Portugal · Lisbon
United Lisbon offers English-medium education within the city, from age three to Grade 12. Its school diploma and full IB Diploma are different qualifications. Confirm support, six-week probation terms and current fees, including whether enrolment is credited towards tuition.
United Lisbon is an English-medium, co-educational day school within Lisbon, serving ages 3–18 from Pre-K3 through Grade 12. It is a useful option for families who want a city location and an international curriculum leading to a school diploma, individual IB qualifications or the full International Baccalaureate Diploma.
The distinction between those leaving qualifications matters. So do the contract terms: the policy provides an initial six-week probationary period, while tuition is a full-year commitment. Review both before accepting an offer.
Primary uses the International Primary Curriculum (IPC), which the school identifies for ages 5–11. Its younger-years material also refers to the International Early Years Curriculum (IEYC). Middle-years learning uses the International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC). These are not the IB Primary or Middle Years Programmes.
The high-school programme describes Grades 9–10 as a school-designed transition from IMYC towards Diploma study. Subjects include English, mathematics, sciences, individuals and societies, Portuguese or Spanish language acquisition, arts, computing, music and physical education.
In Grades 11–12, pupils share IB classes. All work towards the United Graduate Award, the school’s high-school diploma. They may also pursue individual IB course certificates or the full IB Diploma Programme (DP). The full Diploma requires six subjects plus Theory of Knowledge, the extended research essay and Creativity, Activity and Service.
The school describes its diploma provision as NEASC-accredited and authorised by the Portuguese Ministry as secondary education. NEASC is the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, an accrediting body. Do not treat the United Graduate Award as interchangeable with the full IB Diploma: ask the school and intended universities how each qualification is recognised.
Optional IB subjects run only when demand reaches the school’s minimum. Confirm the actual subject combination before choosing the qualification route. Parents pay IB examination costs separately.
A June 2026 school news item reported a celebration for 58 IB graduates. That is a published cohort event, not a pass rate or comparison with other schools.
Portuguese starts in Grade 1, with teaching adapted to the child’s existing knowledge. The primary information also describes English as an Additional Language (EAL) support for pupils whose first language is not English.
Intensive English Language (IEL) provision has a semester fee in the separate annual fee overview. Support beyond the general programme is charged in addition to tuition. Ask which provision the child needs, how often it takes place and what is included in the standard fee.
The policy says the school accepts pupils who can benefit from its programme. For a child with identified needs, confirm the resources and support agreement before enrolment, especially given the probationary terms below.
The address is Avenida Marechal Gomes da Costa 9, 1800-255 Lisbon. Contact admissions@unitedlisbon.school or +351 211 161 110. The contact page gives campus opening hours of 07:00–18:00; these are not, by themselves, confirmation of a child’s teaching or childcare hours.
The school is a day school without boarding. Its enrolment policy requires pupils to live with a parent, guardian or a close relative appointed as legal guardian. A school place is not a substitute for that arrangement.
The policy describes an approximately 36-week school year beginning in early September, with two semesters and winter, spring and summer breaks. Obtain the current calendar.
The founders partnered with Dukes Education in 2022; the school says it was Dukes’ first international-school partner outside the UK. Group membership is context, not evidence that every family’s needs will be met.
Applications are accepted throughout the year, subject to availability. The detailed Enrolment and Tuition Policy used here was last revised in May 2023, so confirm the version attached to the offer.
The policy specifies:
The information used for this profile does not establish a named entrance test or current waiting-list position. Ask for the assessment and availability for the exact grade, rather than assuming that a year-round application form guarantees entry.
Health and personal-accident cover is required. The policy describes school accident insurance as covering emergency treatment at the time of injury, subject to an annual claim limit. Ask for the coverage wording and limit, and do not assume it replaces general health insurance.
The May 2023 policy refers families to a separate Enrolment Tuition Fees Overview for each academic year. This profile does not establish current annual tuition, meal or transport amounts. Request the current overview rather than treating the older policy as a complete quotation.
The policy’s published charges are:
| Charge | Amount | Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Application, Pre-K3–Grade 12 | €255 | Mandatory and non-refundable, including unsuccessful applications |
| Initial enrolment, Pre-K3–Kindergarten | €2,000 | Due within ten working days of offer; non-refundable but credited towards tuition |
| Initial enrolment, Grades 1–12 | €2,000 | Same deadline; non-refundable and additional to tuition |
| Annual re-enrolment, Pre-K3–Kindergarten | €2,000 | Credited towards that year’s tuition |
| Annual re-enrolment, Grades 1–12 | €2,000 | Additional to tuition |
For younger pupils, do not add a credited €2,000 payment again to the annual tuition total. From Grade 1, the policy makes the €2,000 charge additional, including on annual re-enrolment. Initial enrolment and annual renewal are different stages, not automatically two charges for the same new pupil.
Application and enrolment charges remain fixed for a mid-year start.
Tuition commits the family to the whole academic year. The policy offers a 2% discount for full payment by 1 June, or four instalments on 1 June, 1 November, 1 January and 1 March. It separately gives 1 April for re-enrolment. Confirm the school year and dates on the current overview before relying on the discount or instalment plan.
The intensive-English fee is charged by semester; its amount belongs in that annual overview, not in the older policy. Add any agreed support and IB examination costs when asking for a full quotation.
Withdrawal does not refund tuition already paid. In particular, ask how the full-year commitment and payments are handled if enrolment ends during the probationary period.
United Lisbon is most relevant when an English-medium city school works for the family’s location and the planned qualification. It is not an IB continuum: the younger programmes are IPC and IMYC, and the United Graduate Award is not the same as the full Diploma.
The Lisbon guide and Portugal overview describe 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.