Among the wider field of international schools in Hanoi, The Olympia Schools is one of the most established Vietnamese owned bilingual schools, and a school families look at when they want a strong Vietnamese foundation alongside an international pathway rather than a fully foreign curriculum. It has operated in the capital for around two decades, growing from an early years intake into a full school that now runs to Grade 12 on its campus in the Trung Van new urban area of Nam Tu Liem, on the western side of the city.
The Olympia Schools at a glance
| Curriculum and exam route | Competency based bilingual programme blending the Vietnamese national curriculum with American and international elements, with the IB Diploma in the senior years |
|---|---|
| Stages | Early years to Grade 12, roughly ages 5 to 18, day school |
| Language of instruction | Bilingual, taught in Vietnamese and English |
| Status | Vietnamese owned private school |
| Fee band | Mid to upper for a bilingual school (see Hanoi fees) |
| Campus area | Trung Van new urban area, Nam Tu Liem, western Hanoi |
Curriculum and academics
The Olympia Schools is built around a competency based model, which means lessons are organised around the skills a student can demonstrate rather than around hours spent covering a syllabus. The programme blends the Vietnamese national curriculum, which keeps pupils on track for the Ministry of Education and Training requirements, with American and international teaching approaches, and instruction runs in both Vietnamese and English with a sizeable international teaching team alongside Vietnamese staff. The school has a long standing emphasis on STEM, scientific inquiry and the arts.
The clearest marker of the school's ambition is the senior years. The Olympia Schools is authorised to teach the IB Diploma Programme to its upper secondary pupils, which gives a university entrance qualification recognised worldwide, and the school also prepares students for American style measures such as Advanced Placement, the SAT and English proficiency tests. For families weighing this against a fully English medium school, our overview of the best international schools in Hanoi sets Olympia beside the foreign curriculum options, and the Hanoi hub maps the full landscape.
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The Olympia Schools fees
The Olympia Schools sits in the mid to upper part of our guide to international school fees in Hanoi for a bilingual school, which typically prices below the premium foreign curriculum day schools while still investing heavily in its international programme and IB authorisation. As with most schools running a full early years to Grade 12 pathway, tuition rises by grade and the senior school carrying the IB Diploma is the most expensive stage.
The school publishes its fee schedule, so confirm current figures directly with admissions rather than relying on a third party estimate, since published bands move from year to year. Beyond the headline tuition, budget for a registration or application fee, any deposit, IB examination entries in the senior years and transport. Our fee calculator pulls these into a single annual figure, which is the only fair way to compare a bilingual school with a foreign curriculum alternative such as Concordia International School Hanoi.
Admissions
The Olympia Schools runs an admissions process that looks at a child's prior records and may include an assessment to confirm the right grade and the level of English and Vietnamese support needed, particularly for entry into the senior school where the IB Diploma builds on earlier study. The school year follows the Vietnamese calendar, starting in late summer, and families are encouraged to apply ahead of the main intake because places in popular grades fill early.
Because the bilingual model assumes a working level of Vietnamese as well as English, the school is most often chosen by Vietnamese families and returning families who want their children fluent in both languages and able to progress to either Vietnamese or overseas universities. The admissions team can talk through the documents required, any assessment and the support available for a child still building one of the two languages. Contact the school directly to confirm availability in your child's grade.
Location and who goes there
The campus is in the Trung Van new urban area of Nam Tu Liem, on the western side of Hanoi, an area of newer residential development that has become a focus for schools and family housing. The setting suits households based in the western and south western districts, and families living across the river or in the far north should weigh the commute. The school operates as a day school and does not offer boarding.
The intake is predominantly Vietnamese, with a smaller number of returning and mixed heritage families, which is part of the appeal for parents who want a genuinely bilingual peer group rather than an expatriate bubble. For how the western districts compare with the rest of the city on housing, commute and school choice, the Hanoi hub maps out the wider picture, and you can line Olympia up beside the bilingual Edison Schools and the international Hanoi International School for a sense of the range.
The Olympia Schools reviews
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Frequently asked questions
How much are The Olympia Schools fees?
The Olympia Schools sits in the mid to upper part of the Hanoi range for a bilingual school, below the premium foreign curriculum day schools, with tuition rising by grade and the IB Diploma senior years the most expensive. The school publishes a fee schedule, so confirm current figures with admissions and budget for registration, any deposit, examination entries and transport.
What curriculum does The Olympia Schools follow?
The Olympia Schools follows a competency based bilingual programme that blends the Vietnamese national curriculum with American and international elements, taught in Vietnamese and English. Senior students can take the IB Diploma Programme, a university entrance qualification recognised worldwide, alongside American style preparation such as Advanced Placement and the SAT.
What ages does The Olympia Schools take?
The school takes children from the early years through to Grade 12, covering roughly ages 5 to 18, as a day school. It does not offer boarding.
Where is The Olympia Schools?
The Olympia Schools is in the Trung Van new urban area of Nam Tu Liem district, on the western side of Hanoi, which suits families based in the western and south western parts of the city.
Is The Olympia Schools a bilingual or an international school?
It is a Vietnamese owned bilingual school that teaches in both Vietnamese and English and follows the Vietnamese national curriculum alongside international elements, rather than a fully foreign curriculum international school. It does, however, offer the international IB Diploma in the senior years.
