Portugal · Porto
CLIP offers English-medium day schooling from Pre-K to Form 12, leading to Cambridge IGCSEs and AS/A Levels. Its senior AICE Diploma is not the IB Diploma. For a new applicant, the immediate questions are the entry year, waiting list and support available.
CLIP is a useful Porto option for families seeking English-medium education with Cambridge qualifications in the senior years. It follows an adapted National Curriculum for England, then IGCSE and AS/A-Level courses. The school also offers the Cambridge AICE Diploma, a combined award built from those senior qualifications.
That makes it a meaningful comparison with Oporto British School, whose later pathway leads from IGCSE to the IB Diploma. The difference is the programme your teenager would study, not simply two names for an international school.
CLIP is a co-educational day school, with no boarding. It belongs to Dukes Education. Group ownership does not establish the teaching, support or admission arrangements for an individual pupil; those need checking with CLIP itself.
The campus is at Rua de Vila Nova, 1071, Porto. Use the school’s contact and travel information to plan a realistic journey from a prospective home. Test the journey at the relevant arrival and collection times, including any after-school activity.
The school describes sport, performing arts and community activities alongside academic teaching. Its website lists 1,226 pupils and an average class size of 20.4. These are school-published figures, not a guarantee of the class size your child would join.
A visit should cover the child’s intended section and ordinary facilities, not only an overall campus tour. Access is restricted, so book through the admissions page. Ask about the specific class, timetable and pastoral contact once a place is being considered.
CLIP uses its own year labels. Confirm placement from the child’s birth date and previous schooling rather than assuming a Form number matches a British Year number.
| Stage | CLIP year groups | Main distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Lower School | Pre-K through Form 4 | Early learning and primary study within the adapted curriculum |
| Middle School | Forms 5–8 | A broad programme before the examination courses |
| Upper School, first stage | Forms 9–10 | Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education, or IGCSE |
| Upper School, second stage | Forms 11–12 | Cambridge AS/A Levels and the AICE Diploma pathway |
IGCSEs are subject examinations before the final pre-university stage. A Levels involve more advanced study in selected subjects. The Upper School page lists the current subjects and examination arrangements.
The AICE Diploma, Cambridge’s Advanced International Certificate of Education, is a group award rather than another name for any set of A Levels. It requires at least seven credits within 25 months, including AS Level Global Perspectives & Research.
Under Cambridge’s rules, at least one credit must come from each of three areas: mathematics/sciences, languages, and arts/humanities. An AS Level counts as one credit and a full A Level as two.
Ask the school to show how your child’s proposed subjects meet the award requirements. Also check the subjects and grades required by the intended universities. Having enough credits for AICE and satisfying a particular degree course’s admission requirements are separate questions.
CLIP does not accept new pupils into Forms 10 or 12, because those are the final years of its two-year examination courses. A family moving during one of those years should resolve the entry restriction before paying an application fee.
English is the teaching language across the school. The admissions policy says English as an Additional Language support is available. Admission depends in part on whether the pupil can access the curriculum successfully within a reasonable period.
Portuguese is listed among the compulsory subjects in Forms 9 and 10. Ask which course suits a beginner, which suits a fluent speaker, and how that choice affects examinations. English-medium teaching does not remove the need to plan Portuguese learning.
Language support and specialist learning support are not interchangeable. The financial regulations list additional charges for Forum Foundation and individually agreed support. Obtain a written plan explaining the actual provision, capacity and price before accepting a place.
As checked on 4 September 2026, CLIP’s admissions page gives the following position:
| Entry year | Published position |
|---|---|
| 2026/27 | Applications open for Pre-K through Form 9 and Form 11, but applicants are being waitlisted |
| 2027/28: Pre-K, Reception and Form 5 | Opening between September and November 2026; exact date not yet announced |
| 2027/28: other eligible years | Opening between February and April 2027; exact date not yet announced |
| 2028/29 and later | Applications closed |
For 2026/27, the early-years birth cohorts are Pre-K 2023, Kindergarten 2022 and Reception 2021. For 2027/28 they move to 2024, 2023 and 2022 respectively.
A waiting-list application is not an available place. Ask about the relevant year group, how updates are communicated and whether any further information is needed. Keep another schooling option open until there is a written offer.
The application process requires:
CLIP describes itself as non-selective, but still assesses applicants and their ability to access its programme. It gives preference to siblings and children of alumni. Other applications are considered in arrival order, subject to availability and the admissions process.
Payment of pre-registration does not guarantee admission. Do not treat an acknowledgement of an application as confirmation of a start date.
The school provides a bilingual fee schedule and financial regulations. Its figures are public; they do not need to be inferred from an older payment policy.
The following are the first-child tuition rates:
| Year groups | Each of 10 payments | Total of 10 payments, calculated | Each of 3 payments | One annual payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-K, Kindergarten, Reception | €945 | €9,450 | €3,087 | €9,072 |
| Forms 1–4 | €1,050 | €10,500 | €3,430 | €10,080 |
| Forms 5–8 | €1,302 | €13,020 | €4,252 | €12,500 |
| Forms 9–10 | €1,480 | €14,800 | €4,832 | €14,202 |
| Forms 11–12 | €1,607 | €16,070 | €5,250 | €15,424 |
The three-payment and annual columns are alternatives to the ten-payment plan. They already incorporate the stated payment-plan discounts; do not deduct those discounts again.
The regulations describe a 2% discount for termly payment and 4% for a single annual payment. Use the printed amounts and obtain an individual quotation rather than reconstructing an invoice from percentages.
Monthly payments are due by the fifth working day of the month. Termly deadlines are 5 September, 5 December and 5 March. The single-payment deadline is 5 September at the start of the academic year.
The document also prints separate second-child and third-or-later-child tables, with stated sibling discounts of 6% and 15%. Ask the school to identify each child’s applicable row and confirm the combined payment plan.
| Item | Amount | Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-registration | €150 | Non-refundable; does not reserve a place |
| Acceptance fee | €750 | Non-refundable |
| Annual registration | €500 | Non-refundable; renewed each year |
| Deposit/guarantee | €1,000 | Refundable subject to notice, outstanding debts and applicable transfer costs |
Student accident insurance is included in annual registration. That €500 charge is separate from tuition, but should not be counted twice in the first year.
For example, a new first child in Form 5 on the ten-payment plan has €14,420 in tuition and listed registration/acceptance charges. This is our calculation: €13,020 + €150 + €750 + €500.
Adding the refundable guarantee raises the funding requirement to €15,420, before meals, activities, examinations or support. The guarantee is money tied up, not an additional €1,000 of annual tuition.
Other clubs and additional provision can create further charges. Ask which activities are included in ordinary teaching and which require a separate booking or payment.
The refundable guarantee and the tuition obligation follow different rules. The regulations require at least 60 days’ notice for full return of the guarantee. Outstanding debts, insufficient notice and transfer charges can reduce the amount returned.
Parents remain responsible for the whole final school term in which the pupil is enrolled, plus the final month of extracurricular activities. Paying monthly does not turn this into a month-by-month cancellation arrangement.
If annual tuition was paid in advance, the school says it refunds the amount for future terms not attended. Ask for a written calculation covering the departure date, notice, remaining tuition and guarantee.
Late payments attract a 5% charge plus interest of 1% per month. Resolve any payment-plan questions before signing the acceptance documents.
Compare Oporto British School if you prefer an IB Diploma after IGCSE. Ask both schools about the actual subjects, support and available place before deciding which programme fits better.
Official pages and documents we read. If a figure matters to your budget or your application, open the link and confirm it is still current.
Friendly orientation, not an application. Dates, fees, and programme details move. Confirm everything with the school.
Oporto British School offers an English-medium route from age three to Cambridge IGCSE and the IB Diploma. It suits families seeking British-based schooling with Portuguese in the curriculum. English readiness, learning-support capacity and the full fee contract need careful checking before accepting a place.
Linhó, SintraCAISL is a coeducational, non-profit day school in Linhó, Sintra. It teaches in English from age 3 through Grade 12, with Portuguese as a core subject. Graduates earn an American High School Diploma and may add the IB Diploma.
LisbonSão João de Brito is a co-educational Jesuit day school from age three to Year 12. Teaching follows Portugal’s national curriculum, and admission depends on a points ranking, an interview and available places.
LisbonDeutsche Schule Lissabon is a German day school from kindergarten to Grade 12. Pupils may leave with a German lower-secondary certificate or continue to the German International Abitur. A preparatory German course offers a separate possible route into Grade 5.
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.
7 minStart with the qualification your child would actually receive. Then check its subjects, language demands, and recognition in the countries where they may study next.
7 minStart 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.
7 minTuition 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.