Portugal · São Domingos de Rana
St. Dominic’s offers English-medium IB education from ages 3–18. Admission depends on space and the school's ability to support the child. Request a current written quotation: this profile establishes payment and withdrawal terms, but not annual tuition amounts.
St. Dominic’s is a relevant option for families seeking English-medium International Baccalaureate (IB) education from ages 3–18 in São Domingos de Rana. It offers the primary, middle-years and Diploma programmes, so IB is not limited to the final two years.
The school describes admissions as open and inclusive, but each application still depends on available space and the resources needed to support the child. Obtain a current written fee schedule as part of that discussion: the research behind this profile established payment conditions, but not a readable grade-by-grade tuition table.
The school reports registration for the full IB sequence since 1997. Its March 2025 assessment policy places the Primary Years Programme (PYP) in Junior School. Senior School covers the Middle Years Programme (MYP), Grades 6–10, and the Diploma Programme (DP), Grades 11–12.
PYP and MYP organise the younger years’ learning; DP is the final two-year qualification programme. These grade labels should not be assumed to match another country’s numbering.
The older 2022/23 access policy used calendar-year age groups, from 1 January to 31 December. Placement a year above or below required strong reasons. It also required an IB-school transfer with a good subject match for mid-year entry to Grades 11 and 12. Confirm that these terms remain applicable before planning a late transfer.
English is the teaching language. Ask for the Portuguese-language provision appropriate to the child’s age and background; do not assume the programme follows a Portuguese colégio simply because the school is in Portugal.
The May 2026 IB results display did not produce usable figures in the research snapshot. No cohort average is established here; request a results summary if that is important to the decision.
Plan the actual journey to this inland location, not just to a station on the Cascais railway. The school is a day school without boarding.
Its history traces the educational tradition to the Irish Dominican Sisters in 17th-century Portugal and the Bom Sucesso convent in Belém. The present campus is much later: construction began in 1973 and the school opened in 1975 after the earlier English-language college outgrew the convent. The St. Dominic’s International School name dates from 1988; the registered name added Portugal in 1995.
The step-by-step guide describes this sequence:
Children who are not fluent in English or who may have special educational needs can be referred to the learning-support team. The school’s open-admissions description covers a broad range of abilities and needs, but does not guarantee every type or level of support.
Provide health and learning information fully at the outset so the school can assess whether it can meet the child’s needs. Agree any support arrangements before accepting.
Applications are considered throughout the year when the grade has space. The published information used here does not establish a current waiting list; ask about the specific grade and start date.
The tuition page has an older 2025–2026 URL but gives payment dates for 2026/27. The research did not establish annual tuition, registration, capital levy or bus amounts from a readable table. That is a limit of this profile, not proof that no schedule exists on the school site.
| Payment | Due date |
|---|---|
| Term 1 | 1 July 2026 |
| Term 2 | 1 December 2026 |
| Term 3 | 1 March 2027 |
The 5% full-year advance-payment discount required payment before 1 July 2026. No discount applied after 30 June. That deadline has passed.
The published late-payment bands are 5% at 30–60 days, 10% at 60–90 days, and 10% with possible legal proceedings after 90 days. Ask how boundary dates are applied if an account becomes overdue. Outstanding fees can also cancel the following year’s place.
Tuition includes materials, field trips and school accident insurance. International trips and IB examinations in Grades 10 and 12 are extra.
The school says capital levy, tuition, registration and annual bus fees are non-refundable once paid. Withdrawal requires 90 days’ written notice, described as one term; otherwise the following term remains payable. The same notice applies when the child will not return for the next academic year.
Fees are reviewed annually and may change. The current quotation and contract therefore matter more than an undated figure from a directory.
The Lisbon guide and Portugal overview explain other local education options.
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.
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Lisbon-area schools lead to British, American, IB, French, German and Portuguese qualifications. Choose the route first, then test the actual western or city commute.
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.