The secondary school is where the St Julian's pathway delivers its qualifications, and it is one of the established British to IB senior schools on our Lisbon city hub. Lower secondary follows the National Curriculum for England to IGCSE, and the sixth form then switches to the IB rather than A Levels. For a family arriving with a teenager, this is the part of the school that decides the leaving qualification and the universities it opens, so it deserves the closest look.
This profile is an independent reference page focused on the secondary years. GlobalSchoolGuide does not rank schools for payment and no school appears here because it paid to. We researched the facts below from the school and public sources at the time of writing and flag anything we could not confirm as not published.
At a glance
Secondary curriculum and sixth form
Lower secondary runs the National Curriculum for England, building toward IGCSE examinations in Years 10 and 11, the checkpoint that sets up the sixth form. At sixteen, St Julian's moves students onto the IB Diploma or the IB Career-related Programme rather than A Levels. The Diploma keeps six subjects with the extended essay, theory of knowledge and core, while the Career-related Programme pairs IB courses with a more applied focus for students with a clearer vocational direction.
That British to IB shape is the secondary school's defining feature. A student keeps a recognisable English curriculum through IGCSE, then takes a broad international qualification that reads well to universities across Europe, North America and beyond. Families weighing the IB Diploma against the A Levels offered elsewhere on the coast should read our IB curriculum guide to understand how the structures differ, because the choice shapes a teenager's final two years more than any other decision.
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St Julian's secondary fees
Secondary fees are the highest at St Julian's, climbing through the school toward the IB Diploma years where the programme is most resource intensive. Published day tuition has reached near twenty thousand euros a year at the top end. Treat any figure as one that changes each academic year, confirm the latest directly, then set it against the bands in our Lisbon international school fees guide to see how the secondary tier compares across the city.
The secondary bill carries extras the lower school does not. On top of tuition, expect the registration fee and the one time entrance or capital levy, plus IB examination entry charged per subject in the Diploma years, with insurance usually included in the fees here. Trips, higher level subject materials and university guidance support add further. Ask how secondary fees are staged and use our fee tools to model a realistic two year figure for the sixth form.
Admissions to the secondary years
Entry to the secondary school follows the school's rolling pattern, with places committed for a September start and applications reviewed through the year subject to space. For older students the process draws on prior school records and an assessment, and entry to the IB Diploma carries a published minimum of six pass grades at IGCSE or the equivalent, so a transfer into the sixth form needs a solid record behind it. Late entry into the first Diploma year is possible but tighter, because the two year structure leaves little slack.
Families arriving with a teenager should move early. Ask directly about availability in the specific year, discuss sixth form subject options before committing, and confirm what evidence the school needs from a previous system, since a mid pathway transfer into the IB is more involved than entry lower down the school.
Location and who goes there
The secondary years are part of the main St Julian's campus in Carcavelos, in the Cascais municipality on the Portuguese Riviera west of central Lisbon. Secondary families settle along the coast in Carcavelos, Parede, Estoril and Cascais, and travel in by car or the coastal train line. The secondary community is broadly international, with a long established British and Portuguese core and a wide European spread, and teenagers often arrive mid posting as families relocate.
For the wider picture of who settles where and how the St Julian's secondary offer compares with the other IB and British senior schools on the coast, see the Lisbon city hub, which maps the full landscape of secondary options across the city.
Reviews
We do not yet have verified parent reviews for the secondary years at 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 is in the secondary school here, 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 St Julian's secondary fees?
Secondary fees are the highest at St Julian's, rising toward the IB Diploma years, with published day tuition near twenty thousand euros a year at the top end. A registration fee and a one time entrance levy apply, with IB examination entry charged on top in the Diploma years. Confirm the current schedule directly, since figures change each year.
What does the St Julian's secondary offer?
The secondary school runs the National Curriculum for England to IGCSE in Years 10 and 11, then the IB Diploma Programme or the IB Career-related Programme in Years 12 and 13. The British to IB route keeps the lower secondary familiar while leaving the leaving qualification broad.
Does St Julian's secondary offer A Levels?
No. After IGCSEs, St Julian's sixth form runs the IB Diploma or the Career-related Programme rather than A Levels. Families set on A Levels should look at the other British schools on the Cascais coast.
What are the entry requirements for the St Julian's IB Diploma?
The published minimum for the IB Diploma course is six pass grades at IGCSE, or the equivalent from another secondary system, so a transfer into the sixth form needs a solid academic record.
When should I apply for St Julian's secondary?
Apply ahead of a September start and expect an assessment for older students. Sixth form places for the IB Diploma should be arranged early, with subject combinations discussed before entry.
