Portugal · Almancil
Nobel Almancil offers an English-medium education from Nursery to Year 13. Pupils follow a British curriculum before choosing the IB Diploma or BTEC Sport. Its 2026/27 annual tuition ranges from €7,920 to €18,570, with entry fees and additional services charged separately.
Nobel Almancil is a co-educational day school on Caminho das Pereiras, near Loulé. It is worth considering if you want English-medium schooling in this part of the Algarve and a choice between an academic IB Diploma and a sport-focused BTEC after age 16.
Do not treat Almancil and Nobel Lagoa as interchangeable campuses. Almancil offers the IB Diploma; Lagoa offers A Levels and a Portuguese-curriculum route. Your child’s preferred qualification and the daily journey should both influence the choice.
Almancil opened in 2020, with new secondary facilities in 2023. The school’s current overview describes provision from Nursery to Year 13, approximately ages 3–18. Some older descriptions still stop at Middle School or Year 11; those do not reflect the current advertised range.
The school follows the National Curriculum of England, adapted for its international intake. Pupils work towards International GCSEs, usually taken in Year 11. The final two years offer two distinct programmes:
These are relatively new sixth-form programmes at this campus. Ask about the subjects actually running, teaching continuity and university guidance for the intended course. A BTEC in Sport is not a substitute for the IB’s subject breadth; check the entry requirements of any likely university degree before choosing it.
Outside lessons, the school advertises VivaHUB activities and The Journey, an outdoor-learning programme. Review participation requirements and costs alongside the timetable.
Applications are accepted throughout the year, subject to vacancies. The application process starts with an enquiry and a visit. An interview with the pupil and parent is required before the school considers a new admission.
The attendance conditions give accepted applicants five days to enrol, unless the Head agrees an extension in writing. A place is secured only after the required documents and non-refundable registration and enrolment fees have been received.
Prepare recent school reports, identification and residence documents, medical information and vaccination records. Disclose learning, language and health needs before accepting. Missing documents or undisclosed needs can lead to the offer being withdrawn without repayment of the entry charges.
English-language tuition and special educational support can cost extra. The school may require support sessions as a condition of meeting a pupil’s needs. Ask for an individual support plan, its weekly frequency and the resulting annual cost before committing.
Almancil’s fee schedule, issued on 13 February 2026, is publicly available through its institutional documents.
| School year | Annual tuition | Each of three termly payments |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery and Reception | €7,920 | €2,640 |
| Year 1 | €9,900 | €3,300 |
| Years 2–3 | €11,760 | €3,920 |
| Years 4–6 | €12,780 | €4,260 |
| Years 7–9 | €14,310 | €4,770 |
| Years 10–11 | €15,930 | €5,310 |
| Years 12–13 | €18,570 | €6,190 |
New pupils also pay a one-time €1,070 registration fee. Every pupil pays an annual €340 enrolment fee, including school insurance. Both charges are non-refundable and additional to tuition.
Termly payments fall due on 11 August, 11 December and 11 March. The alternative monthly plan uses ten payments from July to April, not twelve. It requires direct debit and adds €50 annually.
The third child and subsequent children receive a 20% discount, applied to the youngest children. Discounts cannot be combined. The 3% early-payment discount applied only to renewals paid by 31 March 2026; that deadline has passed.
Lunch costs €1,560 annually in Nursery and Reception, or €1,680 from Year 1. Transport, uniform and after-school activities are separate; obtain the relevant schedules from the institutional documents.
Also allow for:
A new Year 7 pupil taking lunch therefore has a calculated base annual cost of €17,400: tuition, registration, enrolment and lunch. Transport, uniform, activities, The Journey and any support are still additional.
Read the attendance conditions, not just the fee table. A mid-year entrant is charged a full term when joining in its first half, or half a term after the half-term break.
The normal withdrawal rule requires 90 calendar days’ written notice. Leaving midway through a term still makes that whole term payable. Without proper notice, the contract permits charges for both the departure term and the term in which a correctly notified departure would have fallen.
There is a limited exception for new pupils: a 14-day reflection period begins on their first applicable day of classes, whether or not they attend. Cancellation in that period loses registration and enrolment fees but carries no further penalty.
Lunch and transport have a separate cancellation deadline: at least two weeks before the next term begins. Late cancellation makes the next full term’s service charge payable.
Nobel Almancil is a useful option for a family living near Almancil or Loulé that wants a British foundation followed by IB or vocational sport study. Compare it with Lagoa if A Levels or Portuguese schooling remain serious alternatives.
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.
CAISL 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.
PortoCLIP 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.
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.
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.
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.