Lakeside International School

Located on a 200-acre aquaculture farm in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Lakeside International School sits near Tablazo de Sardinal in Carrillo. It is about a 15-minute drive to the beach communities of Playas del Coco, Ocotal and Panama, and roughly 15 minutes from Liberia International Airport. Private and public bus services operate in the surrounding area.

Four levels: Early Years (ages 3–5; PreK-Prepa), Primary Years, Middle Years, and High School. The Middle Years Curriculum is IMYC, and the High School program combines standards with an international focus.

Private, independent bilingual international school.

Learning support is available; the school can offer places to students with mild learning difficulties; difficulties must be disclosed.

Costa Rica

Private and public bus service is available in surrounding areas.

The school uses English and Spanish as the primary languages of instruction. Early Years serves children aged 3 to 5 (PreK-Prepa) with thematically based units and learning outcomes across four strands: independence and interdependence, exploring, communicating and healthy living. Primary Years uses an internationally minded, thematically integrated curriculum that develops skills across subject areas and emphasizes applying knowledge to everyday life. The curriculum in Middle Years follows the International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC), focusing on independence, interdependence, active learning and conceptual themes. High School is based on strong standards, augmenting the National Curriculum with an international focus; eight subject groups are taught (language, humanities, social studies, sciences, mathematics, arts, physical education, technology) and five Areas of Interaction guide learning. Personal projects, community service and university preparation are integral to the Secondary Program.

Small class sizes. The Lakeside Learning Community brings together administrators, teachers and parents and students to nurture lifelong learning.

Graduates are prepared for university inside and outside Costa Rica.

Lakeside uses the Lakeside Learner Profile as the guiding philosophy for learning, and students develop Leadership, Perseverance, Confidence, Social Consciousness, Critical Thinking, Creativity, Independence, Problem Solving, and Communicative abilities. They strive to be world citizens who collaborate, advocate, and make a difference, while continually reflecting on growth and learning in multiple languages.

The school can only offer places to students with mild learning difficulties. Where possible, any difficulties that are known must be declared so that individual needs can be assessed and support can be determined and arranged.

The school offers bilingual education in English and Spanish, with approximately 50% of instructional time devoted to each language. An ESL/SSL Intensive Program is available for grades 7–11 as an after‑school language course for $40 per month.

1. Introduction to Lakeside. On the first visit, the programs and facilities are introduced and meetings between parents and staff are arranged. 2. Submit documents. The completed application form and all required documents are submitted to the office, including the application fee, copies of the transcripts from the previous two years, copies of the student and parent/guardian passports and visas, and two small photos. 3. Student interview and placement tests. Oral interviews are conducted in English and Spanish; written tests cover English, Spanish, and Mathematics. 4. Review and acceptance. The director reviews the documentation and placement test results; upon acceptance, a letter is issued to the parents and fees are calculated and invoiced. 5. Finalize application. Tuition fees are paid; an Educational Services Contract is signed; arrangements for the school bus and insurance (if applicable) are made. 6. Welcome to Lakeside. Uniforms and books are collected and the weekly schedule is provided.