Colégio do Bom Sucesso is one of the oldest schools represented on our Lisbon city hub, a Catholic Dominican college tucked into the historic riverside district of Belém. The Irish Dominican Sisters have occupied the Bom Sucesso convent since 1639, and the college itself has taught children for close to two hundred years, which gives it a continuity in the city that the recent wave of international openings cannot claim. It enrols roughly seven hundred boys and girls from pre school to the ninth year, aged about three to fifteen, and teaches the Portuguese national curriculum reinforced by a structured English programme.
This is an independent reference page, not an advertisement. GlobalSchoolGuide takes no payment from schools and Bom Sucesso has paid nothing to appear here. The facts below were researched from the college and public records at the time of writing, and anything we could not confirm is marked as not published rather than guessed.
At a glance
Curriculum and academics
The academic spine is the Portuguese national curriculum, taught in Portuguese and followed through the three cycles of basic education up to the ninth year. What lifts it beyond a standard privado is a sustained English programme that runs alongside the national subjects from the early years, with pupils prepared for Cambridge English qualifications, which is why the school sits naturally in the bilingual curriculum family rather than the fully international one. Faith and values teaching, rooted in the Dominican tradition, run through the timetable.
Families should be clear about what the model does and does not offer. Bom Sucesso is a Portuguese curriculum school with strong English, so it suits families settling in Portugal for the long term, children who will sit Portuguese national exams, and households that want a bilingual rather than a wholly English medium route. It ends at the ninth year, so parents planning the secondary phase will need a continuation school for years ten to twelve, and our bilingual schools guide explains how that handover usually works.
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Bom Sucesso fees
Bom Sucesso sits in the lower, bilingual privado band of the Lisbon market rather than among the premium internationals. A Portuguese private school of this kind typically charges well below the headline figures at the English medium internationals, so set its tuition against the bilingual privado tier in our Lisbon international school fees guide rather than the premium one, and confirm the current schedule directly because the college publishes its own annual figures.
Budget for the usual extras on top of tuition. Expect an enrolment or inscription charge, and account for lunch, books and materials, uniform and the occasional trip, which together add a meaningful share to the annual bill at any Portuguese private school. There is no large bus network of the kind the suburban internationals run, so transport in central Belém is more often a family matter. Use our fee tools to model the full first year cost before you commit.
Admissions
Admission follows the Portuguese school calendar, with a main intake for the September start and places filled from the preceding spring. As a long established college with a fixed footprint in Belém, Bom Sucesso has finite capacity in each year group, so the popular entry points fill early and a place is not guaranteed late in the cycle.
Entry usually rests on prior school records and an interview or familiarisation visit rather than heavy testing in the younger years. Families moving from abroad should ask how a child with limited Portuguese is supported into the national curriculum, since the teaching language is Portuguese even though English is strong, and confirm what documents the college needs for enrolment.
Location and who goes there
The college occupies the Bom Sucesso convent and its grounds in Belém, in the western part of Lisbon close to the river, a district better known to visitors for its monastery, tower and pastries than for its schools. The setting is historic rather than purpose built, an unusual character among Lisbon schools, and the central location means most pupils live within the city rather than out on the Cascais coast.
The community is predominantly Portuguese, with a smaller number of bilingual and returning expatriate families who want a Catholic education and a genuine route into the Portuguese system. Parents weighing it against the English medium internationals further west can use the Lisbon city hub to see how catchments, languages and fees differ across the city before deciding.
Reviews
We do not yet have verified parent reviews for this school. GlobalSchoolGuide is independent and no school pays to be listed, so we publish reviews only once we can confirm they come from real families. If your child attends or has attended this school, we would value your first hand account. Share your experience through the school reviews hub and help the next relocating family decide with better information.
Frequently asked questions
How much are Colégio do Bom Sucesso fees?
Bom Sucesso sits in the lower, bilingual privado band of the Lisbon market, well below the premium English medium internationals. The college publishes its own annual schedule, so confirm the current figure and budget for an enrolment charge plus lunch, books, uniform and trips on top of tuition.
Is Colégio do Bom Sucesso a good school?
It is a long established Catholic Dominican college in Belém with close to two hundred years of teaching and a strong English programme alongside the Portuguese curriculum. Whether it fits depends on whether you want a bilingual route into the Portuguese system rather than a fully international one. We do not publish a rating without verified reviews.
What curriculum does Colégio do Bom Sucesso follow?
It teaches the Portuguese national curriculum through the three cycles of basic education to the ninth year, reinforced by a structured English programme with Cambridge English qualifications. It is a bilingual Portuguese and English school rather than an English medium international one.
What ages does Colégio do Bom Sucesso take?
The college runs from pre school to the ninth year, roughly ages three to fifteen. It does not currently cover the secondary years ten to twelve, so families need a continuation school for the final phase.
Where is Colégio do Bom Sucesso located?
It is in Belém, in the western part of Lisbon near the river, on the historic site of the Bom Sucesso convent that the Irish Dominican Sisters have held since 1639.
