How many British schools in Taipei
Taipei has a small and tightly clustered British curriculum offer rather than a deep market of competing schools. The single largest provider is the British Section at Taipei European School, which runs from Early Years through to the end of IGCSE in Year 11. The British Section sits inside the wider TES structure that also houses the French and German national sections in the lower years, then converges at TES High School on Yangmingshan for the integrated IB Diploma. Around 600 students take the British Section route at any given time, with a settled British, Commonwealth and English-speaking European family base.
Outside TES, Taipei holds a handful of smaller settings that deliver British-influenced primary phases, including elements of the English National Curriculum, Cambridge Primary and IGCSE alongside other accreditation. Most of these sit in Tianmu within walking distance of TES, serving families who prefer a smaller setting in the lower years or who arrived after TES enrolment closed for a given cohort. A small number of Taipei private schools also offer IGCSE within a wider bilingual or trilingual framework, drawing predominantly Taiwanese families. For the wider Taipei international school market see our Taipei city hub and the global British curriculum hub.
The single most important structural point is the British Section pathway into the TES IB Diploma. Taipei does not host a separate A Level sixth form: British Section IGCSE graduates from Year 11 transition into the IB Diploma at TES High School in Year 12. Families committed to a pure A Level sixth form route typically either move out of Taipei, board their teenager at a UK independent school or move across to a sister TES family elsewhere in Asia.
Fees and the TES tier
British curriculum fees in Taipei sit at the upper end of the city market because the dominant provider, Taipei European School, is one of the highest fee schools in the Asia-Pacific region. TES British Section tuition in 2026 starts at roughly TWD 750,000 a year in Reception and rises to around TWD 1,000,000 a year by Year 11 IGCSE. In US dollar terms, that is roughly USD 24,000 to USD 32,000 per year before extras. Capital or facility fees of around TWD 150,000 to TWD 200,000 sit on entry, transport from TWD 35,000 to TWD 60,000 a year depending on home district, lunch around TWD 25,000, and IGCSE examination fees of TWD 18,000 to TWD 25,000 across Year 10 and Year 11.
Smaller British-influenced settings in Tianmu run materially below the TES tier, with primary fees around TWD 480,000 to TWD 620,000 a year. The trade-off is curriculum breadth and the loss of the TES feeder route into the IB Diploma. For the full fee picture see our Taipei fees guide, and run the broader relocation budget through the cost calculator.
British Section TES, or a smaller Tianmu primary?
Take our 5 minute school finder quiz. We shortlist three Taipei British curriculum options based on your child's age, your budget and your home district.
Illustrative example schools
The schools below are illustrative, not a ranking. Each runs an established British curriculum provision with a distinct identity in the Taipei market.
Taipei European School British Section on Yangmingshan, with a primary base in Tianmu and the secondary site on Yangde Boulevard, is the anchor British curriculum provider in Taipei. Full English National Curriculum from Early Years to Year 11 IGCSE, COBIS membership through TES, and a feeder route directly into the TES IB Diploma at Year 12. A settled British and Commonwealth family base, strong music and creative arts faculty, and a respected sports programme tied to the wider TES facilities on Yangde Boulevard.
Taipei British School in Tianmu is a smaller primary setting drawing British-influenced curriculum elements alongside an English-medium framework. The cohort is typically British and English-speaking European families who want a smaller primary setting before considering TES or repatriation, plus mixed-nationality families who prefer the smaller class environment.
Bethany Christian School British Stream in Tianmu blends an American and British-influenced curriculum within a faith-based framework. Smaller cohort than TES, with a settled mixed Christian and Commonwealth family base. The British curriculum elements run alongside SAT and US college counselling support in the upper years.
Where British families live
British families in Taipei cluster heavily in Tianmu, in the southern foothills of Yangmingshan in Shilin District. Tianmu has been the centre of British, European and Commonwealth family life in Taipei for over 30 years, with a network of churches, embassies, sports clubs and family-oriented shops that runs through the streets around Tianmu Y junction, the Tianmu Sports Park and Zhongshan North Road Section 7. Three-bedroom apartment stock in Tianmu west of Zhongshan North Road runs TWD 80,000 to TWD 140,000 a month, with larger villas on the Yangmingshan slope considerably higher.
Inside Taipei City, a smaller British family base sits in Da'an and Xinyi, mostly families using the TES coach network. Three-bedroom apartments in Da'an run TWD 90,000 to TWD 160,000 a month, with Xinyi a touch lower and newer. Across the Tamsui River, a small group of British Section families live in Linkou in New Taipei City, drawn by newer apartment stock at lower rents, accepting a longer school coach commute to Yangmingshan. For the full residential picture see our Taipei neighbourhood guide and the best international schools in Taipei guide.
Admissions, IGCSE pathway and the IB transition
Taipei European School British Section opens the main August intake from October the previous year, with assessment days through January and February and offers issued from March. Assessment is age-appropriate and English-medium, with a literacy and numeracy screen in the lower primary and a more formal subject assessment from Year 7 upwards. The British Section operates continuous admissions for mid-year arrivals across most year groups; Years 10 and 11 close in-year once the IGCSE sequence is underway.
The IGCSE pathway is sat at the end of Year 11, typically across nine or ten subjects with English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, two Sciences and a Modern Foreign Language as the core. At the end of Year 11, British Section students transition into the IB Diploma at TES High School in Year 12 rather than continuing into a separate A Level sixth form. The integrated IB Diploma is the only sixth form route at TES, with strong university placement records into Russell Group, German federal universities and US selective universities. As with all TES sections, admission sits under the Ministry of Education Foreign School framework, which restricts entry to foreign passport holders, dual nationals and qualifying Taiwanese returnees. Compare with our Taipei IB hub and Taipei American curriculum hub for curriculum-specific entry guidance.
Frequently asked questions
How many British curriculum schools are there in Taipei?
Taipei has a small and tightly clustered British curriculum offer rather than a deep market of competing schools. The single largest provider is the British Section at Taipei European School, which runs from Early Years through to IGCSE for around 600 students. A handful of additional smaller settings offer British-influenced primary provision in Tianmu.
Does Taipei have IGCSE and A Level provision?
Yes for IGCSE, sat at the end of Year 11 across the British Section at Taipei European School and the smaller British-influenced primary settings that extend through to Year 11. The A Level route is rarer in Taipei: most TES British Section students transition into the integrated IB Diploma at TES High School from Year 12, rather than a parallel A Level sixth form.
How much do British schools in Taipei cost?
Annual fees for British curriculum schools in Taipei range from about TWD 750,000 a year in lower primary at Taipei European School British Section to TWD 1,000,000 a year at the top of secondary. In US dollar terms that is roughly USD 24,000 to USD 32,000 per year, before capital fees, transport, lunch and external examination charges.
Can Taiwanese nationals attend British schools in Taipei?
Taipei European School is licensed under the Ministry of Education Foreign School framework: admission is restricted to foreign passport holders, dual nationals who hold a foreign passport, and Taiwanese returnees who meet qualifying overseas-study criteria. Some smaller British-influenced private settings sit under different licensing and admit Taiwanese nationals more freely.
When should I apply for a Taipei British school place?
Taipei European School British Section opens the main August intake from October the previous year, with assessment days through January and February and offers issued from March. The British Section runs continuous admissions for mid-year arrivals across most year groups, with the exception of Year 10 and Year 11 once the IGCSE sequence is underway.
