IPS Cascais British International School vs The British School of Lisbon

	I IPS Cascais British International School Lisbon, Portugal	T The British School of Lisbon Lisbon, Portugal
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year €11,548 - 17,755	Fees / year €13,110 - 21,375
Age range	Age range 3 - 18 years	Age range 3 - 16 years
Type	Type Co-educational	Type Co-educational
Curriculum	Curriculum British Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A Levels	Curriculum British Curriculum
Pupils	Pupils 440	Pupils —
Typical class size	Typical class size 22	Typical class size —
Instruction language	Instruction language English	Instruction language English
Opened	Opened 1982	Opened —
Bus service	Bus service Yes	Bus service Yes
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location IPS Cascais British International School is located in Bicesse, north of Cascais, Portugal. It is 25 kilometres from the centre of Lisbon. The campus address is Rua da Lagoa 171, 2645-344 Alcabideche, Portugal. The school serves a diverse international community with students from over 40 nationalities.	Location The British School of Lisbon has two campuses in Lisbon, Portugal: Primary Campus at Rua São Paulo 89, Lisbon 1200-427, and Secondary Campus at Rua de Alcolena 10, Lisbon 1400-004. The school operates from two campus locations in Lisbon.
Stages	Stages Foundation Stage to Year 9 is offered. iGCSEs are taken in Year 11. 6th Form (Years 12–13) coming soon.	Stages Early Years; Primary School; Middle School; Secondary School; Sixth Form
School type	School type British international school delivering the National Curriculum of England.	School type British international school following the English National Curriculum
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix 440 pupils from over 40 nationalities.	Pupil nationality mix —
Additional learning support	Additional learning support Learning support and EAL rooms are available.	Additional learning support Language support is available for a limited number of students
Country affiliation	Country affiliation Portugal	Country affiliation United Kingdom
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation —	Religious affiliation —
School day structure	School day structure —	School day structure School runs Monday to Friday, 8:30am–3:30pm; on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, finishes at 4:30pm for after-school activities; 10:30am break; lunch 12:00–13:00; a 15-minute break at 14:30.
Bus service details	Bus service details —	Bus service details The school offers a bus service; routes cover most expatriate residential compounds.
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details Initial / Application charges - Registration (one‑off, non‑refundable on acceptance): EUR 4,000. Split into two equal payments if the child starts in Nursery (FS1) or Reception; the second payment is due on entering Year 1. - Annual enrolment/registration charge (invoiced annually): EUR 925. Tuition fees (per term) — full detail by year group - Nursery (mornings only) — per term by number of mornings: - 1 morning: EUR 2,705 - 2 mornings: EUR 2,825 - 3 mornings: EUR 2,950 - 4 mornings: EUR 3,065 - 5 mornings: EUR 3,190 - Nursery (full days) — per term by number of full days: - 1 day: EUR 2,780 - 2 days: EUR 2,970 - 3 days: EUR 3,170 - 4 days: EUR 3,360 - 5 days: EUR 3,541 - Reception (per term): EUR 3,612 - Years 1 & 2 (per term): EUR 4,514 - Years 3 & 4 (per term): EUR 4,838 - Years 5, 6 & 7 (per term): EUR 5,144 - Years 8 & 9 (per term): EUR 5,343 - Year 10 (per term): EUR 5,610 All per‑term tuition figures above are published as the standard per‑term charge. Family discount for third child and subsequent (applied to the youngest children): 20%. Billing schedule and payment terms - Standard due date: fees and other charges are due on or before the first day of each term. Alternative instalment schedules are available where published; when paying in three instalments for the academic year the due dates for the three instalments are: 1st instalment by 26 August 2025, 2nd instalment by 26 December 2025, and 3rd instalment by 26 March 2026. - Payment conditions: acceptance of a place is confirmed only once required initial charges and completed documentation have been received; enrolment and registration fees are not refundable if the child does not attend. Late payment may attract interest and outstanding reports/documentation may be withheld until accounts are settled. Specific cheque clearance periods apply (Portuguese cheques: 2 days; UK cheques: 15 days; other cheques: 20 days). Payment by certain voucher systems must be processed in advance to allow for handling time. - Acceptance for less than a full term: enrolment during the first half of a term attracts a full term's fee; enrolment during the second half of a term attracts a half‑term's fee. Notice of withdrawal must be given in writing at least 90 calendar days before expected departure. If proper notice is not provided, one term's fee may be charged in lieu of notice. Boarding fees - Boarding provision is not listed among the school's standard fee charges for the current primary/secondary provision; there are no published standard boarding fees in the school fee schedules for the current academic provision. Other costs and regular additional charges - Lunch: - Nursery & Reception — per term: EUR 440; per day (1–4 meals/week): EUR 8.00 - Years 1 and up — per term: EUR 509; per day (1–4 meals/week): EUR 9.00 - Occasional lunches (payable on the day by 10:00): EUR 9.50 per day. - Bus transport (per term) — standard routes and fares: - 0–5 km (examples: Alcabideche, Estoril, Linhó): EUR 1,087 per term - 5–10 km (examples: Carcavelos, Cascais, Malveira da Serra, Oeiras): EUR 1,181 per term - +10 km (examples: Paço de Arcos, Lisboa): EUR 1,418 per term - Occasional trip (daily rate): single ride EUR 23; return EUR 31 - Discount on transport: second and subsequent children at the same address: 10%. Additional charges may apply for addresses outside usual routes. - Additional services / charges (examples and per‑session rates): - Special Education Needs (SEN) support: EUR 35 per session (30 minutes) - EAL / language tuition: EUR 35 per session (30 minutes) - Psychological & orientation services: EUR 40 per session (45 minutes) - Student transfer process administration: EUR 50 per student - After‑school VivaHUB activities and other extra‑curricular programmes are charged separately (prices vary by activity). Uniform items are charged separately (uniform cost varies by item and purchase). Refunds and cancellation - Enrolment/registration fees are non‑refundable once paid and a place is accepted. If a child is enrolled but does not attend, enrolment and registration fees are still payable and non‑refundable; the first term's fees remain payable. Refunds of tuition are not made if the school is forced to close for reasons beyond its control (force majeure). Refunds will be made for lunch or transport services that have not been provided; lunch credits may be issued when a child is absent for three or more authorised days. Notice and withdrawal rules (90 calendar days' written notice; charge in lieu of notice where applicable) apply as stated in the school's payment regulations. Fee payment options - Accepted payment methods: Bank transfer; TICKET, EDENRED, COVERFLEX or UP Portugal (voucher/payment providers); bank cheque; cash. Bank transfers should be made to the school owner's bank account; payments via voucher providers must be made four weeks prior to the first day of each term to allow processing; cheque clearance times apply as above. Credit card payment is not listed among the standard options. All bank charges are borne by the payer unless otherwise arranged. Discounts - Family discounts noted in the current fee schedule: third child and subsequent: 20% discount applied to the youngest children. Transport discount for second/subsequent children at same address: 10%. Other sibling discount structures or early‑payment discounts may be specified in the school's published payment regulations. (Amounts and procedural dates are the school's published charges and terms for the current published fee schedule.)	Fee details Application and enrolment fees - Application fee (one-time): EUR 250. - Enrolment (acceptance) fee (one-off, charged per family): EUR 5,000 (non‑refundable). Tuition fees by year group (annual and per term) Amounts shown are annual tuition fees; the school offers payment either annually or in three equal instalments (three terms). Per‑term values below are the annual amount divided by three, rounded to the nearest euro where required. - Kindergarten 1 (age 3): Annual EUR 13,110 — Per term EUR 4,370. - Kindergarten 2 (age 4): Annual EUR 13,110 — Per term EUR 4,370. - Kindergarten 3 (age 5): Annual EUR 15,219 — Per term EUR 5,073. - Grade 1 (age 6): Annual EUR 15,219 — Per term EUR 5,073. - Grade 2 (age 7): Annual EUR 16,445 — Per term EUR 5,482. - Grade 3 (age 8): Annual EUR 16,445 — Per term EUR 5,482. - Grade 4 (age 9): Annual EUR 16,445 — Per term EUR 5,482. - Grade 5 (age 10): Annual EUR 17,171 — Per term EUR 5,724. - Grade 6 (age 11): Annual EUR 17,171 — Per term EUR 5,724. - Grade 7 (age 12): Annual EUR 17,171 — Per term EUR 5,724. - Grade 8 (age 13): Annual EUR 17,171 — Per term EUR 5,724. - Grade 9 (age 14): Annual EUR 21,375 — Per term EUR 7,125. What tuition covers and what is charged separately - Tuition covers stationery, learning materials and consumables. - The following are charged separately from tuition: school excursions, school uniform, school bus services and school meals. - Uniforms are compulsory and are purchased externally (available at El Corte Inglés, Lisboa). Footwear, PE kit and seasonal uniform arrangements are specified by the school and paid for by families. Billing schedule and payment terms - Fees are payable either in a single annual payment before the start of the academic year, or in three equal instalments due before the start of each term. Fees are reviewed annually. - The first-year total for a newly enrolled pupil includes the one‑off application and enrolment charges in addition to the annual tuition; an example breakdown for Kindergarten 1 first year: Application EUR 250 + Enrolment EUR 5,000 + Tuition EUR 13,110 = Total EUR 18,360 (first year). Boarding - The school does not offer boarding provision; it operates as a day school for ages 3–15. Other costs and optional charges - School trips and excursions: charged separately and billed as applicable. - School bus: charged separately when used. - School meals: charged separately. - Uniform: purchased externally at the specified retailer; families should budget for uniform, footwear and PE kit. - Additional optional costs (external examination fees, certain extracurricular activities, specialist resources or trips) may be charged where applicable; these are not included in listed tuition. Refund information - The school's public fee information identifies the enrolment (acceptance) fee as a one‑off charge; that fee is listed in directory summaries as non‑refundable. No detailed, publicly posted full refund schedule for tuition or termly refunds was available on the school's public fees page. Fee payment options - The school's public fees page sets out payment frequency and timing (annual or three instalments) but does not publish a definitive list of accepted payment methods on the public fee page. Parents should note that many international schools accept bank transfer and card payments, but accepted methods were not published explicitly on the school's public fee information. Notes and verification summary - Public school material states the billing options, what tuition includes/excludes and the requirement to purchase uniform externally, but the school's public fee page does not publish a full, line‑by‑line downloadable fee schedule on the public page for the 2025/2026 academic year. Third‑party school directories list the one‑time fees and the annual tuition amounts shown above (application EUR 250; enrolment EUR 5,000; annual tuition per year group as listed). (End of fee overview)
Diving deeper	Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements	Boarding arrangements —	Boarding arrangements —
Uniform requirement	Uniform requirement —	Uniform requirement —
Food options	Food options —	Food options —
House system	House system —	House system —
Governance and ownership	Governance and ownership —	Governance and ownership —
Academics	Academics
Curriculum details	Curriculum details IPS Cascais follows the National Curriculum for England, adapted to an international context. In Primary, core subjects are English, Mathematics, and Science, with additional language provision including Portuguese and Dutch, and English as an Additional Language (EAL). In Year 7, pupils receive a language taster in French (Term 1) and Spanish (Term 2), before choosing a language option from Term 3 onward. In Secondary (Years 7–11), pupils follow the National Curriculum for England and prepare for iGCSEs, with iGCSE study beginning in Year 10 and examinations in Year 11. A Sixth Form (Years 12–13) with A Levels is coming soon, and a new Secondary School campus will open in September 2026 to deliver Years 7–13.	Curriculum details English National Curriculum forms the core of the curriculum. The ENC is used as a rigorous standard and is adapted to provide an international perspective, including studies of local culture, language and heritage. In Lower School, an Integrated Curriculum for Years 1-4 covers Computing, Geography, Art and Design and History. From the moment a student joins The British School of Lisbon, a dedicated team of professionals is assigned to create a personalised academic plan tailored to the student's strengths and to guide them through the process of selecting, applying to and being admitted to top universities in the UK, US and worldwide.
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio The school has a 1:10 staff-pupil ratio. Average class size is 22 pupils.	Student teacher ratio Small class sizes and a low student to teacher ratio.
Exam results	Exam results —	Exam results —
Higher education progression	Higher education progression Globeducate pupils secure places at leading universities worldwide; in 2020/2021 our students gained admission to 25 of the world's top 50 universities.	Higher education progression A dedicated team develops a personalised academic plan to guide students through selecting, applying to and being admitted to top universities in the UK, the US and worldwide.
Gifted and talented	Gifted and talented —	Gifted and talented —
Academic calendar	Academic calendar —	Academic calendar —
Wellbeing & support	Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning	Social & emotional learning —	Social & emotional learning —
Special educational needs (SEN)	Special educational needs (SEN) —	Special educational needs (SEN) —
English as an additional language	English as an additional language —	English as an additional language —
Mental wellbeing	Mental wellbeing —	Mental wellbeing —
Safeguarding	Safeguarding —	Safeguarding —
Safeguarding policy	Safeguarding policy —	Safeguarding policy —
Facilities	Facilities
Facilities overview	Facilities overview —	Facilities overview —
Sports facilities	Sports facilities —	Sports facilities —
Academic facilities	Academic facilities —	Academic facilities —
Extra curricular facilities	Extra curricular facilities —	Extra curricular facilities —
Parent experience	Parent experience
History	History —	History —
Community	Community —	Community —
Parent teacher association	Parent teacher association —	Parent teacher association —
Extra-curricular	Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual	Academic & intellectual —	Academic & intellectual —
Arts & creative	Arts & creative —	Arts & creative —
Cultural & language	Cultural & language —	Cultural & language —
Social & hobbies	Social & hobbies —	Social & hobbies —
Community & service	Community & service —	Community & service —
Leadership & professional	Leadership & professional —	Leadership & professional —
Lifestyle & wellbeing	Lifestyle & wellbeing —	Lifestyle & wellbeing —
Language provision	Language provision
Language provision	Language provision —	Language provision —
Bilingual teaching	Bilingual teaching —	Bilingual teaching —
Immersion programs	Immersion programs —	Immersion programs —
Reputation	Reputation
Awards	Awards —	Awards —
Accreditations	Accreditations —	Accreditations —
Admissions	Admissions
Admissions	Admissions IPS Cascais welcomes children from all over the world and is currently enrolling, accepting applications throughout the school year. IPS Cascais offers the National Curriculum for England to primary and secondary-aged students and is a proud member of Globeducate. The admissions process comprises six steps: express your interest; visit the school or schedule a meeting; submit the Registration Form and send previous school reports; pupil sits an entry task; confirmation of place; pay charges to secure the pupil's seat. Places are mainly awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, depending on availability. Priority is given to siblings of current students; children whose first language is not Portuguese or who have had the majority of their education in English; first-language English speakers; and families from organisations with whom IPS has long-standing protocols. A new Secondary School opens in September 2026; it will move to a new campus with specialist facilities near the current site and will deliver an educational programme from Years 7 to 13, preparing pupils for universities worldwide.	Admissions The school is selective. Entry assessments are required and can be organised either at the campus or remotely for applicants from abroad. A decision is typically communicated within 5 working days of applying. The school delivers the English National Curriculum with adaptations for an international setting, and studies are accepted by British and international universities. Lead classroom teachers are UK qualified and experienced. Nursery class size is capped at 18; Primary and Secondary class sizes are capped at 22. The curriculum is delivered in English, and language support is available but limited; typically a child with no English above age 10 will not gain admission. Enrollment can occur throughout the academic year and new arrivals are integrated. The timetable runs Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 15:30, with Tuesday and Wednesday finish times at 16:30 due to after-school activities. The school offers a bus service with routes covering most expatriate residential compounds; some remote or untypical areas may not be served. The school has a Primary Campus at Rua São Paulo 89, Lisbon 1200-427 and a Secondary Campus at Rua de Alcolena 10, Lisbon 1400-004. The school is licensed by the Portuguese Ministry of Education under Authorisation No. 266/EPC/Lisboa e Vale do Tejo/2022.
Scholarships	Scholarships —	Scholarships —
Waitlist	Waitlist —	Waitlist —
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