BDC School vs The British American Pre-School and Bilingual European School (BAPS-BES)
BDC School and The British American Pre-School and Bilingual European School (BAPS-BES) are both in Milan, about 7 km apart. Both schools offer British programmes. BDC School also offers EYFS, and The British American Pre-School and Bilingual European School (BAPS-BES) also offers IB, Bespoke and Canadian. Published annual fees are €6,500 - 16,500 at BDC School and €12,420 - 17,530 at The British American Pre-School and Bilingual European School (BAPS-BES), which puts The British American Pre-School and Bilingual European School (BAPS-BES) roughly 30% higher. BDC School takes pupils from 0 to 18, and The British American Pre-School and Bilingual European School (BAPS-BES) from 2 to 18.
British Curriculum, EYFS (Early years foundation stage)
Curriculum
IB (PYP), Bespoke Curriculum, British Curriculum, Canadian Curriculum
Pupils
Pupils
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Pupils
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Typical class size
Typical class size
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Typical class size
22
Instruction language
Instruction language
English, Italian
Instruction language
English, Italian
Opened
Opened
2013
Opened
1999
Bus service
Bus service
Yes
Bus service
Yes
Essentials
Essentials
Location
Location
BDC School operates across four campuses in northern Italy: Milano (Via dei Fontanili 1, Via dei Fontanili 3, Via Pietrasanta 14), Cologno Monzese (Via A. Volta 16), Meda (SCUOLA SAN GIUSEPPE, Via Orsini 35), and Rimini (INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF RIMINI, Via Santa Chiara 40). The Milano campuses are located in the city and connected by public transport, and the other campuses are in the Lombardy region and Rimini.
Location
Milano, Italy. The British American Pre-School and the Bilingual European School share a campus in the northern part of Milan, with two addresses: Via Val Cismon 9, 20162 Milano and Via Resegone 1A, 20159 Milano. The Istria stop on the M5 metro is about a five-minute walk from the campus.
Stages
Stages
Early Years; Primary School; Middle School; High School IGCSE & A-Levels; STEM High School AI & Data Science; Cambridge Online School
Stages
The school accommodates students from ages 2 to 18 across four main stages. These include Nursery and Preschool for ages 2 to 6, Primary School for ages 6 to 11, Middle School for ages 11 to 14, and High School for ages 14 to 18.
School type
School type
The school is a fully accredited international bilingual school with campuses in Milano, Cologno Monzese, Meda and Rimini.
School type
This is a co-educational day school. It does not offer boarding facilities for any year groups.
Pupil nationality mix
Pupil nationality mix
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Pupil nationality mix
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Additional learning support
Additional learning support
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Additional learning support
The school uses an inclusion model to support students with special educational needs through differentiated classroom instruction. Additionally, an in-house Child Study Team featuring a school counselor, psychologist, and play therapist is available to assist students with their individual learning and developmental requirements.
Country affiliation
Country affiliation
Italy.
Country affiliation
The school does not have a formal affiliation with a specific country, operating as an independent bilingual school.
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation
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Religious affiliation
The school does not have a religious affiliation.
School day structure
School day structure
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School day structure
While specific daily timetables are not published, the standard school day is followed by an optional after-school program.
Bus service details
Bus service details
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Bus service details
The school provides a bus service for students commuting from different areas of Milan. The buses stop at various designated pick-up points around the city.
Fees
Fees
Fee details
Fee details
Application and Registration Fees
- FIRST REGISTRATION (one-off, first year only): - EUR 1,500 (Milano, all classes). - EUR 500 (Meda, all classes). - EUR 1,500 (Cologno: from Nursery to Middle School); EUR 0 (Cologno High School).
- ANNUAL REGISTRATION FEE (payable each year): - EUR 1,000 (Milano, all classes). - EUR 550 (Meda, all classes). - EUR 1,000 (Cologno: Nursery to Middle School); EUR 500 (Cologno High School).
Annual Tuition Fees (listed by campus and year group)
- MILANO (annual tuition per student): - Nursery (Via Pietrasanta 14): EUR 6,500. - Kindergarten: EUR 9,750. - Primary School (Year 1–Year 6): EUR 10,300. - Middle School (Year 7–Year 9): EUR 10,500. - High School (Scienze Umane, Year 10–Year 11): EUR 11,000. - High School (Scienze Umane, Year 12–Year 14): EUR 12,000. - High School (IGCSE, Year 10–Year 11): EUR 12,000. - High School (A-Level, Year 12–Year 13): EUR 15,000.
- MEDA (annual tuition per student): - Kindergarten: EUR 5,500. - Primary School (Year 1–Year 6): EUR 6,000. - Middle School (Year 7–Year 9): EUR 6,500.
- COLOGNO MONZESE (annual tuition per student): - Nursery: EUR 6,695. - Kindergarten: EUR 6,695. - Primary School (Year 1–Year 6): EUR 7,210. - Middle School (Year 7–Year 9): EUR 7,725. - High School (Scienze Applicate, Year 10–Year 14): EUR 6,500.
Cafeteria / Canteen and Meal Charges
- CANTEEN / LUNCH FEE (where applicable): - Milano: EUR 1,500 (all classes). - Meda: EUR 1,500 (all classes). - Cologno: EUR 1,500 (Nursery to Middle School); High School (3 lunches per week) EUR 1,000. - Additional published lunch reference (all grades) EUR 1,515 in some campus/annex material.
Standard Extras / Mandatory Supplements
- COMPANY PREMIUM (all classes): EUR 1,500 (Milano, Meda, Cologno).
Optional services and after-school care
- EARLY MORNINGS (5 days): EUR 800 (all campuses/classes where offered).
Exams, assessments and Cambridge / Online programme fees
- English Language Assessment (one-time): EUR 200. - IGCSE Exam (per subject) at BDC School Milan: EUR 200 per subject. - A-Levels Exam (per subject) at BDC School Milan: EUR 250 per subject. - Cambridge Online (IGCSE / A-Levels) fees (Cambridge Online programme admission/registration as published in annex): for example, IGCSE (6 subjects per year) admission fee EUR 5,650; A-Levels (3 subjects per year) registration fee EUR 5,150 (Cambridge Online specific fee items published separately).
Other costs (uniforms, materials, trips, insurance, etc.)
- Specific charges for school uniform, textbooks, educational materials, optional trips, and student insurance are not itemised in the school fee schedules that list annual tuition, registration and the services above; these costs are typically charged separately when applicable.
Refunds and withdrawal
- The publicly posted fee schedules do not include a detailed refund or withdrawal policy within the fee documents themselves; certain competition- and scholarship-related rules note that enrollment contract fees (initial registration, annual enrollment fee, canteen) remain payable even for scholarship winners and that the school may withhold or require payment under specified conditions. Families should note that no comprehensive refund terms are published in the fee documents.
Billing schedule and payment terms
- The fee schedules provide the list of amounts (registration, annual tuition, canteen, extras) but do not publish a standard billing timetable (for example exact invoice dates or installment schedule) or detailed payment terms in the fee sheets themselves. The school's published documents state that tuition and cafeteria fees may be changed with prior notice by a specified deadline. Specific invoice timing, installment options, late-payment penalties, and accepted payment methods are not itemised in the publicly available fee schedule documents.
Fee payment options
- The publicly available fee schedules do not list accepted payment methods (bank transfer, credit card, direct debit) inside the fee sheets; families are billed for registration, tuition, canteen and optional services as separate line items in the schedules above.
Administrative notes (published conditions visible in fee documents)
- The school reserves the right to change tuition or cafeteria fees but states that any changes will be communicated no later than December 31 of the preceding school year. Scholarship awards do not cover enrollment-contract fees and canteen charges, which remain payable by scholarship recipients.
Summary of available published amounts
- The amounts above are the published registration, annual tuition and standard service fees listed in the school's official fee schedules for the upcoming academic year; canteen, company premium, early-mornings and afterschool prices are published as fixed yearly charges per student where applicable.
Note on missing details in the published fee documents
- The publicly posted fee sheets list amounts but do not supply a full billing schedule (invoice dates or installment plan details), detailed payment terms, accepted payment method list, or a complete refund/withdrawal policy within the same fee documents. For parents entering data into an external database, the numerical fees and service charges above are the published line items; the fee schedules do not include the operational payment mechanics and refund clauses in the same documents.
Fee details
Application & admission fees
- Pre-school (BAPS) one-time admission fee: EUR 1,350. - BES Primary one-time admission fee: EUR 2,500 (reduced to EUR 1,000 for students transferring from BAPS). - BES Middle one-time admission fee: EUR 2,500 (reduced to EUR 1,000 for students transferring from BES Primary). - BES High School one-time admission fee: EUR 2,500 (reduced to EUR 1,000 for students transferring from BES Middle). For students currently in Year 8 registering into Year 9 a special admission charge of EUR 1,000 is shown in the published fees example.
Tuition fees by year group (annual amounts and annual registration fees)
- Primary School (annual tuition contribution, annual registration and totals): - Year 1: Tuition contribution EUR 11,830; Annual registration EUR 1,600; Total EUR 13,430. - Year 2: Tuition contribution EUR 11,830; Annual registration EUR 1,600; Total EUR 13,430. - Year 3: Tuition contribution EUR 11,830; Annual registration EUR 1,600; Total EUR 13,430. - Year 4: Tuition contribution EUR 11,985; Annual registration EUR 1,600; Total EUR 13,585. - Year 5: Tuition contribution EUR 11,985; Annual registration EUR 1,600; Total EUR 13,585.
- Middle School (annual tuition contribution, annual registration and totals): - Year 6: Tuition contribution EUR 13,130; Annual registration EUR 1,900; Total EUR 15,030. - Year 7: Tuition contribution EUR 13,130; Annual registration EUR 1,900; Total EUR 15,030. - Year 8: Tuition contribution EUR 13,130; Annual registration EUR 1,900; Total EUR 15,030.
- High School (annual tuition contribution, annual registration and totals): - Year 9: Tuition contribution EUR 15,530; Annual registration EUR 2,000; Total EUR 17,530. - Year 10: Tuition contribution EUR 15,530; Annual registration EUR 2,000; Total EUR 17,530. - Year 11 and Year 12: No annual tuition/registration amounts are published in the main 2026/27 fee sheet (fields shown as blank).
Other one-time and annual costs
- Building fund (one-time): - Pre-school: EUR 600 (one-time). - Primary / Middle / High: EUR 1,650 (one-time); reduced rate EUR 950 for students transferring internally from BAPS or from the previous BES stage as indicated. - Refundable fee (one-time deposit): EUR 300. - School meals (Pasti): EUR 1,405 (annual). - Sibling discount: A 10% discount applies to the tuition contribution for the second and subsequent children concurrently attending the school.
Discounts and special offers (as published in the fee document)
- BES Ambassador Programme: a 30% reduction on the tuition contribution is published for eligible students (example shown for students currently in Year 8 admitted to Year 9). The published example shows the Ambassador discount at EUR 4,660 (30% of the Year 9 tuition contribution). Eligibility and application deadlines were specified in the published material for that promotional offer. - BES Loyalty discount (published example): a one-off discount of EUR 2,500 is shown for certain returning students (example applied to Year 9 in the published schedule). The Ambassador and Loyalty discounts are shown as cumulative where applicable.
Billing schedule and payment terms
- The published fees document lists the tuition contributions, annual registration fees and one-time charges but does not include a detailed billing schedule (for example precise invoice dates, term instalment dates or penalties for late payment are not shown in the public fee sheet). The fee document presents amounts as annual totals and one-time charges.
Boarding fees
- No boarding provision or boarding fees are listed in the published fee material; the school is presented as a day school covering pre-school through high school. No separate boarding charges appear in the fee schedule.
Refund information
- A refundable deposit (labelled "Refundable fee (una tantum)") of EUR 300 is listed as a one-time, refundable amount. The published fee sheet does not set out the detailed conditions or timing for return of that deposit on the face of the fee tables.
Fee payment options
- The published fee document sets out amounts and one-time charges but does not specify payment methods (for example bank transfer, credit/debit card acceptance, direct debit or online payment gateway) or the invoicing/payment channels in the fee tables. Payment methods and detailed payment instructions are not shown on the fee pages themselves.
Diving deeper
Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements
Boarding arrangements
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Boarding arrangements
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Uniform requirement
Uniform requirement
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Uniform requirement
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Food options
Food options
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Food options
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House system
House system
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House system
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Governance and ownership
Governance and ownership
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Governance and ownership
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Academics
Academics
Curriculum details
Curriculum details
BDC School offers continuous education from early years through high school. The curriculum is bilingual, integrating the Italian curriculum with the Cambridge curriculum. In Early Years, IEYC is used with English language immersion. Primary follows the Cambridge International Primary Curriculum alongside the Italian national curriculum, with technology integration and emphasis on active participation. Middle School combines Italian and English with the Cambridge International Curriculum. High School offers a four-year international pathway with IGCSEs in the first two years and A Levels in the final two years, including study of Italian language and culture and Made in Italy project-based learning.
Curriculum details
The BES bilingual programme offers education in English and Italian from early years to high school. The curriculum integrates the Italian Ministerial Programme (MIUR) with the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and is delivered in both languages; Primary and Middle School teaching is 50% Italian and 50% English. In Primary, the PYP uses six transdisciplinary themes to connect learning across subjects and to develop cross‑curricular skills; English language teaching comprises about 15 hours per week. In Secondary, the BES curriculum meets MIUR requirements with a 50/50 language split and focuses on interdisciplinary inquiry, arts, drama and technology; the Learner Profile and international outlook mirror the IB framework and include Project Work on Wednesdays. BES High School offers a four‑year bilingual Liceo Scientifico that combines Italian parity with the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), delivering a double diploma and 33 hours per week of teaching; optional online courses allow earning additional OSSD credits toward the Canadian diploma, enabling access to universities worldwide.
Student teacher ratio
Student teacher ratio
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Student teacher ratio
Maximum class size is normally 25 students. Classes are formed by a team including the headteacher, coordinators, and teachers.
Exam results
Exam results
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Exam results
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Higher education progression
Higher education progression
Continue their academic journey at Italian universities. They can access prestigious international universities. The High School pathway prepares students for university studies in Italy or abroad.
Higher education progression
BES High School offers a four-year bilingual Liceo Scientifico that combines Italian parity with the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). The program runs 33 hours per week and enables earning OSSD credits, with some online courses available to gain additional credits. The Ontario Secondary School Diploma is a Canadian diploma recognized by universities worldwide, facilitating entry to higher education in Italy and internationally.
Gifted and talented
Gifted and talented
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Gifted and talented
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Academic calendar
Academic calendar
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Academic calendar
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Wellbeing & support
Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning
Social & emotional learning
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Social & emotional learning
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Special educational needs (SEN)
Special educational needs (SEN)
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Special educational needs (SEN)
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English as an additional language
English as an additional language
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English as an additional language
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Mental wellbeing
Mental wellbeing
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Mental wellbeing
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Safeguarding
Safeguarding
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Safeguarding
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Safeguarding policy
Safeguarding policy
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Safeguarding policy
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Facilities
Facilities
Facilities overview
Facilities overview
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Facilities overview
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Sports facilities
Sports facilities
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Sports facilities
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Academic facilities
Academic facilities
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Academic facilities
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Extra curricular facilities
Extra curricular facilities
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Extra curricular facilities
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Parent experience
Parent experience
History
History
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History
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Community
Community
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Community
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Parent teacher association
Parent teacher association
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Parent teacher association
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Extra-curricular
Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual
Academic & intellectual
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Academic & intellectual
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Arts & creative
Arts & creative
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Arts & creative
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Cultural & language
Cultural & language
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Cultural & language
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Social & hobbies
Social & hobbies
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Social & hobbies
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Community & service
Community & service
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Community & service
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Leadership & professional
Leadership & professional
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Leadership & professional
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Lifestyle & wellbeing
Lifestyle & wellbeing
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Lifestyle & wellbeing
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Language provision
Language provision
Language provision
Language provision
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Language provision
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Bilingual teaching
Bilingual teaching
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Bilingual teaching
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Immersion programs
Immersion programs
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Immersion programs
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Reputation
Reputation
Awards
Awards
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Awards
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Accreditations
Accreditations
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Accreditations
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Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
Step 1. Fill out the Admissions form directly on the website. The Admissions team will guide and support you through the application process. For more information or to ask questions, contact the admissions team. A meeting can be scheduled using the Schedule a meeting link on the Admissions page.
Step 2. Book an interview with the Campus Admissions Manager to discuss your child's specific needs and to learn more about the school. The Admissions team will guide you through the process during this interview. If you have questions, contact the team for assistance. You can schedule this interview via the Schedule a meeting link.
Admissions
1. Submit an inquiry or book an interview by filling out the form on this page. The Admissions Team will respond promptly. This initial contact can be used to request information about BES and BAPS. You may also plan to attend an Open Day or book a tour as part of your preparation.
2. Admission is based on previous school experience and includes a personal interview and an assessment test for pupils aged 6 and up. Personal background is also taken into consideration to support pupils in our BAPS Full Immersion English Programme and BES bilingual programme. Applicants should be prepared to participate in the interview and the assessment test.
3. Parents and students are invited to attend an Open Day or book a tour of the school to learn more about the programme and enrollment options. Open Day events provide information about the programmes and enrollment options. Tours include explanations in Italian and/or English, and a member of the Admissions team can answer questions.
4. To see our school fees, click on the button below. View our school fees by clicking the "view our SCHOOL FEES" button. Fees information is provided on the admissions pages to help families plan enrollment.
Scholarships
Scholarships
BDC School offers scholarships to deserving students through a collaboration with the I Care Onlus Association and the support of educators, parents, entrepreneurs and volunteers. It is the first high school in Italy to offer full scholarships through a pitch competition. The competition is open to all Italian and international students in the last year of middle school or equivalent. Participants must demonstrate curiosity in solving local social and climate problems with solutions that can have a global impact, and proposals are encouraged to address issues identified during the World Economic Forum.
