Denmark · Copenhagen
Institut Sankt Joseph is most distinctive for its Danish–English bilingual route: about half the timetable follows Danish national goals, while maths, English and science follow Cambridge programmes in English. It requires real Danish as children get older.
Institut Sankt Joseph (ISJ) is a private Catholic day school on Dag Hammarskjölds Allé in Østerbro. The school says all faiths are welcome. Families choose among three distinct routes: Danish Grade 0–9, Danish–English bilingual Grade 0–9, and an English-focused International Grade 10.
There is no boarding. This is also not an English-only international school: even the bilingual route expects pupils to work in Danish.
ISJ is a strong candidate for a child who already has one of Danish or English and is building the other. It is especially attractive to a family that wants the child to remain connected to the Danish system while gaining Cambridge teaching and an IGCSE record in selected subjects.
Language readiness is decisive. For entry in Grades 0–2, the school requires native-level ability in at least one of Danish or English. For Grades 3–9, it requires the child to be bilingual in both. A newly arrived older child with little Danish should therefore not assume that the bilingual label means language-beginner access.
Compare Copenhagen International School if the child needs a full English-medium IB route. Compare N. Zahles Skole if the goal is a Danish private school followed by the Danish STX upper-secondary qualification.
The bilingual curriculum page says roughly half the lessons are in Danish and follow Fælles Mål, Denmark’s national subject objectives. Mathematics, English and science are taught in English through Cambridge International programmes.
The school says this path culminates in Cambridge IGCSE examinations at age 15 or 16. That means IGCSE evidence in the relevant Cambridge subjects, not an entirely British secondary timetable. The school’s overview says this can lead to an IB gymnasium or an international high school, but the receiving school applies its own admissions and subject rules.
The separate International Grade 10 ends with Denmark’s Grade 10 leaving examination, FP10. The August 2026 brochure shows a mixed-language programme: Danish, mathematics, physics/chemistry and French or German were taught in Danish; Global Perspectives, Philosophy and Health and Wellness were mainly in English. It included guidance towards a later upper-secondary programme and a study trip. This is a one-year preparation course, not IB or an upper-secondary diploma.
For the bilingual department, the published process is:
The school also considers capacity and gender balance. As of 4 September 2026, its English admissions page says bilingual Grade 0 for 2026–27 is full, but that is now the current school year. Its Danish capacity page still refers to 2025–26, and the bilingual application form is disabled. Neither page gives a dependable answer for 2027–28, so contact the office before paying.
The Danish department uses a separate digital waiting-list form. If there is space, parent and child are invited to an interview; otherwise the child remains on the list. Its last published registration fee is DKK 500.
The school’s current application page is headed International Grade 10 2027–28 and also directs families to the digital waiting list. The PDF brochure still describes August 2026 entry and 22 places. Ask for the new brochure, selection process and timetable rather than carrying the 2026 details forward.
As of 4 September 2026, both official fee pages remain labelled 2025–26. Their main monthly charges were:
| Route | Published tuition | Payment period |
|---|---|---|
| Danish Grades 0–9 | DKK 2,020 | 12 months |
| Bilingual Grades 0–9, first child | DKK 3,420 | 12 months |
| International Grade 10 | DKK 3,155 | 12 months |
For the Danish route, the second child received a 25% reduction, the third a 50% reduction and the fourth paid no tuition. The English fee page lists bilingual sibling rates of DKK 2,565 and DKK 1,710, with a fourth child free. It also lists higher 2025–26 charges for pupils without a Danish CPR number: DKK 5,000, DKK 4,500 and DKK 3,500 for the first three children. Ask whether any of these rules still applies.
The Danish page lists full-day SFO at DKK 1,690 a month. Grades 0–2 paid 12 instalments, while Grade 3 paid nine from August through April. Morning-only SFO was DKK 570 for 12 months. The preschool SFO cost DKK 3,100 in May and June, with no July charge. The English page, carrying the same school-year heading, instead lists DKK 1,610 and DKK 550. This is an unresolved conflict between two official pages. Obtain one written 2026–27 schedule that covers tuition, SFO, trips and the deposit.
Tuition and SFO were divided into 12 instalments from August to July. Grade 9 and 10 leavers still paid July. The Danish page says withdrawal costs the current month plus one further month; finishing the year also leaves July payable. The refundable bilingual deposit depends on returning books and clearing the account. The English page adds that the deposit is forfeited if an enrolment is cancelled before 1 October in the starting year. Have the school confirm this unusual wording in the contract.
The International Grade 10 brochure for August 2026 also stated a DKK 3,000 prepayment and included a study trip in tuition. It said the prepayment would not be refunded for withdrawal after 1 August 2026. Do not assume the 2027–28 course uses the same amount or condition.
For 2026–27, pupils from Grade 0 through Grade 9 could apply annually for income-assessed fee support. The current Danish page set 1 September 2026 as the deadline, so it has passed. It says provisional relief appears from October, including an adjustment for August and September, with final eligibility due in December. Ask about a late application and the next cycle.
The school also describes a parent fund for sudden financial hardship and certain compulsory trips. Awards are individually assessed.
ISJ names a support area called Pusterummet, but its current public admissions and fee pages do not explain capacity, qualifying needs or possible costs in either department. Older reports mention reading, Danish-as-an-additional-language and special-education resources; they are not a current service guarantee. Send professional reports before interview and ask for the proposed support in writing.
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.
CIS is Copenhagen’s large, established full-IB day school. Its Nordhavn campus offers the PYP, MYP and Diploma in English, but admission also depends on language readiness, support capacity and a nationality limit whose wording differs between two official sources.
HellerupInternational School of Hellerup offers the full IB continuum in English across campuses in Hellerup and Østerbro. Its Østerbro high-school site also houses a separate Danish-medium STX programme. The school publishes detailed fees, but its 2026–27 documents contain conflicting years in the CPR-subsidy rules, so families near the deadline should obtain a written fee decision.
FrederiksbergLycée Français Prins Henrik follows the French national curriculum from early childhood to the baccalauréat. Older pupils can pursue the Danish-French baccalaureate, which preserves access to both systems. The 2026–27 rules distinguish the school’s 2 September CPR submission deadline from the fee table’s 5 September subsidy date.
CopenhagenN. Zahles Skole is an umbrella for two Danish private schools and a fee-paying STX gymnasium. Choose the exact unit before applying: their waiting lists, interviews and upper-secondary admissions are not interchangeable.
Copenhagen offers IB, British, French and Danish routes. Check the child’s later qualification, actual campus and CPR-related fee rules before comparing schools.
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.