The Best International Preschools and Nurseries in Lisbon

As a parent, you always want what’s best for your child. Ensuring that your most loved ones will have a secure and positive childhood experience is often huge deciding factor in moving homes- whether that be from one neighborhood to the next, or to another country.

Portugal, and Lisbon in particular, has become an incredibly attractive location for foreign born individuals and families, as the city offers one of the most international environments of all European capitals. In fact, Lisbon and Cascais are amongst some of the highest ranked cities on the Intercultural City Index, with recent studies in Lisbon showing that over 10% of all residents are either non-nationals or foreign born.

The Importance of Preschool and Nurseries for Children of Expats

Children of expat parents are often referred to as “Third Culture Kids.” Growing up in a mixed-cultural environment can be an incredibly rewarding experience for a child and can give them a world of opportunities as an adult. But setting the tone of a positive, well-adapted childhood experience must start from the beginning.

Preschools and nurseries are an important first step in a child’s education and can set the foundation for a future of academic success. But on a more subtle level, early age education is a critical milestone in a child’s social and emotional development.

For many children, it’s their first time entering a social environment without the close support of their parents. Nurseries and preschools give a child the opportunity to gain autonomy, socialize and collaborate with peers, and construct a sense of self identity and confidence.

For expatriate families in particular, it's critical to foster these developmental attributes, as expat children are more likely to experience a sense of isolation and otherness. Entering a child into a supportive learning environment at a young age can help them feel more integrated and adapted as a “third culture kid.”

Furthermore, early age education promotes language and communication skills. Many children of expat families grow up in bi-lingual households and speak different languages in the home than they do on the playground. While this can provide huge benefits to the child later in life, it’s common that these children have slight delays in linguistic development as a child. Preschools and nurseries are a great place for a child to develop their language and communication skills and prepare them for kindergarten.

So, whether you are looking to educate your child in English, bilingually, or simply want them to experience the benefits of learning in an international environment, these are the best nurseries and preschools in Lisbon to consider:

About: At PaRK International School we teach children the skills and give them the tools to become bilingual, curious, collaborative, caring, autonomous and agile learners while achieving their personal best in a fast moving world.
Ages/Grades Served: Early Childhood to High School (Grade 12)
Location(s): Lisbon (Alfragide), Lisbon (Praça de Espanha), Lisbon (Restelo), Cascais
Language: English and Portuguese
Learn more: https://www.park-is.com

About: Our aim at St. Julian’s is to establish a framework for students and teachers to be engaged and challenged, for parents to be assured and excited by the opportunities we provide to ensure that our students develop the attributes which will allow them to become the creative, curious, committed, collaborative, compassionate and creative thinking citizens that the world needs.
Ages/Grades Served: Early Childhood to Secondary
Location(s): Carcavelos (10 min from Cascais Center) 
Language: English and Portuguese
Learn more: https://www.stjulians.com

About: In establishing the United Lisbon International School, a strong passion for families and the younger generation combines with long-standing experience and a successful track record in international education. This is deeply embedded in our philosophy to nurture the individual learner: by providing a rich environment of opportunities to grow academically as well as personally; working towards globally acknowledged diplomas that open doors to university or other higher education institutions; already gathering real-life experiences and entrepreneurial skills to make a difference in tomorrow’s world; and being able to forge positive personal relations in a globalized society.
Ages/Grades Served: Early Childhood to High School (Grade 9)
Location(s): Lisbon
Language: English
Learn more: https://www.unitedlisbon.school

About: All our classrooms are led by an AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) accredited teacher from the USA or Europe, as well as a Portuguese assistant teacher. AMI Montessori teachers have a deep understanding of child development and have been trained to guide children through productive and challenging experiences that will provide a firm foundation for their future.
Ages/Grades Served: Early Childhood to Primary
Location(s): Cascais
Language: English with support in Portuguese
Learn more: https://lisbonmontessori.org

About: At The British School of Lisbon, a student’s academic results and progress is evaluated using established examination and assessment procedures. These procedures are typical in most UK and top international British schools worldwide. Students in all previous Trustee schools have performed exceptionally well. As a result, the vast majority of former pupils achieved at or above the expected requirements of the English National Curriculum.
Ages/Grades Served: Early Childhood to Elementary
Location(s): Lisbon
Language: English
Learn more: https://britishschool.pt

About: St. Peter's International School is an international school that provides a competitive, high-quality response to the needs of a diverse population. Its fundamental principles are centered on the integral development of the child, valuing academic and professional success, based on attitudes, practices and values that contribute to the growth of the individual.
Ages/Grades Served: Early Childhood to College (Sixth Form)
Location(s): Palmela (40 min. from Lisbon City Centre)
Language: English and Portuguese 
Learn more: https://st-peters-school.com

About: At International Sharing School, we offer an international, multicultural and multilingual education for lifelong learners aged 4 months to 18 years, based on the International Baccalaureate Organisation Model. We aim to form individuals that help create a better and more peaceful world. We strongly believe that only through sharing knowledge and experiences this goal can be achieved, always prioritising mutual and intercultural respect in every human relation.)
Ages/Grades Served: Early Childhood to College (Sixth Form)
Location(s): Oeiras (between Lisbon and Cascais)
Language: English and Portuguese 
Learn more: https://www.sharingschool.org

About: Cachabiu is a Bilingual – Portuguese/English International School where we have created a stimulating environment that meets the needs of our children. Our aim is to ensure that your children are happy, well educated and curious to find out about the world in which they live in.
Ages/Grades Served: Early Childhood (Preschool/Nursery and Kindergarten)
Location(s): Cascais
Language: English and Portuguese
Learn more: http://www.colegiocachabiu.com/english/index.html

About: The Astoria International School is a private school located in Lisbon that has a vanguard educational project based on language teaching and aims to develop innovative teaching for children aged 4 months or older.
Ages/Grades Served: Early Childhood to Secondary
Location(s): Lisbon
Language: English and Portuguese (up to year 2)/English, Portuguese, German (year 3+)
Learn more: https://colegioeuropeu-astoria.com

About: At St. John's we follow the English National Curriculum. Children aged from three to five years follow the Foundation Stage. The importance of the ‘Foundation Stage’ is very important because it gives children a secure educational foundation for later learning. The goals covered that the Foundation Stage creates cover the six main areas of young children's development and learning;
Ages/Grades Served: Early Childhood to Secondary
Location(s): Cascais
Language: English
Learn more: https://www.stjohns-school.com

About: Our curriculum is based on the National Curriculum of England and is planned and taught in such a way as to allow children to discover and develop new ideas. We aim to enable children to think broadly and creatively, and to consider a wide variety of options available to them.
Ages/Grades Served: Early Childhood to Primary
Location(s): Alcabideche (between Lisbon and Cascais)
Language: English
Learn more: https://www.ipsschool.org

About: With over 30 years of experience in providing an unparalleled North American academic education based on Christian principles and morals, our primary objective is to educate tomorrow’s leaders, enabling them to contribute positively to the world’s society by applying knowledge grounded in fundamentals in various fields such as sciences, mathematics, social sciences, languages, and others.
Ages/Grades Served: Early Childhood to High School
Location(s): Cascais
Language: English with support in Portuguese, Chinese, and Afrikaans
Learn more: https://icsc.pt

About: The educational programme and learning at SDIS is inspired by, and constructed from, the twin influences of the International Baccalaureate Organisation and its IB Learner Profile, and the Dominican motto of ‘Veritas’ held by the founders of the school which value the commitment to learning through inquiry and an on-going search for truth.
Ages/Grades Served: Early Childhood to High School
Location(s): São Domingos de Rana (between Lisbon and Cascais)
Language: English
Learn more: https://www.dominics-int.org

About: CAISL is a student-centered educational community in which we challenge ourselves and each other to do our best and to make positive contributions to our diverse and ever-changing world. Being the only school in Portugal with support from the Department of State, CAISL works closely with and is guided by the Office of Overseas Schools and its designated Regional Education Officer (REO). The REO stays in regular contact and pays on-site visits to ensure that we are providing students with an excellent American educational program coordinated with other American schools around the world.
Ages/Grades Served: Early Childhood to High School
Location(s): Sintra
Language: English
Learn more: https://www.caislisbon.org

About: Redbridge International School is an innovative institution that fosters creativity, a passion for learning, and an international mindset within a challenging and playful multilingual learning environment. Our school strives to create a space where students feel happy, valued, and secure. With an inclusive and nurturing ethos, we adopt a holistic, child-centred approach to education. Our aim is to develop key attitudes and transverse skills, supporting children in achieving academic mastery through inquiry-based learning and foreign language immersion.
Ages/Grades Served: Early Childhood to Secondary, with a pre-university program set to launch in March 2025 at our new campus located at Instituto Superior de Agronomia (ISA).
Location(s): Lisbon
Language: English, Portuguese, French
Learn more: https://www.redbridgeschool.com

International Nurseries Preschools in Lisbon with Non-English Curriculum

About: Lycée Français Charles Lepierre is a French school in Lisbon’s teaching a classical French curriculum. Majority of students are of French or French-Portuguese backgrounds, with around 10% from other nationalities.
Ages/Grades Served: Early Childhood to High School
Location(s): Lisbon
Language: French
Learn more: https://lfcl-lisbonne.eu

About: Deutsche Schule Lissabon was founded in 1848, making it the second oldest German school in a foreign country. The school offers a nursery for children ages 3-6 in their Lisbon campus, but they also have a campus in Estoril for children starting at the kindergarten level.
Ages/Grades Served: Early Childhood to Secondary
Location(s): Lisbon
Language: German and Portuguese
Learn more: https://dslissabon.com

About: The Instituto Espaõl Giner de los Ríos is an international school operated by the Spanish Ministry of Education.
Ages/Grades Served: Early Childhood to High School (Bachillerato)
Location(s): Lisbon (Algés)
Language: Spanish
Learn more: http://ginerdelosrios.educalab.es

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