If you’re moving to Cascais with children, the school is usually the first big decision. It decides where you live, how your mornings look, and often how quickly your family settles in.
The good news is that there’s a lot of choice. Between Cascais, Sintra and the west of Lisbon you’ll find IB schools, British and Cambridge schools, American schools, and French, German and Spanish national schools.
This page lists them all in one place, grouped by curriculum, with links to a profile for each school. Some international families prefer a Portuguese school or an English-speaking nursery, so the browse list above also includes internationally friendly bilingual colégios and nurseries; use the Type filter to switch between them. The tables below cover the international and national-system schools.
Last checked: 21 October 2026. Every fact here comes from the school’s own website.
How to use this list
Start with the curriculum you want, then look at the town. Then open each school’s profile for ages, fees and links to the school’s own pages.
If budget is your first filter, our international school fees guide puts the 2026/27 figures side by side.
All schools at a glance
| School | Town | Curriculum | Ages / year groups | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Julian’s School | Carcavelos | English National Curriculum to GCSE, then IB Diploma or Career-related Programme; bilingual section | 3 to 18 | Profile |
| St. Dominic’s International School | São Domingos de Rana | IB: PYP, MYP, DP | 3 to 18 | Profile |
| King’s College School, Cascais | Cascais | Cambridge to IGCSE, then IB Diploma (authorised by the IB since 15 May 2026) or A Levels | From age 1 to Year 13 | Profile |
| Santo António International School (SAIS) | Monte Estoril | Cambridge: IGCSE, A Level / AICE | 2 to 19 | Profile |
| IPS Cascais British International School | Alcabideche (Bicesse) | English National Curriculum to IGCSE; A Levels announced | Nursery (age 3) to Year 11 | Profile |
| Prime School International | Estoril (also Lisbon and Sintra) | Cambridge to A Level | 3 to 18 | Profile |
| International Christian School of Cascais | Alcabideche | American-style, Christian | PreK to Grade 12 | Profile |
| Oeiras International School | Barcarena, Oeiras | IB: PYP, MYP, DP | Year 1 (age 5) to Year 13 | Profile |
| International Sharing School Lisbon | Porto Salvo, Oeiras | IB: PYP, MYP, DP | Nursery to Grade 12 | Profile |
| Instituto Español Giner de los Ríos | Cruz Quebrada-Dafundo, Oeiras | Spanish system | Educación Infantil to Bachillerato | Profile |
| Carlucci American International School of Lisbon | Linhó, Sintra | American High School Diploma, plus IB Diploma option | 3 to 18 | Profile |
| TASIS Portugal | Sintra | Core Knowledge, IGCSE, IB Diploma | Pre-K to Grade 12 | Profile |
| PaRK International School | Alfragide, Restelo, Lisbon | Bilingual PT/EN, then Cambridge, A Levels, IB Diploma | 1 to 18 | Profile |
| The British School of Lisbon | Lisbon and Restelo | English National Curriculum | Nursery (age 3) to Year 13 | Profile |
| Redbridge International School | Lisbon | French, Portuguese and Cambridge pathways; IB Diploma candidate school | 3 to 18 | Profile |
| The Lisboan | Lisbon | Cambridge to IGCSE; IB Diploma candidate school | Nursery to Year 10 for now | Profile |
| Lycée français Charles Lepierre | Lisbon | French curriculum (AEFE) | Petite section (age 3) to Terminale | Profile |
| Deutsche Schule Lissabon | Lisbon (Telheiras) | German system | Kindergarten to Klasse 12 | Profile |
Schools by curriculum
IB schools
Three schools offer the full IB journey, from the Primary Years Programme to the Diploma: St. Dominic’s International School in São Domingos de Rana, Oeiras International School in Barcarena, and International Sharing School Lisbon in Porto Salvo.
Others add the IB Diploma in the last two years of school. St. Julian’s School offers the IB Diploma or IB Career-related Programme after GCSEs. CAISL, TASIS Portugal, PaRK International School and King’s College School, Cascais also offer the IB Diploma.
King’s College School, Cascais: IB Diploma authorised (IB school finder, since 15 May 2026). The school’s own website still describes it as a candidate school (checked 21 October 2026).
Redbridge International School and The Lisboan describe themselves as IB Diploma candidate schools. That means authorisation hasn’t been granted yet.
For programmes, ages, fees and published results side by side, see our guide to IB schools in Lisbon and Cascais.
British and Cambridge schools
For an English-style education, there are two broad routes. The English National Curriculum is the one used in schools in England. Cambridge International is a British-based curriculum designed for schools abroad.
- English National Curriculum: St. Julian’s School in Carcavelos, The British School of Lisbon, and IPS Cascais in Bicesse, Alcabideche (to IGCSE for now; A Levels announced).
- Cambridge International: SAIS in Monte Estoril, King’s College School, Cascais, Prime School International in Estoril, PaRK International School and The Lisboan.
At 16, some of these schools continue with A Levels, some switch to the IB Diploma, and a few offer both. If you already know which your child will need, check this early.
American schools
Carlucci American International School of Lisbon in Linhó awards an American High School Diploma, with the IB Diploma as an option. TASIS Portugal in Sintra combines Core Knowledge, IGCSEs and the IB Diploma. The International Christian School of Cascais in Alcabideche offers an American-style curriculum within a Christian ethos.
French, German and Spanish schools
If your children have been in another country’s system, these schools let them carry on:
- French: Lycée français Charles Lepierre in Lisbon, part of the AEFE network. Redbridge International School also runs a French International Programme alongside its other pathways.
- German: Deutsche Schule Lissabon. From 2026/27 it teaches only at its Telheiras campus in north Lisbon, as the Estoril campus has closed.
- Spanish: Instituto Español Giner de los Ríos in Cruz Quebrada-Dafundo.
Bilingual Portuguese and English
If you’d like your child to become fluent in Portuguese, a few schools teach in both languages. These are the bilingual section at St. Julian’s, the bilingual stream at King’s College School, Cascais up to Year 5, PaRK’s bilingual teaching up to 4º ano, and Redbridge’s Portuguese International Programme.
Schools by area
- Cascais and Estoril: King’s College School, Cascais; SAIS in Monte Estoril; Prime School International in Estoril; IPS Cascais in Bicesse, Alcabideche; and ICSC in Alcabideche.
- Carcavelos and São Domingos de Rana: St. Julian’s School and St. Dominic’s International School.
- Oeiras: Oeiras International School in Barcarena, ISS Lisbon in Porto Salvo, and the Instituto Español in Cruz Quebrada-Dafundo.
- Sintra side: CAISL in Linhó and TASIS Portugal.
- Lisbon and just outside: PaRK, The British School of Lisbon, Redbridge, The Lisboan, the Lycée français Charles Lepierre and Deutsche Schule Lissabon.
Still deciding where to live? Our guide to where families live in Cascais, by school run maps each area to its schools and shows which areas the school buses say they cover.
How to choose
There’s no single best school, only the best fit for your child. These questions usually narrow things down quickly:
- Which curriculum makes sense for your next move? If you might move again, pick a system your child can carry with them.
- How long is the school run? Try the journey at 8am before you sign a lease. Many families choose the school first and then the house.
- What will it really cost? Add one-off entry fees, meals, bus and exams to tuition. Our fees guide shows how.
- What happens at 16? Check whether the school offers A Levels, the IB Diploma or both, and that the route you want is fully authorised.
- How does your child feel there? Visit if you can. Watch how teachers speak to children, and ask to see a normal school day.
How we check facts
We read every fact on the school’s own website: its pages, fee tables and published PDFs. We don’t use directories or reviews. Each profile shows when it was last checked and links to its sources.
Schools change fees and programmes every year, so please confirm the details with the school before you apply.
What to do next
Pick three or four schools from the table that match your curriculum and area. Open their profiles, compare the fees, and book visits. Our open days and enrolment calendar lists upcoming open days and how each school handles applications.
Then trust what you see on the day. You know your child best, and the right school is usually the one where you can picture them happy.