Orel-Vine International Academy vs Sycamore International School
Orel-Vine International Academy and Sycamore International School are both in Kampala, about 5 km apart. Both schools offer Cambridge (Primary) programmes. Orel-Vine International Academy also offers Cambridge (Secondary), Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge International AS Levels and Cambridge A Levels, and Sycamore International School also offers British. Published annual fees are UGX 450 - 9,900,000 at Orel-Vine International Academy and UGX 8,200,000 at Sycamore International School, which puts Sycamore International School roughly 66% higher. Orel-Vine International Academy takes pupils from 1 to 18, and Sycamore International School from 1 to 12. Typical class sizes are 30 at Orel-Vine International Academy and 12 at Sycamore International School.
Cambridge (Primary), Cambridge (Secondary), Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge International AS Levels, Cambridge A Levels
Curriculum
Cambridge (Primary), British Curriculum
Pupils
Pupils
—
Pupils
173
Typical class size
Typical class size
30
Typical class size
12
Instruction language
Instruction language
English
Instruction language
English
Opened
Opened
2010
Opened
—
Bus service
Bus service
No
Bus service
No
Essentials
Essentials
Location
Location
Uganda, Kampala area. Pre-school on Najjera (Kampala); Primary & Secondary on Nakasajja, Gayaza Road, Kampala.
Location
Plot 3 Olumi Close, Kitante, Kampala, Uganda. The campus is located in Kitante, Kampala. Phone: +256 776 470 555; +256 700 470 555. Email: admin@sycamore.ac.ug.
Stages
Stages
Pre-school; Primary; Secondary
Stages
Early Years and Primary.
School type
School type
Christian international school (Cambridge International education at primary and pre-school levels)
School type
International school offering the Cambridge curriculum.
Pupil nationality mix
Pupil nationality mix
—
Pupil nationality mix
—
Additional learning support
Additional learning support
—
Additional learning support
—
Country affiliation
Country affiliation
Uganda
Country affiliation
Uganda
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation
Christian
Religious affiliation
Christian (non-denominational)
School day structure
School day structure
—
School day structure
—
Bus service details
Bus service details
—
Bus service details
—
Fees
Fees
Fee details
Fee details
Tuition — Cambridge curriculum (per term) - Nursery: UGX 1,200,000 per term. Lunch: UGX 200,000 per term. - KG & PP: UGX 1,200,000 per term. Lunch: UGX 200,000 per term. - Year 1–Year 2: UGX 1,500,000 per term plus US$150 per term. Lunch: UGX 300,000 per term. Annual (3 terms): UGX 4,500,000 + US$450. - Year 3–Year 6: UGX 1,500,000 per term plus US$200 per term. Lunch: UGX 300,000 per term. Annual (3 terms): UGX 4,500,000 + US$600. - Year 7–Year 8: UGX 2,000,000 per term plus US$250 per term. Lunch: UGX 300,000 per term. Annual (3 terms): UGX 6,000,000 + US$750. - Year 9–Year 11: UGX 2,200,000 per term plus US$250 per term. Lunch: UGX 300,000 per term. Annual (3 terms): UGX 6,600,000 + US$750. - Year 12–Year 13: UGX 3,000,000 per term plus US$500 per term. Lunch: UGX 300,000 per term. Annual (3 terms): UGX 9,000,000 + US$1,500.
Tuition — National curriculum (per term) - P1–P7: UGX 800,000 per term. Lunch: UGX 800,000 per term (reported as the second column under National curriculum). Annual (3 terms): UGX 2,400,000 (tuition) + UGX 2,400,000 (lunch).
Family discounts - First child: full fees. - Second child: 10% discount. - Third child: 15% discount. - Fourth child: 20% discount.
Billing schedule and payment terms - Fees are published and charged on a per-term basis; the academic year is billed in three terms (trimester), so annual totals equal per-term amounts multiplied by three. - Fees are paid via bank (bank deposit / bank transfer). Bank slips can be collected from the school office. Specific due dates per term are not listed here.
Boarding - No boarding fees are listed; no boarding programme or boarding charges are indicated.
Other costs and typical additional charges - Lunch is charged per term as shown above and is listed separately from tuition. - No uniform fee, development fee, exam fee, or extracurricular price schedule is specified in the published fee structure provided here. Any optional club or activity fees and any exam or subject-specific charges are not listed in this fee schedule.
Refunds and adjustments - No refund policy or explicit refund terms are published in the fee schedule. Refunds or fee adjustments are not specified.
Accepted currencies and payment notes - Fees appear in Ugandan shillings (UGX) and in US dollars (USD) for certain year groups; the schedule notes that payments are made at the bank. Specific electronic payment methods (credit card, online payment portal, or mobile money) are not detailed in the published fee schedule.
Summary - Per-term tuition rates by year group and the separate per-term lunch charges are provided above; annual totals shown are calculated as three times the per-term amounts in line with the three-term billing structure. Registration is a one-time fee (UGX 100,000 for national registration or US$50 for international registration). Family discounts for multiple children apply as listed. Payment is made by bank deposit/transfer and bank slips can be collected from the school office.
Fee details
Application and Admission Fees - Interview (application) fee: UGX 150,000 per applicant. - Admission fee (one-time, non-refundable): USD 100.
Tuition fees by year group (per term and annual total) - Foundation (Early Years to Reception, ages 1.5–4): UGX 2,490,000 per term (USD 100 per term). Annual total (3 terms): UGX 7,470,000 (USD 300). - Lower Primary (Year 1 to Year 3, ages 5–7): UGX 2,590,000 per term (USD 150 per term). Annual total (3 terms): UGX 7,770,000 (USD 450). - Upper Primary (Year 4 to Year 6, ages 8–10): UGX 2,920,000 per term (USD 200 per term). Annual total (3 terms): UGX 8,760,000 (USD 600). - Lower Secondary (Year 7 to Year 9): UGX 3,150,000 per term (USD 350 per term). Annual total (3 terms): UGX 9,450,000 (USD 1,050). - Upper Secondary (Year 10 to Year 13): Fee not published / listed as TBD in the available fee schedule.
Billing schedule and payment terms - The academic year is divided into three terms; tuition is payable each term. Prompt payment is desirable. - Payments may be made in both Ugandan shillings (UGX) and US dollars (USD) where shown. Tuition amounts are shown in both currencies for the applicable year groups. - When paying by electronic bank transfer (EFT/RTGS), use the child's name as the payment reference. All payments should be made using the SchoolPay system or to the school bank account. No cash payments are accepted at the school.
Boarding fees - No boarding or boarding fees are listed in the published fee schedule; the available fee schedule indicates day-school arrangements (tuition includes lunch) and does not specify boarding charges. This indicates boarding is not applicable in the published schedule.
Other costs and regularly listed additional fees - Development fee (annual): UGX 250,000. - Swimming: UGX 160,000 per term. - Co-curricular activities: listed range UGX 60,000 to UGX 170,000 (amounts may vary by activity; listed as TBC for some activities). - Outdoor education trips and Checkpoint examination fees (Year 6 & Year 9): amounts listed as TBC in the published schedule. - School uniform (full-set prices by stage): - Early Years & Reception (full set): UGX 285,000. - Year 1 to Year 6 (full set): UGX 380,000. - Year 7 to Year 9 (full set): UGX 450,000. - The published uniform schedule also lists unit prices for items (e.g., shirts, trousers, jumpers, socks, belts) and typical quantities per set; parents should budget for the full-set amount shown for the relevant year group.
Refund information - Refunds are permitted only under the school's stated terms and conditions; refunds are subject to the rules set out in the Parents' Handbook. Specific refund conditions (timing, amounts forfeited, or eligibility) are defined in those terms.
Fee payment options (methods accepted and instructions) - SchoolPay online payment system (SchoolPay code provided on the application form). - Electronic bank transfer (EFT) / Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) to the school bank account; use the child's name as the payment reference. - The published instructions explicitly state that all payments must be made via SchoolPay or the school bank account and that no cash payments are allowed at the school.
Brief note on the fee schedule used - The details above are taken from the school's published Fee Structure (2024–2025) and the school's Fees Schedule page, which are the most recent fee documents available in the school's public admissions materials. No later academic-year fee schedule (2025–2026 or 2026–2027) was found in the school's published downloads at the time of review.
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
—
House system
House system
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House system
—
Governance and ownership
Governance and ownership
—
Governance and ownership
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Academics
Academics
Curriculum details
Curriculum details
The school offers Cambridge International Education at primary and pre-school levels.
Curriculum details
The curriculum is interactive, reflective and fun. It imparts lifelong learning skills including communication, collaboration, problem-solving, innovation, research, risk-taking and strategic thinking, focusing on 21st-century competencies. Core subjects Math, English, Science, and Global Perspectives are integrated with co-curricular activities. Physical Education (P.E.), music, ICT, French, Kiswahili and field trips are included in the program. Bible teachings are incorporated in lessons.
Student teacher ratio
Student teacher ratio
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Student teacher ratio
—
Exam results
Exam results
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Exam results
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Higher education progression
Higher education progression
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Higher education progression
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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
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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
—
Academic facilities
Academic facilities
—
Academic facilities
—
Extra curricular facilities
Extra curricular facilities
—
Extra curricular facilities
—
Parent experience
Parent experience
History
History
—
History
—
Community
Community
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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
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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
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Awards
—
Accreditations
Accreditations
—
Accreditations
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Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
1. Submit Admission Form. The school considers all applicants equally deserving and evaluates every application with great care. Families should take time to fill out the Admission Form in the Admissions section to provide the information the school uses to review applications. The Admission Form collects Student Info (Admission Number, Admission Date, First Name, Middle Name, Last Name, Date of Birth, Gender, Address, State, City, Zip Code, Mobile Number, Email, Previous School), Siblings Information, and Family Information to support the review. 2. Early Action timeline. Early Action applicants apply by the November 1 deadline and hear from the school by mid-December. The admissions team reviews each application with care. The process emphasizes careful evaluation of every application. Applicants should monitor communications from the admissions office for updates.
Admissions
1. Visit any of our campuses and see the Admissions Officer or Head Teacher. You will be requested to book an appointment to assess your child. The assessment aims to gauge the student's progress and identify if they will need special or additional support on enrolment. The student's performance in the assessment does not affect the admission decision. 2. You will be requested to fill the Admission Forms. 3. You will be given a deposit slip or bank details to make your initial Admission deposit. Your admission will not be considered complete until you have returned the deposit slip. 4. Alternative application process. For alternative application process, click the link below to apply online. Online Application. 5. On admission, the following documents are required: A copy of birth certificate and, for Early Years, a copy of the immunization card; Two passport size photos for the student; One passport photo and copy of national identity card or passport details for parents/guardian; One passport photo and copy of national identity card or passport details for emergency contact; Copies of the last 3 report cards from the previous school (where applicable). The passport photos can be scanned and emailed along with the other documents.