St Julian's is the senior British name in international education on the Lisbon coast and an anchor school on our Lisbon city hub. Opened in 1932, it predates almost every other international school in the country and has grown into a community of well over a thousand students from more than sixty nationalities. The combination of a British primary and lower secondary curriculum with an IB Diploma at the top is the school's signature, a route that keeps the early years familiar to British families while leaving the final qualification broad. It runs from age 3 to 18 on a campus in Carcavelos, between Lisbon and Cascais.
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At a glance
Curriculum and academics
The spine of St Julian's is the National Curriculum for England, taught from the early years through to IGCSE examinations in Years 10 and 11. Where many British schools then continue to A Levels, St Julian's switches to the IB Diploma for the final two years, with the IB Career-related Programme available as a more applied alternative. That British to IB combination is the school's defining academic shape and the reason it appears in our best IB schools in Lisbon guide and on the Lisbon IB schools hub.
The logic is to keep the lower school recognisable to British and Commonwealth families while leaving the leaving qualification broad enough to point anywhere. A student arrives into a familiar primary structure, takes IGCSEs as a checkpoint at sixteen, then completes the Diploma's six subjects with its extended essay and core. The school also runs a bilingual Portuguese section, which lets some pupils follow national requirements alongside the English stream. Families weighing the IB Diploma against A Levels can read our IB curriculum guide to understand the trade before deciding.
Comparing the coastal schools?
Put St Julian's next to the other Cascais and Lisbon schools on curriculum, stages and fees with our free compare tool.
St Julian's fees
| Stage | Annual tuition |
|---|---|
| Kindergarten 1 (age 3) | EUR 12,384 |
| Grade 1 | EUR 14,868 |
| Grade 6 | EUR 18,579 |
| Grade 9 | EUR 22,809 |
| Grade 11 (IB year 1) | EUR 29,097 |
| Grade 12 | EUR 19,134 |
Source: St Julian's School (stjulians.com). Day fees. First-year one-time capital levy and registration fee are excluded. Fees are the most recent published figures and exclude one-off costs such as registration, deposits and capital levies. Always confirm current fees directly with the school.
St Julian's sits in the upper part of the Lisbon market. Published day fees have run roughly from the low five figures in euros in the early years up to near twenty thousand in the senior years, rising by stage as the programme grows more specialised. 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 it compares with the rest of the city.
Budget beyond tuition. Expect a registration fee to apply and a one time entrance or capital levy to secure a place, with insurance typically included in the fees at this school. In the IB years, examination entry is charged on top, and transport, lunch, trips and activities add to the annual bill. Ask how fees are staged across the year and use our fee tools to model the full cost before you commit.
Admissions
St Julian's admits for a September start and reviews applications through the year subject to space, which suits the corporate and diplomatic families who move on their own timetables. Entry draws on prior school records and, for older children, an assessment. 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 senior phase needs a strong academic record behind it.
Demand for the most sought after year groups runs high at a school of this size and history, so waiting lists can form. Families planning a move should apply early, ask directly about availability in their child's year, and confirm requirements for the IB Diploma if their child is approaching the senior phase.
Location and who goes there
The campus is in Carcavelos, in the Cascais municipality on the Portuguese Riviera, west of central Lisbon and close to the coast. That places it at the heart of the belt where a large share of the area's international families live, along the line between Lisbon and Cascais. Many families settle in Carcavelos, Parede, Estoril and Cascais to be near the school and the beaches, and travel in by car or train.
The community is genuinely international, drawing more than sixty nationalities, with a long established British and Portuguese core and a wide spread of European and other families. For the wider picture of who settles where across the region and how St Julian's compares with the other internationals, see the Lisbon city hub and the Lisbon IB schools guide.
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 St Julian's, 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 School fees?
St Julian's sits in the upper part of the Lisbon range, with day tuition published roughly from the low five figures in the early years to near twenty thousand euros in the senior years. On top of tuition expect a registration fee and a one time entrance or capital levy. Figures change each year, so confirm the current schedule directly.
Is St Julian's School a good school?
St Julian's is one of the oldest and largest British international schools in Portugal, founded in 1932, an authorised IB World School and accredited by the Council of International Schools and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, with COBIS membership. It draws more than sixty nationalities. Whether it suits depends on your child and your destination. We do not publish a rating without verified reviews.
What curriculum does St Julian's School follow?
St Julian's follows the National Curriculum for England leading to IGCSEs in Years 10 and 11, then the IB Diploma Programme or the IB Career-related Programme in Years 12 and 13. It also runs a bilingual Portuguese section alongside the main English stream.
Where is St Julian's School located?
The school is in Carcavelos, in the Cascais municipality on the Portuguese Riviera west of central Lisbon, within the coastal belt where many international families live.
When do St Julian's applications open?
The school admits for a September start and reviews applications year round subject to space. Entry to the IB Diploma usually requires six pass grades at IGCSE or the equivalent. Popular year groups fill early, so families should apply ahead and ask about waiting lists.
