Anton Bruckner International School, private IB education in Linz

Anton Bruckner International School (ABIS) is an English-medium day school at Wildbergstraße 18 in Linz. It is operated by the Association of Anton Bruckner International School and describes itself as private.

The latest PYP handbook also calls ABIS a confessional school supported by the Kreuzschwestern Catholic order. Families for whom religious affiliation matters should ask how that status affects daily school life.

The IB’s official record confirms three authorisations: PYP on 26 June 2014, MYP on 20 January 2021 and Diploma Programme on 24 April 2026. The Diploma Programme is therefore new.

ABIS serves ages 3–18, from its Early Learning Centre through Grade 12. There is no boarding and no published residential guardian service.

The school is useful for families wanting one IB route from early childhood through the Diploma. Older transfers need more caution because MYP 4–5 entrants must come from another IB MYP school.

Who it suits

ABIS suits a child who can benefit from inquiry-based education in English and regular German teaching. It may also suit a mobile family expecting another international move.

It is less straightforward for a late secondary entrant outside the MYP, a pupil needing extensive specialist support or a family requiring boarding. Those points should be resolved before paying non-refundable charges.

The admissions FAQ publishes a maximum class size of 25 and a whole-school average of 19. Neither number confirms capacity or class size in the child’s intended grade.

Programmes and leaving qualification

The Early Learning Centre and Grades 1–5 follow the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP). The PYP uses interdisciplinary units and ends with an exhibition in Grade 5.

Grades 6–10 follow the Middle Years Programme (MYP). The MYP ends with a personal project. It is a curriculum framework, not the Austrian Matura or the final IB Diploma.

The latest public MYP handbook is for 2025–26 and predates Diploma authorisation. It tied internal progression to passing final assessments, the personal project, Service as Action and an internship.

Ask for the 2026–27 progression rules. The current site does not publish a complete admissions standard for an external Grade 11 applicant.

Grades 11–12 now lead to the IB Diploma. The live Diploma page describes six subjects: three at Higher Level and three at Standard Level. The core adds Theory of Knowledge, a research essay and Creativity, Activity and Service.

The advertised subjects include English and German, Spanish, humanities, three sciences, both IB mathematics routes and visual arts. A school-supported self-taught literature course carries an additional, unpublished family charge.

Treat that list as an offer to discuss, not a timetable guarantee. Ask which subjects, levels and combinations will run for the cohort and whether the proposed Diploma meets the intended university’s requirements.

English, German and learning support

The main language of instruction is English. The admissions FAQ says PYP includes five hours of German and MYP includes four, with groups at different levels.

The language page says formal German begins around age six. Native or fluent speakers and pupils learning German as an additional language use separate streams.

New pupils may receive English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). The school assesses listening, speaking, reading and writing to decide the required support.

Two current pages conflict on when charges begin. The FAQ says from PYP 3, while the 2026–27 price table charges PYP 1–3. Obtain the child’s written support plan and price.

The 2025–26 MYP handbook required B1 English, an intermediate level, from MYP 3. The older admission policy set the academic-English threshold from MYP 4. The current admissions page gives no exact level.

The May 2023 admission policy says ABIS can support mild learning difficulties but may not accommodate severe physical disabilities. It also makes external dyslexia or dyscalculia provision the family’s financial responsibility.

That policy was due for review by May 2025. Ask for the current version, recent support assessments and a written statement of staffing, accessibility, examination arrangements and any extra charges.

The old policy requires a psychoeducational assessment completed by a licensed educational psychologist within the previous two years when learning difficulties are identified. Confirm whether that document rule remains current.

It also describes the first semester as conditional and allows admission to be revoked if needs exceed available support. Do not accept without checking whether the current education contract retains that clause.

Admissions process

International applications are processed throughout the year, subject to assessment, space and support capacity. The school prefers entry at the start of the year, after Christmas or around the end of February.

For Austrian pupils, the FAQ recommends changing only at the start of a new school year. This is school guidance, not a dated 2027 admissions calendar.

For Grade 1, the live page requires the sixth birthday by 31 August. Children born from 1 September through 31 December may be screened for higher placement.

The older policy uses a 1 September cut-off instead. Apply the stricter live date unless admissions confirms otherwise in writing.

Assessment varies by entry point:

• PYP 1 uses a group observation of motor and social skills, usually in early March. The school says it is not a knowledge test.
• PYP 2–5 applicants are assessed individually in mathematics and English.
• MYP 1–3 applicants are assessed in mathematics, English, German and science, followed by a coordinator interview.
• MYP 4–5 applicants complete the same process and must transfer from another IB MYP school.

ELC confirmations for the following year are normally sent in April. PYP 1 screening normally occurs in early March, with decisions by the end of March. These are recurring months, not published 2027 dates.

Provide the two latest school reports and the previous-school form in English. The live FAQ requires official English translations and does not allow parents to complete the school form.

If a grade is oversubscribed, the school lists six priority considerations:

1. A parent works for an international company or in international business.
2. The family documents an expected move to a non-German-speaking country.
3. The child has an international, non-Austrian or multilingual family background.
4. The child returns from abroad or has attended an English-medium or IB school.
5. A sibling already attends ABIS.
6. A parent works for a company that sponsors or supports ABIS.

These considerations do not guarantee admission. If no place is available, the school may put the child on a waiting list.

Published charges for 2026–27

The fee page states that the following rates apply from 1 September 2026.

Main charge	2026–27	Published payment basis
Application, per pupil, non-refundable	€150	at registration
Enrolment, per pupil, non-refundable	€1,000	on confirmation of the place
PYP iPad configuration and service	€250	on confirmation of the place
ELC tuition	€2,350	10 × €235
PYP tuition, Grades 1–5	€3,530	10 × €353
MYP tuition, Grades 6–10	€4,120	10 × €412
Diploma Programme tuition	€5,500	10 × €550
Stationery, Grades 1–10	€320	2 × €160

For a new full-year pupil, the published base charges total €3,500 in ELC, €5,250 in PYP, €5,590 in MYP and €6,650 in the Diploma Programme. These are calculations, not school quotations.

The PYP calculation includes the €250 iPad service charge and €320 stationery charge. It does not include the required device itself, care, meals, trips, clothing or language support.

Afternoon care, available for ELC and PYP:

Weekly booking	Annual charge	Instalments
1–3 days	€1,820	10 × €182
4–5 days	€2,670	10 × €267

The fee page also allows care to be charged for the period needed. It does not publish booking, cancellation or refund terms.

Additional annual ESOL charges:

Stage	2026–27
ELC	no additional charge
PYP 1–3	€1,600
PYP 4–5 and MYP 1	€2,110
MYP 2–3	€3,150

The table gives no ESOL rate for MYP 4–5 or the Diploma Programme. Absence from the table does not prove that support is free or available.

The school describes a limited internal aid budget for unforeseen and exceptional circumstances. Support is generally for one year; no award scale, entitlement or general sibling discount is published.

Daily logistics and other costs

The admissions FAQ gives different hours by stage:

• ELC: arrival from 07:30, finishing at 14:00; paid care continues until 17:00.
• PYP: starts at 07:50 and usually finishes at 14:00; paid care continues until 17:30.
• MYP: starts at 07:50 and usually finishes at 16:00.

The current visit page gives only Wildbergstraße 18. However, the 2025–26 MYP handbook refers to separate Reindlstraße procedures for MYP 3–5. Confirm the 2026–27 site for the child’s grade.

The latest MYP handbook states that ABIS has no school bus. Pupils travel with parents or by public transport, and student travel-card applications are handled annually.

The 2025–26 handbooks allow either a packed lunch or a pre-ordered paid lunch. Current meal prices are not published.

Those handbooks also require ABIS clothing on specified days and describe additional charges for clubs, trips, loss and damage. PYP 4–5 and all MYP classes have overnight trips, with costs given separately.

Confirm the current prices for lunch, uniform, trips, clubs, the pupil’s iPad, examination entries and external support. They are not included in the 2026–27 base calculations above.

Residence and guardianship

Admission does not itself grant a right to live in Austria. EU, EEA and Swiss families have different residence rules from third-country nationals.

Austria’s pupil residence permit is limited to listed categories of school. ABIS’s website does not establish whether its legal status meets those categories, and the IB’s “state” label does not resolve Austrian law.

The dedicated pupil permit also requires the child to have reached age six. It therefore does not provide a residence route for a younger ELC child.

For an unaccompanied minor using a pupil permit, the Austrian government requires evidence of care and upbringing by an adult resident in Austria. ABIS provides neither boarding nor a published guardian service.

Austria also requires compulsory education for every child living in the country long term, regardless of nationality. Families should confirm that the proposed ABIS placement satisfies their individual schooling and residence obligations.

Use the Linz guide to compare local routes. The Austria guide explains compulsory education and the wider school system.

Friendly orientation, not an application. Dates, fees, and programme details move. Confirm everything with the school.