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Best 5 International Schools in Algarve

International Education in Algarve

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The Algarve, Portugal’s southernmost region, is the ultimate place for expat life in the sun. Stretching along the country’s south coast, it’s full of golden beaches, immaculate golf courses, and beautiful fishing villages. Add some private villas and laid-back tourist resorts, and The Algarve becomes one of the most family-friendly destinations in Europe.

Sun, sea and sand are all great. But what about the practical needs for expat families in The Algarve? Portugal’s national education system, while excellent, teaches children through Portuguese. If you’re not planning on staying here permanently, then the language barrier can be a big issue. The answer; send your child to one of The Algarve’s international schools.

International schools can be found scattered across The Algarve, close to towns such as Lagos, Lagoa, Loule and Albufeira. The two largest towns in the region, Lagos and Faro, are just an hour away from each other by car. So no matter where you choose to base yourself, there will be international schools easily accessible.

To cater for the many British expats in The Algarve, most of the region’s international schools teach the British curriculum through English. Portuguese is offered as an additional language of instruction in many schools. You can also find international schools which teach the German, Dutch and Portuguese curriculum, but beyond that choices are limited.

International schools in Portugal are at the cheaper end of the scale when it comes to fees. This is compared to international schools in the rest of Europe, however - not other schools in Portugal. Public education in the country is free for everyone.

Many additional benefits come with the yearly international schools fees, however. Class sizes are small allowing for more individual student-teacher interaction. The maximum number of students per class in The Algarve’s international schools is around 20-25, but actual class sizes are often much smaller.

The majority of international schools in The Algarve provide a school bus to get your child to and from the school campus. Native English-speaking teachers are also very common in schools that teach in the English language. Extra curricular activities are a standard feature in schools, ranging from sports to creative arts and everything in between.

Many of The Algarve’s international schools report a local to international student ratio of 50:50. This means your child will still have plenty of opportunities to mix with the local community, make friends with local students, and even learn a little Portuguese if they wish. Last but not least, international schools in The Algarve usually have spacious and modern school campuses.

Below, we have compiled the top 5 international schools in Algarve according to our users. However, there are another 9 schools to choose from in the city. You can find the best international school for your child by personalising your results. Just fill in your search criteria, and we will calculate a personal score for every international school in Algarve based on your requirements.

Best 5 International Schools in Algarve

Out of a total of 14 International Schools in Algarve.

Based on the aggregated preferences of our users in the last 30 days.

Colégio Bernardette Romeira

Colégio Bernardette Romeira's mission is to educate for Freedom and Independence. CBR provides a warm, welcoming environment and prides itself in being like a family to its students.
Teachers and staff not only provide state-of-the-art in education, but also teach students confidence in their abilities, empathy, compassion, curiosity and a globalized/international understanding of the World - qualities that foment lifelong learning and are crucial for their academic, personal and interpersonal success and a fulfilling life.
Curriculum
British, Portuguese
Languages of instruction
English, Portuguese
Ages
3 to 15
This school does not make their fees public.

Nobel Algarve British International School

Nobel International School Algarve is the oldest and largest private school group in the south of Portugal, offering a co-educational day school with multiple locations for pupils aged 3 to 18. At Nobel International School Algarve we provide our students with an educational experience that challenges their minds, inspires their creativity, and instills a desire for discovery that will last a lifetime. We have two beautiful campuses, in Lagoa and Almancil, and we believe Nobel Algarve offers your child an education that will prepare him or her for a lifetime of success, achievement, and personal satisfaction. Here at Nobel Algarve, we are proud of the education par excellence we provide for our nearly 1,000 students and of their outstanding achievements.
Curriculum
British, Portuguese
Language of instruction
English
Ages
3 to 18
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: €5,622
to: €17,790

Bright International School

Bright International School is a Pre Prep, Preparatory and Lower Secondary school for 3 to 14 year olds on a purpose built site situated to the south of Loulé.
The brand new, unique, state of the art school opened September 2019. Bright provides 21th century learning with Apple technology and individual iPads.
Curriculum
British
Language of instruction
English
Ages
3 to 14
Yearly fees - 2024/2025
from: €8,250
to: €15,900
Reviews
(17 reviews)

Vilamoura International School

The Vilamoura International School is the most prestigious educational institute (Pre-school, Primary School and Secondary School) in the South of Portugal, comprising the Portuguese National Curriculum, the Cambridge International Education and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP).
Curriculum
IB, British, Portuguese
Languages of instruction
English, Portuguese
Ages
3 to 18
Yearly fees - 2024/2025
from: €6,585
to: €12,600
Reviews
(1 review)

Educan, Algarve

Micro-classes, Inquiry-based Learning method, Innovative learning, Personalised curriculum
Curriculum
British
Language of instruction
English
Ages
5 to 16
Yearly fees - 2024/2025
from: €6,405
to: €8,432
Reviews
(2 reviews)

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