FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Our school is growing year by year: we currently accept students from Nursery/FS1 (age 3) through to  11 (age 16). As our school matures, so does our year groups and we look forward to opening our Sixth form in 2027.

Please refer to the age placement guide to determine which year group your child will join.

As part of your application you will be required to provide a copy of your child’s most recent school or pre-school report. After receiving your application, our Academic team will review it and may request an assessment if necessary. To begin your application, click here.

We are delighted to offer weekly school tours of the campus. To schedule a personalised campus tour, please click below or contact our Admissions team on +351 910 114 631 or email us at admissions@the-lisboan.school.

Book a Tour

Our admissions team will be in touch with you throughout your admissions journey. Please contact admissions if you have any questions or need help with your application.

At The Lisboan we follow the National Curriculum for England adapted for an international setting. Students from all over the world can learn essential tasks for being global citizens through the Cambridge IGCSE. We believe that the IB Diploma Programme is the best at preparing students for the world, which is why we have selected it to finish out our senior school. Please visit our curriculum page for more information.

English is the language of instruction at The Lisboan, with all subjects taught in English. In addition, all students study Portuguese, focusing on both language acquisition and an understanding of Portuguese culture. From Year 6 onwards, students also learn French, further developing their multilingual skills and global outlook.

As a new school, The Lisboan will assess each child’s needs to ensure we can provide the appropriate support and resources tailored to them. We have a SENCO and an EAL always on site, as well as a Nurse. The students’ well-being is our top priority.

As an Artemis Education school, The Lisboan believes in nurturing every aspect of a child’s development through our whole-child approach. We strongly encourage all pupils to participate in co-curricular experiences to support both academic and personal growth.

Every new student is paired with a class buddy who helps them settle in, build friendships and become part of our community from day one.

The Lisboan follows the UK calendar, and the academic year commences in September and concludes in June/July of the following year. The academic year is split into 3 Terms:

Term 1 – September to December
Term 2 – January to March
Term 3 – April to June/July

Nursery and Reception will have a maximum of 20 students. From Y1 and above, the maximum will be 22 students. The student-to-teacher ratio will be a maximum of 1:8.

Every day at The Lisboan balances academic learning with creativity, physical activity, wellbeing and opportunities to learn beyond the classroom. While timetables vary by age, students enjoy a mix of core subjects, specialist lessons, break times, outdoor play or recreation, lunch and collaborative projects.

Early Years (Nursery–Reception)
A typical day includes play-based learning, phonics, early mathematics, creative activities, outdoor exploration, music, PE and Portuguese, with time for rest or quiet activities for our youngest learners.

Primary (Years 1–6)
Students typically have English, Mathematics, Science or Humanities, alongside specialist lessons such as Portuguese, Art, Music, Computer Science and PE. Reading, enquiry-based learning and regular educational visits are also part of the week.

Secondary (Years 7–13)
Students follow a subject-based timetable, moving between specialist classrooms for lessons including English, Mathematics, Sciences, Languages, Humanities, Arts and PE. They also benefit from tutor time, wellbeing support and a wide range of co-curricular opportunities.

School is open from 8am until 5pm.

The academic schedule is:

• Early Years: 8:30am to 3pm
• Primary School: 8:30am to 4pm
• Secondary School: 8:30am to 4pm

From the end of the academic end of the day, students may enrol in 1-hour activity.

All of our teachers are employed from countries with strong educational systems and are highly qualified to teach the National Curriculum for England and the IB Diploma.

Getting to The Lisboan International School in Alcântara is easy thanks to Lisbon’s well‑connected public transport network. You can take the suburban train on the Cascais Line and alight at Alcântara-Mar, approximately 300 metres (a 4‑minute walk) from the school. Multiple Carris busroutes—including lines 714, 751, 756, 713, 727 and the scenic 15E tram along the riverfront—stop within a few minutes’ walk, with notable nearby stops at “Alcântara – Av. Ceuta” or “Calvário”

We hope very much that we will be able to create our own dedicated school bus service in September, once we have a clearer understanding of student numbers and route demand to ensure the most efficient and accessible service possible. Please contact the admissions team if you are interested in this possibility.