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Chatterbox Schools and College

Italy, Cagliari

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English, Italian
Fees €8,100
Ages 1 - 14 years
Opened 2000
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum Cambridge (Primary), Cambridge (Secondary), Italian Curriculum
Taught languages English, Italian, French, Mandarin
Strengths Languages, Outdoor Education, Academic Enrichment
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Social and Hobbies
Stages Infant/Toddler Care, Early Years, Preschool, Primary School, Secondary School
Introduction

Chatterbox Schools and College is an independent Cambridge International School serving children from 18 months to 14 years across Sardinia. The Cambridge path covers Primary and Secondary, while nursery and some English courses are taught monolingually in English, with Primary and Secondary education offered bilingually in Italian and English. The Viale La Plaia, Via Tempio, and Quartu sites provide varied spaces: a 300-square-metre internal area at Viale La Plaia beside a 1,500-square-metre garden; Via Tempio occupies the first two floors of a 10,000-square-metre facility with classrooms, plus front courtyard and back playground; Quartu offers 250 square metres per age group plus outdoor space. Established in 2000 as Sardinia's English nursery and primary with a bilingual curriculum, Chatterbox emphasises continuity across age groups and project-based learning, including Pandas Olympics project and a house system with Windsor, Stuart, Tudor, and York. Extracurriculars include Academic and Intellectual clubs and Social and Hobbies activities.

Via Tempio 15 (front office Via Tempio 27), 09127 Cagliari (CA), Italy

The Essentials

Chatterbox Schools and College has instruction in English, Italian.

Location
Chatterbox operates across three campuses in Sardinia, Italy: Viale La Plaia (CA), behind the railway station; Via Tempio (CA) in the historic city centre; and Chatterbox Quartu (Via Cilea, 74) in Quartu Sant'Elena. The Viale La Plaia site was the launch site in May 2000 and is located behind the railway station, surrounded by a garden. The Via Tempio site is in the city centre and hosts Reception, Primary, and the bilingual Secondary project, plus the College's afternoon English courses. The Quartu site hosts the English Playschool for ages 12 months to 6 years in the heart of Quartu Sant'Elena.

Stages
Playschool (18 months–4 years) at Viale La Plaia; Reception, Primary, and a bilingual Secondary project (lower secondary preparation) at Via Tempio; College (afternoon English courses) at Via Tempio; English Playschool (12 months–6 years) at Quartu Sant'Elena.

Type
Independent Cambridge International School in Sardinia offering Cambridge Assessment International Education programmes; bilingual Italian/English for Primary and Secondary; monolingual English for Playschool and College English courses.

Country affiliation
Italy (Sardinia)

School day structure
Open Mon–Thu 8:00–13:00 and 13:45–16:30; Fri 8:00–13:00 and 13:45–15:30.
Diving Deeper

Uniform Requirement
The school has uniforms in line with British traditions, including formal and sports uniforms.

House System
The school has a house system with four houses: Windsor, Stuart, Tudor, York.

Governance and Ownership
The school is operated by Chatterbox Srl, a private limited company registered in Italy (P.Iva IT02587260924).
Fees

Annual tuition at Chatterbox Schools and College ranges from EUR 8,100 for 2026/27.

Application & registration fees
- Starters (from 18 months): Registration fee (first year) €1,000. Enrolment fee for returning Chatterbox pupils €200.
- Primary (Reception and Primary years): First‑year registration fees listed as €1,050 / €1,100 / €1,150 / €1,200 depending on the primary year of entry. Enrolment fee for returning pupils €200.
- Secondary (Secondary Project / College): Enrolment fee for current Chatterbox students €200; registration fee for siblings or pupils coming from recognised international schools €750; registration fee for external applicants not from recognised international schools €1,250.

Tuition fees by year group (annual amounts and equivalent per term)
- Starters (18 months): Annual fee (single payment) €8,100. Alternative payment: 10 monthly instalments of €830 (total €8,300; instalment surcharge €200). Per term (annual ÷ 3): €2,700 if paid as single annual payment; if paid on the 10‑month instalment plan the total divides to approximately €2,766.67 per term.
- Movers I (age 3), Movers II (age 4) and Reception (age 5): Annual fee (single payment) €8,100. Monthly instalment option: 12 instalments of €695 (total €8,340; instalment surcharge approx. €240). Per term (annual ÷ 3): €2,700 as single payment; instalment total divides to approximately €2,780 per term. Registration fees for primary years are listed separately (see Application & registration fees above).
- Primary (all listed primary year groups): Annual fee (single payment) €8,100. 12‑month instalment plan: €695 per month (total €8,340). Per term (annual ÷ 3): €2,700 single payment; instalment total ≈ €2,780 per term. Registration fee for first year varies by entry year as above.
- Secondary Project / College: Annual fee (single payment) €8,100. 12‑month instalment plan: €695 per month (total €8,340). No sibling discount is offered for the Secondary Project. Per term (annual ÷ 3): €2,700 single payment; instalment total ≈ €2,780 per term.

Billing schedule and payment terms
- Annual enrolment fee of €200 is payable by 15 January 2026 (annual enrolment / reconfirmation payment). Payment Option I (single payment): annual fee due between 1 and 5 September 2026; payment may be made by bank draft / bank transfer. Payment Option II (instalments): 12 monthly instalments require a standing‑order mandate from the bank showing first instalment on 5 July 2026 and concluding on 5 June 2027 (Starters have a separate 10‑month instalment arrangement). Specific bank account details (IBAN/BIC) are provided for the different sites. Payments by standing order / bank transfer are required for instalment plans; single annual payment is accepted by bank transfer. Credit card payment is not listed in the published payment options.

Boarding fees
- Boarding is not offered; the school programme covers Starters through lower secondary / College age and no boarding fees are published.

Other costs and extras
- Uniform: Uniform is available from an authorised dealer; uniform items and mandatory use are described but prices are not published in the fee materials. Uniform requirements are set by the school.
- Extra hours / wraparound care: Extra hours on request at €7 per hour. Early hours (pre‑arrival) are included. After‑school provision to 17:00 (Oct–Jun, Monday–Thursday) is listed with published annual charges shown as €990 and €590 (different rates apply by section/site).
- Sibling arrangements: A sibling reduction of €600 is applied as a deduction from the first instalment. For families with three children, two siblings pay full rates and the oldest child is charged only for lunches and extras. (Secondary Project states no sibling discount.)
- Curriculum extras: Secondary section lists additional L2 (Italian for foreigners) lessons at €10 per hour. Other incidental costs such as lunches, school trips or specialist services are charged separately when applicable; specific prices for lunches and trips are not published in the fee schedule.

Refund information
- No explicit refund / cancellation terms for tuition or enrolment payments are published in the 2026–2027 fee schedule or in the school regulations available with the fee materials. Where a published refund policy is required by the family, no specific refund amounts, pro‑rata rules, or timelines for reimbursement are stated in the documents provided for 2026–2027.

Fee payment options (methods explicitly listed)
- Bank transfer (bonifico) / bank draft for single annual payment. Standing order / bank transfer required for instalment plans. The fee schedule provides IBAN and BIC/SWIFT account details specific to the school site (Movers & Starters, Reception & Primary, Secondary Project / College). No credit‑card or online card payment option is listed in the published 2026–2027 fee materials. Example account entries as published: Mov ers/Starters (UNICREDIT) IBAN IT28T0200804810000001020662; Reception/Primary (BANCO DI SARDEGNA) IBAN IT09P01015048020000070045735; Secondary Project (UNICREDIT) IBAN IT21H0200804810000101655969. Parents must provide standing‑order documentation to the school when selecting the instalment plan.

Summary of missing or unclear items found in the published materials
- The published 2026–2027 fee schedule gives annual amounts and instalment plans but does not publish explicit per‑term invoices; per‑term amounts above are the result of dividing the published annual figure by three. Specific paid‑term invoice amounts are not printed in the fee schedule. (Annual → per‑term calculations above are arithmetic divisions of published annual totals.)
- The fee schedule lists four different first‑year primary registration fees (€1,050 / €1,100 / €1,150 / €1,200) but does not map each amount to a clearly labelled individual primary year within the PDF. The after‑school annual rates (€990 and €590) are published but the fee schedule does not label each rate unambiguously by section in the same line; therefore both figures are reported as published.
- No explicit published refund, cancellation or pro‑rata reimbursement rules were found in the 2026–2027 fee schedule or in the available school regulations.
Academics

Chatterbox Schools and College teaches Cambridge (Primary), Cambridge (Secondary), Italian Curriculum for students aged 1 to 14.

Curriculum
The school serves children from 18 months to 14 years and is a Cambridge International School offering Cambridge Assessment International Education programmes (part of the University of Cambridge). It provides monolingual English education for Nursery, Playschool and evening English courses, and bilingual Italian/English education for the ministry-recognised Primary School and the Secondary Project (a bilingual course preparing students for lower secondary).
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
The school promotes social and emotional development through CARE values: Collaboration, Achievement, Respect and Empathy. It aims to create a calm, purposeful, positive, respectful and safe environment for pupils. Learning strategies include learning through play, individual and small-group work, and collaboration with families to support personal and social growth.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)
The school has a Special Educational Needs Teacher on staff.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
All classes are taught in English. The school is a Cambridge International School, and English is the official language across Playschool, Primary, and Secondary.

Mental Wellbeing
The Welfare Officer supports pupil welfare and wellbeing. The CARE values emphasize Empathy and respectful relationships, contributing to a supportive mental-wellbeing environment.

Safeguarding
The school commits to a calm, safe and respectful environment for pupils and families, with Welfare Officer support as part of safeguarding arrangements.
Parent Experience

History
Chatterbox was the first English nursery and primary school in Sardinia to be recognised by the Ministry of Education for a bilingual curriculum. The Viale La Plaia site opened in May 2000 as the project took shape, in a former railway school building behind the station. After four months of renovation, the school opened on 1 September 2000 to 11 original families who joined the bilingual education experiment. Viale La Plaia hosts Playschool Starters and Movers for children aged 18 months to 4 years, in a 300-square-metre building surrounded by 1,500 square metres of garden. The Via Tempio site in Villanova accommodates the Reception class, Primary school, the Secondary project (a bilingual preparation course for lower secondary) and the College section's afternoon English courses. Chatterbox Quartu operates in Quartu Sant'Elena for ages 12 months to 6 years, and the proximity of these sites supports continuity across age groups.

Community
Chatterbox prioritises the early experiences of children as central to development. All classes are taught in English, and the school fosters a multicultural community for learners from diverse backgrounds. The curriculum emphasises learning through play, creativity, problem-solving, and intercultural exchanges with other European countries. Parents are invited to collaborate with the school as co-operators in the learning journey and to support English use where appropriate.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
Parents are involved as co-operators in the learning journey and are encouraged to collaborate with the school as part of the Chatterbox community. The school aims to create a calm, proactive, positive, respectful and safe environment for all students and families. It promises fair treatment of every student and parent and seeks to build strong, respectful relationships with them. Parents are encouraged to communicate concerns positively and work towards solutions, while promoting the use of English when suitable. The CARE values guide the school's approach: Collaboration, Achievement, Respect, and Empathy, which shape parent involvement and community life.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
Chatterbox operates across three campuses in Sardinia: Viale La Plaia, Via Tempio, and Chatterbox Quartu in Quartu Sant'Elena. The Viale La Plaia site has 300 square metres of internal space and is surrounded by 1500 square metres of green garden with fruit trees and flower beds. The Via Tempio site is housed on the first two floors of a 10,000 square metre facility, with large, bright classrooms. The Via Tempio site also includes a small front courtyard and a large back playground used for recreational hours and outdoor activities. Chatterbox Quartu provides 250 square metres of space per age group and an outdoor area for its 12 months to 6 years program.

Sports Facilities
The Via Tempio site includes a large back playground for recreation and outdoor activities. The Viale La Plaia site has 1500 square metres of garden surrounding the building, providing outdoor space for play and physical activity. Chatterbox Quartu offers an outdoor area for its Playgroup and English school communities. All sites provide outdoor spaces that support outdoor learning and play.

Academic Facilities
The Viale La Plaia site provides 300 square metres of internal space for early years and play, while the Via Tempio site is on the first two floors of a 10,000 square metre facility with large, bright classrooms. The Quartu site provides 250 square metres of space per age group for early years education, with dedicated indoor spaces and an outdoor area to support learning.

Extra Curricular Facilities
Outdoor spaces across sites enable outdoor recreation and ludo-educational activities. The Viale La Plaia garden provides space for cultivation and nature-based activities. The Pandas Olympics project, undertaken in February 2026 at the Viale La Plaia site, shows a project-based activity linked to a school-wide theme. Chatterbox Quartu supports continuity across age groups, enabling cross-age activities.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
The school offers education from 18 months to 14 years and is a Cambridge International School registered to offer Cambridge Assessment International Education programmes. It provides monolingual English education for Nursery and Playschool and bilingual Italian/English education for the ministry-recognised Primary School and the Secondary Project, a bilingual course preparing for lower Secondary, following on from the Primary school. The school was established in 2000 as the first English Nursery and Primary school with a bilingual curriculum in Sardinia and is recognised by the Italian Ministry of Education.

Social & Hobbies
The school uses a house system with four houses: Windsor, Stuart, Tudor and York.
Languages

Language Provision
English is the language of instruction for Early Years and the private English-language school. Primary is taught bilingually in Italian and English, and the Secondary Project continues the bilingual pathway (Italian/English). The school serves ages from 18 months to 14 years and uses the Cambridge International Education framework as part of Cambridge International Schools.

Bilingual Teaching
The school offers bilingual education in Italian and English for the Primary School and the Secondary Project. Early Years and the private English-language school operate in English-only instruction. Cambridge International Education is part of the curriculum, and the school is the first Cambridge International School in Sardinia for Primary and Lower Secondary. The age range is from 18 months to 14 years.

Immersion Programs
Bilingual Italian/English immersion is provided in the Primary School via the Secondary Project, creating a continuous bilingual pathway through the school.
Reputation

Accreditations
Cambridge Assessment English — International English Language Certificate; ON-SITE EXAMS.
EIPASS — Information Technology Passport; Junior 1 and 2 certification for Chatterbox students; ON-SITE EXAMS.
Cambridge Assessment International Education — Cambridge program registration; Chatterbox is a Cambridge International School in Sardinia.
Ministry of Education (Italy) — Recognized bilingual English nursery and primary school; first in Sardinia to be recognized by the Italian Ministry of Education.
Admissions

Admissions
1. Determine the correct entry point by age and site. Children are welcomed from 18 months in the Viale La Plaia location into the Starters class, which introduces them to playschool in a bilingual setting. The Starters routine follows a structured day and includes an after-lunch nap to support the settling-in process. The settling-in period is regulated by a calendar that takes the child's birth month into account, and priority is given to siblings already enrolled in Chatterbox. 2. Submit Starters enrolment requests. Enrolment in the Starters Section is reserved for children over 18 months. The calendar-based settling-in period governs when newcomers join the nursery, and siblings already in the Chatterbox circuit have priority. 3. Submit Primary School enrolment requests. Acceptance follows a defined order of priority: children from the Chatterbox Reception Year; children born by 31 December of the year attendance begins; children with older siblings in the Chatterbox circuit; children with more years of attendance in the Chatterbox English School; and children whose parents are native English speakers. 4. Submit Secondary Project enrolment requests. Applications are assessed using criteria such as English certification at B1 level; last-year primary attendance of at least 90%; punctuality of at least 90%; behaviour grade 'distinto' or higher; international primary school experience; and siblings in Chatterbox Secondary or Primary. 5. Attend Open Days and follow admission prerequisites. Open Days provide the opportunity to experience the school and meet staff; registration is appreciated. Admission requires either previous attendance at an international school or at least one English native-speaking parent.
School Events
The school has not added events
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