How many bilingual schools in Warsaw
Around 25 Warsaw area schools deliver a recognised bilingual programme in 2026. The largest group are Polish-English bilingual schools, with around 18 active providers across primary and secondary stages, mostly private with a smaller subset operating as Polish public schools with a bilingual stream. Polish-French bilingual schools number around 4, primarily public lycees with the Section francaise. Polish-German bilingual schools number around 3, with the DSD programme leading to the Sprachdiplom. Several private bilingual schools also run the IB Diploma alongside the bilingual Matura at sixth form.
Warsaw’s bilingual sector has expanded fast since the 2010 reform of the Polish national framework, which made it easier for schools to deliver 30 to 70 per cent of the curriculum in a second language while still issuing the Matura. Demand is driven by a mix of Polish professional households looking for an internationally portable yet rooted education, Polish-foreign families with one international parent, and return migration of Polish families from London, Dublin and other English speaking markets. The bilingual sector therefore sits between the international school market and the standard Polish public school system, offering a meaningful price advantage over English medium international providers.
Fees and the Warsaw tiers
Private bilingual schools in Warsaw charge PLN 18,000 to PLN 45,000 per year, broadly broken into three tiers. The premium private bilingual tier sits at PLN 30,000 to PLN 45,000 per year, covering schools such as Lauder Morasha, Strumienie Bilingual Catholic School and several smaller English medium leaning bilingual providers with IB Diploma at sixth form. The mid tier runs PLN 22,000 to PLN 30,000 per year. The entry tier runs PLN 18,000 to PLN 22,000 per year, mostly covering the smaller stand alone bilingual primaries.
Polish public bilingual schools are free at primary and gimnazjum stage, with a small administrative fee of PLN 800 to PLN 1,500 at the liceum stage. The bilingual Matura entry fee is included in standard Polish state exam costs. The IB Diploma route at private bilingual schools adds PLN 8,000 to PLN 14,000 a year at sixth form, plus exam entry fees of PLN 3,500 to PLN 7,500 per pupil. For the full cost picture see our Warsaw international school fees explainer or compare with the broader bilingual schools overview.
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Illustrative example schools
The schools below are illustrative, not a ranking. Each has at least ten years of operating history in Warsaw or a credible bilingual cohort over the past three years.
Lauder Morasha Bilingual School in Wola is one of the longest established private bilingual schools in Warsaw, running a Polish-English programme from age 6 through to the IB Diploma at sixth form. Around 30 to 40 leavers per year, mean Diploma score around 33 to 34. Strong Jewish cultural anchoring alongside a fully secular academic programme. Premium tier fees.
Strumienie Bilingual Catholic School in Jozefoslaw, south of Wilanow, runs a Polish-English Catholic bilingual programme through to the bilingual Matura. Strong academic outcomes, smaller cohort sizes and a clear religious ethos. Mid tier fees with a structured scholarship programme for Polish nationals.
International European School Warsaw in Konstancin combines bilingual Polish-English delivery with the IB Diploma at sixth form. Mid tier fees and a strong fit for Polish-foreign families looking for an English medium environment without the premium ASW or BSW price tag.
Thames British School Warsaw in Mokotow runs a Polish-English bilingual stream alongside the standard British curriculum English medium route, giving families the option to switch between pathways as language proficiency develops.
Where bilingual families live
Bilingual families in Warsaw cluster across a wider set of neighbourhoods than the more concentrated international school families, reflecting the larger Polish national share of the bilingual market. Wilanow and Mokotow together host the largest single concentration of bilingual families, particularly attached to the private bilingual schools clustered in upper Mokotow and the south of the city. The Miasteczko Wilanow residential development is the most popular single area for younger bilingual families, offering modern apartment and townhouse stock close to several bilingual primaries and the metro extension.
Wola, north west of the city centre, hosts a meaningful bilingual cluster attached to Lauder Morasha and the wider Wola business district employment base. Ursynow, south of Mokotow, hosts the largest Polish professional bilingual cluster, attached to several mid tier private bilinguals and the Polish public bilingual lycees. Zoliborz in the north and Bemowo in the west host smaller but established bilingual cohorts attached to the standalone private bilingual primaries. Saska Kepa and Praga Polnoc on the right bank host smaller bilingual clusters with a stronger Polish-foreign family profile.
Admissions calendar
Private bilingual schools in Warsaw open the registration cycle in October and November for the following September, with priority deadlines in late January and February and most offers issued by April. Public bilingual lycees follow the central Warsaw rekrutacja calendar, with applications opening in May for the following September and results published in early July. The private bilingual primaries typically run a short language assessment combining English vocabulary and reading comprehension at age appropriate level, alongside a child interview.
The most over subscribed entry points are the start of bilingual primary (klasa 1) at the leading private bilinguals, where waitlists at the most popular schools can extend up to twelve months, and the bilingual liceum entry at the highest demand public lycees, where rekrutacja cut off scores rise year on year. Mid year entry into klasa 2 to klasa 6 is common at the private bilinguals because of expatriate movement. For relocation context see our moving to Warsaw with children guide and the broader Warsaw international schools overview.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a bilingual school in Warsaw?
A bilingual school in Warsaw typically runs the Polish national curriculum alongside structured English instruction for between 30 and 70 per cent of the timetable, leading to the Polish Matura with the bilingual mark. A smaller group of providers run Polish-French or Polish-German programmes. True English medium international schools sit in a separate category.
How many bilingual schools are there in Warsaw?
Around 25 schools in the Warsaw area operate a recognised bilingual programme. The largest group are Polish-English bilingual schools, with around 18 active providers across primary and secondary stages. Polish-French bilingual schools number around 4, and Polish-German bilingual schools number around 3. Several private bilingual schools also run the IB Diploma alongside the bilingual Matura at sixth form.
How much do bilingual schools in Warsaw cost?
Private bilingual schools in Warsaw charge PLN 18,000 to PLN 45,000 per year, materially below the international school premium tier. Polish public bilingual schools are free at primary stage, with a small administrative fee at the licealne stage. The IB Diploma route at private bilingual schools adds PLN 8,000 to PLN 14,000 a year at sixth form.
Do bilingual schools in Warsaw teach in English?
Yes, partially. Bilingual programmes in Warsaw deliver between 30 and 70 per cent of the curriculum in English depending on the school and the year group. Mathematics, science, history and geography are the most common bilingual subjects. The Polish national curriculum framework still applies, with all pupils sitting the Matura in Polish at the end of liceum.
Are bilingual schools recognised by foreign universities?
Yes. The Polish Matura with the bilingual mark is widely recognised across UK Russell Group universities, Dutch research universities and most of the European Union. Where bilingual schools also offer the IB Diploma, recognition is universal. For pupils targeting US universities, bilingual school transcripts are accepted alongside SAT or ACT scores in the standard way.
