St. Francis College vs The British College of Brazil - Cidade Jardim
St. Francis College and The British College of Brazil - Cidade Jardim are both in Sao Paulo, about 3 km apart. Both schools offer IB, British and Cambridge IGCSE programmes, and The British College of Brazil - Cidade Jardim also offers EYFS, IPC and Bespoke. Published annual fees are R$115,200 - 144,000 at St. Francis College and R$92,000 - 138,000 at The British College of Brazil - Cidade Jardim, which puts St. Francis College roughly 13% higher. St. Francis College takes pupils from 3 to 18, and The British College of Brazil - Cidade Jardim from 2 to 18. St. Francis College is the larger school, with around 900 pupils to The British College of Brazil - Cidade Jardim's 600.
IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP), British Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE
Curriculum
British Curriculum, EYFS (Early years foundation stage), IPC (International Primary Curriculum), Cambridge IGCSE, IB (DP), Bespoke Curriculum
Pupils
Pupils
900
Pupils
600
Typical class size
Typical class size
—
Typical class size
22
Instruction language
Instruction language
English
Instruction language
English
Opened
Opened
2003
Opened
2011
Bus service
Bus service
No
Bus service
No
Essentials
Essentials
Location
Location
Two campuses in Pinheiros, São Paulo, Brazil. R. Joaquim Antunes, 678 Pinheiros, São Paulo, SP 05415-001 (main gate). R. Cônego Eugênio Leite, 825 Pinheiros, São Paulo, SP 05414-012.
Location
Two campuses serve families in São Paulo. The Chácara Flora Campus is located at Rua Álvares de Azevedo, 50, Chácara Flora, São Paulo, CEP 04671-040, Brazil. The Cidade Jardim Campus is located at Avenida Engenheiro Oscar Americano, 630, Cidade Jardim, São Paulo, CEP 05673-050, Brazil. Both campuses are in São Paulo, Brazil, with access to local transport and amenities in the Chácara Flora and Cidade Jardim districts.
Stages
Stages
Early Years and Primary (IB Primary Years Programme); Secondary (IB Middle Years Programme and IB Diploma Programme). Cambridge IGCSE is offered. The Primary and Secondary curricula are based on the British National Curriculum and MEC guidelines.
Stages
Early Years; Primary; Secondary
School type
School type
IB Continuum international school offering Brazilian and foreign pupils an IB education across PYP, MYP and DP; University offers across many countries.
School type
British international school
Pupil nationality mix
Pupil nationality mix
Over 898 students from more than 16 nationalities.
Pupil nationality mix
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Additional learning support
Additional learning support
—
Additional learning support
—
Country affiliation
Country affiliation
Brazil
Country affiliation
United Kingdom
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation
—
Religious affiliation
—
School day structure
School day structure
A regular day begins at 7:45am for PYP 1–4 and at 8:00am for PYP 5–8. PYP 1–2 have a lunch break; PYP 2–8 have a catered lunch in the canteen. The school day ends between 2:45pm and 3:30pm depending on year level, with students collected by parents or an authorised driver/nanny/friend.
Tuition fees by year group - Early Years (Infantil / Maternal): R$ 9,600 per month. - Upper Primary / Lower Secondary and Upper Secondary (Fundamental II and Ensino Médio): R$ 12,000 per month.
Billing schedule and payment terms - The school publishes a formal Tuition & Fees document (Academic Year 2025/26) and a separate Application & Entrance Fees notice for 2026/27; detailed billing schedules and specific payment-term options (for example: annual vs. monthly invoicing, due dates, penalties for late payment) are set out in those official documents.
Boarding fees (if applicable) - St. Francis College operates as a day school; no boarding fees apply.
Other costs and fees - Uniform: A uniform list is provided for 2025/26; costs for required uniform items are set out on the school's uniform list. - Entrance assessments, external examination fees (IB/other exam registration) and extra-curricular activities may incur additional charges; where applicable these are normally listed separately in the school's tuition documents and fee schedules.
Refund information - The school's family handbook and formal contractual documentation contain refund and cancellation terms (refundability of the registration fee, conditions for partial refunds of tuition, deadlines for withdrawal, and any administrative penalties). Those terms are set out in the school's official policies.
Fee payment options - The school's tuition documentation indicates the available payment methods and terms; specific accepted payment methods (for example: bank transfer, boleto bancário, credit card, direct debit) and instalment arrangements are described in the official Tuition & Fees and Admissions materials.
Brief note on sources and availability - The figures above (application fee and the reported monthly tuition amounts) come from recent published summaries and local press reporting. Official, detailed line‑by‑line fee schedules and the school's full billing/payment terms are published by the school in its Tuition & Fees and Admissions documents (Academic Year 2025/26 and Application & Entrance Fees 2026/27), which are referenced by the school's admissions portal; those official documents contain the complete breakdown by year group, term and payment options. The school is listed as a day school with no boarding.
Fee details
Application and Enrollment Fee - Application fee for new applicants: R$ 1,200 (not applicable to students transferring from other Nord Anglia Education schools). - First fixed payment taken as an enrollment fee: R$ 13,000 (paid at acceptance for new enrolments). This initial payment is followed by the chosen instalment plan.
Tuition fees by year group (2025–26 academic year) - Ages 2–3 (Pre-Nursery / Nursery): Yearly fee R$ 92,000; monthly instalment plan shown as 11 x R$ 8,364. - Age 4 (Reception): Yearly fee R$ 104,000; monthly instalment plan shown as 11 x R$ 9,454. - Ages 5–9 (Years 1–5): Yearly fee R$ 118,000; monthly instalment plan shown as 11 x R$ 10,727. - Age 10 (Year 6): Yearly fee R$ 134,000; monthly instalment plan shown as 11 x R$ 12,182. - Ages 11–17 (Years 7–13): Yearly fee R$ 138,000; monthly instalment plan shown as 11 x R$ 12,545.
How fees are billed and payment terms - Billing schedule: tuition and lunch fees are collected on the 25th of each month. The school publishes an 11-month instalment plan for monthly payments. Annual, semester and termly payment plans are also offered. - Instalment structure as published: an initial fixed enrollment payment (R$ 13,000) is taken, followed by 11 monthly instalments as shown in the fee table. Annual, semester and termly plans are available as alternatives. - Discounts and adjustments (applied to fee payments as published): second child 10% off monthly fee; other siblings 5% off monthly fee; yearly payment receives a 6% discount; semester payment 4% discount; termly payment 3% discount. Fees and discounts for families enrolling during the academic year are calculated pro rata. - Leaving/early-termination charge: if a child leaves before the termination of the contract a fine of R$ 15,000 is charged.
Boarding fees - Boarding is not listed among the school's fees; no boarding fee schedule is published. (No boarding charges are provided in the school's published fee schedule.)
Other costs and optional fees - School uniform: sold by an external supplier; approximate annual cost R$ 2,500 (varies by quantity purchased). - English as a Second Language (EAL / ESL) support: R$ 860 per month (optional/additional). - Lunch fees: published as 11 x R$ 960 (i.e., charged across the instalment structure shown). - School bus: not offered by the school. - External examination charges (charged in foreign currency plus taxes and administrative charges): IGCSE exams published at US$ 100.95 per IGCSE taken (plus taxes) or US$ 201.85 for a double award (science) plus tax and a 15% administrative charge and certificate; IB examination fees estimated at US$ 123 per subject (plus taxes) plus a 15% administrative charge and certificate.
Refunds and contract-related charges - The published fee schedule specifies a contractual fine of R$ 15,000 where the child leaves before the end of the contract. The fees page also states that fees and discounts for families enrolling during the academic year will be calculated pro rata. No separate general refund schedule for other circumstances is published in the fees document.
Fee payment options - The published fee information specifies the instalment options (annual, semester, termly, monthly instalments) and the monthly collection date (25th) but does not list specific accepted payment methods (for example, credit card, bank transfer or direct debit) in the published fees document.
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
—
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
The school offers the IB Continuum Programme with the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP). The IB Continuum Programme is applied school-wide, supporting multilingualism, curriculum alignment and smooth transitions between programmes. The formal curriculum is guided by the Brazilian and British National Curricula and meets MEC requirements for students aged 3 to 19. Portuguese language subjects include Brazilian literature, Portuguese language, and the history and geography of Brazil. Pupils graduate with a Brazilian studies diploma alongside the IB Diploma.
Curriculum details
The British College of Brazil offers a bilingual program with English and Portuguese in Early Years and Primary, and English, Portuguese, and Spanish in Secondary. The Juilliard curriculum features in music, and students prepare for IGCSEs and the IBDP in the secondary phase. Maker Lab and STEAM laboratories support project-based learning, and there is a university counsellor who provides one-on-one guidance for university applications.
Student teacher ratio
Student teacher ratio
Today there are over 898 students and more than 100 full-time teachers, yielding an approximate student–teacher ratio of about 9:1.
Student teacher ratio
10:1
Exam results
Exam results
—
Exam results
—
Higher education progression
Higher education progression
Offers in 19 countries and from over 270 universities worldwide. A Careers Department provides guidance on future education, college majors, applications, scholarships and financial aid, and supports activities such as Careers Day, work shadowing and university fairs. University fairs and visits are held on campus to connect students with higher education opportunities and to showcase where past students have attended university.
Higher education progression
One-on-one university counsellor provides guidance for university applications and helps students prepare to attend their first-choice university, with IGCSE and IBDP preparation included in the secondary program.
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
—
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
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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
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Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
1. Admission overview. St. Francis College is an IB Continuum school serving Brazilian and international pupils, and admission is determined after evaluations and interviews. DP1 eligibility requires completion of the IGCSE programme or MYP eAssessments. Applicants from abroad may be accepted at different times during the year, contingent on vacancy. 2. Second semester 2026 deadlines. Applications for the second semester (January 2026) must be completed by Monday, November 3rd, 2025 for PYP 2 - MYP 5. Openings for international applicants are handled on vacancy basis; evaluations and interviews are conducted before acceptance. 3. Next academic year deadlines. Applications for the next academic year (August 2026) must be completed by Friday, February 13th, 2026 for PYP1 (26/27) and by Friday, May 11th, 2026 for PYP 2 - DP 1 (26/27). Open Days for PYP1 occur in October and March, and entrance assessments for EYP & Secondary take place in May and November. 4. DP1 eligibility and year-abroad policy. Applicants for DP1 must have completed the IGCSE or MYP eAssessments to be eligible. Evaluations and interviews are conducted prior to acceptance. Students wishing to study abroad for a year are not eligible to do so in MYP 5, DP 1, or DP 2.