the two northern campuses must be considered separately from Pallini.

ACS Athens, in Halandri, offers an American high-school diploma, Advanced Placement (AP) courses and the IB Diploma. AP courses are individual advanced subjects, not a separate school-leaving diploma. Ask which combination is appropriate for the pupil’s intended universities. Greek high-school equivalency is an additional, conditional route for some IB pupils. The school does not offer dormitory accommodation.

Greek education with an IB option later

Athens College is part of the Hellenic-American Educational Foundation, which includes Athens College and Psychico College. The Greek secondary route leads to the apolytirio, the Greek school-leaving certificate. The IB Diploma is at Psychico College High School. It is a separate choice: the published rules do not allow a later transfer from that Diploma route into Grade 11 of the Greek high school.

The Moraitis School, also in Psychico, offers Greek schooling, a Pre-IB year and the IB Diploma. A family considering IB should ask about the English-entry requirement and interview, not assume admission to the Greek school automatically supplies a Diploma place.

Pierce offers Greek schooling and the IB Diploma after the first year of Greek lycée. Its campus information is especially important for 2026–27: the school places all gymnasium pupils at the East Campus in Spata. The Aghia Paraskevi address alone does not describe their commute.

These three schools are more relevant than a wholly English-medium route when a pupil can work in Greek and wants to keep the Greek qualification pathway. Confirm separately whether the chosen programme supports the university-entry route your child needs.

French and German alternatives

Lycée Franco-Hellénique Eugène Delacroix, in Aghia Paraskevi, has French and Hellenic sections with different admissions processes. The French section runs from preschool to the French baccalaureate. Specify the section when making an enquiry.

Deutsche Schule Athen, in Maroussi, follows a German curriculum with a strong Greek component and leads to the Deutsches Internationales Abitur. It is the relevant comparison for a German educational route, not an interchangeable alternative to an English IB school.

Dates and complete costs

The March 2026 admissions examinations described in the Athens College, Moraitis, Pierce and German School profiles have passed. Ask for a late-entry procedure or the next published calendar. An old examination notice does not imply places remain.

Several schools publish 2026–27 fees. Moraitis’s reviewed public fee PDF still covered 2025–26, so request an updated schedule. For ACS and the French lycée, obtain a complete written schedule for the exact programme; a partial web display is not a complete budget. Add transport, meals, language support, registration and exam charges only where the offer excludes them.

Test a workable shortlist

First narrow the curriculum options to two or three schools. Then obtain the actual year-group campus and test its journey from your likely home. Include siblings at different campuses and the return after activities. Pallini, Lykovrissi, Kifissia, Halandri, Psychico, Spata and Maroussi are not interchangeable locations.

Also consider a local Greek public school if the child can access the curriculum with appropriate support. The Athens hub and Greece guide provide the wider search; each profile links to official evidence.

Friendly orientation, not formal admissions advice. Always confirm dates with the school.