Pinewood Thessaloniki — American education, joint IB and boarding

Pinewood is a co-educational international school at 60 John Kennedy Avenue in Pylea, Thessaloniki. It offers English-medium American education alongside International Baccalaureate programmes, with boarding on the neighbouring Anatolia campus.

Pinewood and Anatolia College collaborate on the IB Diploma, but their other programmes and payment rules are distinct. Compare Pinewood’s American route with Anatolia’s Greek secondary route if the eventual qualification is still undecided.

Qualifications and language requirements

Pinewood uses the IB Primary Years Programme in elementary school and the Middle Years Programme in middle school. Its high-school route leads to the American High School Diploma, with Advanced Placement, or AP, subject options. AP courses and examinations are not a separate school-leaving diploma.

The school is accredited by the Middle States Association, or MSA. This is school accreditation, not an “MSA diploma”. The alternative final-stage route is the joint Anatolia & Pinewood IB Diploma in Grades 11–12.

The eligibility page sets different language requirements by age:

Stage	Published entry requirement
Pre-K, 2026/27	Born in 2022 and fully toilet trained; all English levels accepted
Kindergarten–Grade 5	Limited English does not prevent consideration; diagnostic testing follows admission
Grades 6–8	At least A2 English
American diploma, Grades 9–12	At least B1 English

A2 and B1 are levels on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Minimum eligibility is not a promise that academic work will be easy. Ask what language support the child will receive, especially when transferring into secondary school.

Pinewood also describes a Greek diploma-equivalency route. American-diploma pupils study Greek language, literature and history each high-school year. Their school documents and diploma are then submitted to the relevant ministry office. This is a defined additional pathway, not automatic equivalency for every pupil or automatic admission to a Greek university.

Greek-only citizenship

Children holding only Greek citizenship need a Ministry of Education exemption for entry from Pre-K through Grade 9, according to Pinewood’s admissions rules.

Contact Pinewood before beginning the full process. The school first gives pre-acceptance and guides the exemption application. It quotes approximately four to six weeks for ministry processing, normally beginning in June of the intended entry year. School pre-acceptance does not replace ministry permission.

For a late arrival, establish whether the exemption can be completed for the proposed start date before making relocation commitments.

Applying and arranging support

The application process includes a parent account, a €90 application fee, documents, assessment where required, interviews and a final decision. Admission depends on available places.

Prepare identification, residence documents where applicable, health and vaccination records, and recent school reports. Secondary applicants need three years of reports with official English translations; self-translations are not accepted. High-school applicants also need a counsellor or adviser recommendation.

The elementary checklist says two years of reports but lists three academic years. Ask which are required for your child. Share existing learning plans, including an Individualized Education Program or US Section 504 accommodation plan where applicable.

As of 4 September 2026, the tuition page states that special educational support is at capacity. Applications from pupils needing that support are on hold and cannot progress. Ask Student Services about the specific need; do not assume that a general admissions opening means support is available.

The support policy gives annual charges of €250 for accommodations and record-keeping, €900 for mild support, €1,250 for moderate support and €2,000 for intensive support. These are alternative levels, not cumulative fees. External professionals, such as a shadow teacher, are separately arranged and funded by the family and require school approval.

Tuition and entry charges for 2026/27

The fee page, updated in January 2026, publishes:

Programme	Annual tuition
Pre-K	€6,990
Kindergarten	€8,160
Grades 1–5	€13,360
Grades 6–12, American route	€14,120
Joint IB Diploma, Grades 11–12	€14,300

Tuition includes the after-school activity programme, specified field trips, digital resources and elementary English-language support. Books are extra unless course booklets are supplied.

New Grade 1–12 pupils pay a one-time €3,000 capital levy in addition to tuition. Kindergarten families pay €600 initially and the remaining €2,400 on entering Grade 1. New Pre-K and Kindergarten pupils also pay a non-refundable €1,000 deposit on enrolment.

The school describes three payment stages: a February 23 deposit, September 15 payment and January 15 payment. Returning-family deposits are €1,000 for Kindergarten and €2,500 for Grades 1–12. Ask for the personalised schedule showing how a tuition deposit is credited; do not automatically add it again to annual tuition.

New Grade 12 pupils must pay all applicable tuition, fees and the capital levy before enrolment is confirmed.

Tuition discounts are 5% for the second enrolled child and 10% for the third. Full payment by September 15 attracts a 5% tuition discount, excluding capital and boarding charges. Confirm how discounts interact.

School transport costs €1,100 annually and is non-refundable. Stopping use or changing to one-way travel does not reduce the annual charge. The bus discount is 15% for the second child and 25% for the third and subsequent children.

Boarding at Ingle Hall

Boarding is offered for Grades 7–12 in shared rooms at Ingle Hall on the Anatolia campus, a short walk from Pinewood’s secondary building. Accommodation closes during winter, spring and summer holidays, so families need a separate holiday plan.

Boarding admission has additional review and interviews. The school requires prospective boarders to have completed the preceding grade and meet its age and residence-permit conditions, including being under 18 at the start of studies. Its assessment covers English, mathematics and general knowledge, with a published minimum of 65%.

After acceptance, 50% of the boarding fee is payable by the notified deadline to secure the place. This is part of the annual boarding charge, not an extra fee. Families are responsible for arranging visas and residence permission where needed; confirm requirements with the relevant authorities.

The annual boarding charge is €11,900, including meals. Combined with American-route tuition and the new-pupil capital levy, the school’s published first-year total is €29,020. Application fees, books, support and other applicable extras remain separate. For an IB boarder, the different tuition figure would make that same calculation €29,200 before extras; request the programme-specific quotation.

The residence includes meals and snacks seven days a week, Wi-Fi, laundry and recreational facilities. The detailed medical FAQ specifies daily nursing and an on-call doctor alongside residential staff. Ask about overnight medical arrangements rather than assuming a doctor is always onsite.

Scholarships and early departure

Pinewood advertises scholarships only for the joint IB Diploma. Its scholarship page includes both day and boarding candidates, while the boarding page says dormitory applicants cannot receive scholarships or financial assistance. Ask the joint IB office how those statements apply to your application.

The published 2026 IB scholarship deadline was 24 April, with an in-person examination on 25 April. Those dates have passed. Award criteria and renewal conditions are set out on the joint programme’s page; do not assume the same timetable for 2027.

For early departure, notify admissions at least one week ahead and complete the signed withdrawal form. Settle outstanding charges and return school materials.

The fee policy divides the year into September–November, December 1–March 15 and March 16–June 30. Each period represents one-third of annual tuition. It uses overlapping wording at exactly 20 attendance days: “20 or more” requires the full period, but “20 or fewer” is charged by attended days. Obtain written clarification if that boundary affects you. Overpayments are reimbursed after the required process, but tuition is not refunded for expulsion or departure for behavioural reasons.

Our take

Pinewood is worth considering for English-medium American schooling in Thessaloniki, particularly when boarding or a later IB option matters. Its Greek-equivalency pathway also deserves attention if the family wants to retain local educational options.

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