Oporto British School: an English-medium route to IGCSE and IB

Oporto British School is a co-educational school in Foz do Douro for pupils aged three to 18. Teaching is mainly in English. Portuguese language and Portuguese history or studies are exceptions within the programme.

The school is a good fit for families wanting British-based education followed by Cambridge IGCSE and the International Baccalaureate Diploma. It is not a Portuguese national-curriculum school, and its official pages publish no boarding offer.

The route from Early Years to the IB Diploma

Early Years covers Pre-Prep, Prep and Reception. Children entering Pre-Prep must turn three before December in their entry year. The school places later applicants by age, using a mid-September threshold.

Forms 1–5 make up Primary. OBS says this section uses UK National Curriculum standards while adapting learning to its international and Portuguese setting.

Forms 6–8 broadly follow UK Key Stage 3 for ages 11–14. Forms 9 and 10 lead to Cambridge IGCSE examinations. Students usually also receive Cambridge ICE when they meet its required subject and examination pattern.

Forms 11 and 12 offer the full IB Diploma Programme. Students take six subjects and complete the Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge, and Creativity, Activity and Service requirements.

External IB applicants need six IGCSE grades at A*–C, or equivalent, under the current admissions policy. Individual IB subjects may have additional prerequisites. The school also considers attendance, punctuality, behaviour and academic preparation.

The school will not admit a pupil projected to be over 19 before the end of May in Form 12. Families considering late entry or a repeated year should ask for written confirmation of placement.

Admissions are rolling, but places are not guaranteed

OBS accepts applications throughout the school year and recommends applying early. It has not published a single deadline for September 2027 entry.

The process has five practical stages:

1. Submit one application per child and pay the non-refundable €160 registration fee.
2. Provide recent school reports and documents concerning any learning needs.
3. Attend an interview and age-appropriate assessment. Applicants to Form 4, equivalent to UK Year 5, and above also take a cognitive reasoning assessment.
4. Receive a decision, normally within ten days of assessment. If the year group is full, the school may offer a waiting-list place.
5. Return the acceptance form, pay the €475 non-refundable acceptance fee, and then pay the refundable deposit within five weeks.

The school describes itself as non-selective, but admission is not automatic. It assesses whether the pupil can access the curriculum and whether the school can meet disclosed needs.

When demand exceeds capacity, the committee considers several factors without a stated ranking. These include English background, a sibling at OBS, British nationality, prior English-medium schooling, talent, alumni connection and the application date.

English and learning support have admission limits

OBS considers English readiness during admission. Its policy permits the school to refuse a place when an applicant’s English is below the standard required for that stage.

English as an Additional Language support supplements an existing or developing command of English. The school’s current web guidance explicitly says it is not basic beginner English tuition.

Published support may include in-class help, small groups and individual sessions. In Secondary, a pupil may replace a modern foreign language with EAL. An additional option subject is dropped only in exceptional circumstances.

Learning Development also covers special educational needs, literacy, numeracy and emotional wellbeing. Provision can progress from classroom differentiation to small-group work and an Individual Learning Plan.

Families must disclose diagnosed or assessed needs, education gaps and relevant wellbeing information during admission. The June 2026 policy allows OBS to withdraw a place when known information was not disclosed.

The same policy allows the school to withdraw a future place if it can no longer meet a pupil’s needs despite reasonable efforts. Ask for a written support plan, staffing level, any external costs and examination-access arrangements before accepting.

Tuition payment choices for 2026/27

Section	One annual payment	Each of 3 termly payments	Each of 10 monthly payments	Calculated total: termly / monthly
Pre-Prep, Prep and Reception	€9,530	€3,275	€1,025	€9,825 / €10,250.
Primary, Forms 1–5	€11,105	€3,820	€1,195	€11,460 / €11,950.
Secondary, Forms 6–8	€12,885	€4,430	€1,380	€13,290 / €13,800.
IGCSE, Forms 9–10	€15,315	€5,260	€1,645	€15,780 / €16,450.
IB Diploma, Forms 11–12	€17,570	€6,030	€1,875	€18,090 / €18,750.

The totals in the last column are calculations from the published instalments. They show that the annual option costs less overall.

Pupils who start or leave during the school year must use monthly billing. If a departing family chose annual or termly payment, OBS says it will recalculate the account using the monthly option.

Admission, deposit and annual charges

Charge	2026/27 amount	Timing and refund position
Registration fee	€160	Paid with the application; non-refundable and does not secure a place.
Acceptance fee	€475	Paid when accepting each offer; non-refundable.
Deposit	One term’s fee	€3,275–€6,030 using the published termly rates; due within five weeks of the firm offer.
Capital and maintenance	€745 per pupil	Mandatory annual charge at the start of each academic year.
Pupil insurance	€55 per pupil	Mandatory annual charge on the first invoice.

The deposit is held until the pupil leaves and earns no interest. It is not a tuition prepayment. The school returns it only when the notice rule is met and no debt remains, except that Form 12 leavers do not need to give that notice.

A pupil cannot start until the deposit is paid. The fee page also says insurance claims are payable only when the family uses a hospital or clinic designated by the insurer.

There is a small timing conflict. The English fee page gives two weeks for the acceptance fee, while the admissions process and Portuguese page give 15 days. Plan around the shorter 14-day period and confirm the offer letter.

Costs beyond tuition

External examination fees are €165 for each IGCSE subject and €920 per IB Diploma student. They are added to invoices and must be paid before the examinations.

Lunches, trips and some activities cost extra. The page still labels €5.35 for a Primary lunch and €6.45 for Secondary as current prices while awaiting final 2026/27 meal prices.

Withdrawal and refunds

Parents contract to give one full term’s written notice before withdrawal. Meeting that rule and clearing all debts are conditions for the deposit’s return.

The public page does not say whether losing the deposit is the family’s only liability when notice is late. Ask for the signed contract’s full fee-in-lieu and refund wording before paying.

OBS reserves the right to change fees outside the start of an academic year when necessary, with reasonable notice. This makes the contract important for a family whose employer reimbursement or relocation date may change.

Visas, guardianship and daily logistics

OBS publishes no boarding or school-accommodation service. Its admissions policy requires both parents’ current contact details and agreement. Where relevant, it also requires custody documents or local legal-guardian contact details effective from the first school day.

The school does not publish a visa-sponsorship or guardianship service. Pupils without EU, EEA or Swiss nationality should establish the correct immigration route independently.

Portugal’s government says the secondary-study residence-visa route is for applicants aged 14–21. It requires a school enrolment declaration and evidence of accommodation or a host family, among other documents. For a younger child, ask the Portuguese consulate or immigration authority which status applies.

Our view

OBS is strongest for a pupil who can access an English-medium curriculum and wants IGCSE followed by the IB Diploma. The continuous route from age three is useful, but progression into IB remains subject to academic and pastoral review.

Compare CLIP – Oporto International School when Cambridge continuity through the later school years matters more than an IB ending. Confirm language support, learning provision and total payment exposure at both schools.

For the wider search, use our Porto school guide and Portugal guide.

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