Foreign and dual-system schools in Greece
The Ministry of Education has a list of approved schools that offer either a full foreign program or a mixed Greek/foreign program. Most of these work in cooperation with their respective embassies and have a flexible enrollment policy. It’s a good idea, however, for parents to make their inquiries well before the end of the previous school year. Fees vary, so parents are advised to contact the schools themselves for detailed prices. Below is a selection of the schools on the ministry’s list: Foreign schools with foreign curricula – American Community Schools of Athens (ACS) 129 Aghias Paraskevis, Halandri, tel 010.639.3200. From kindergarten to senior high (grade 12), ACS offers the American system of education with a full program of extra-curricular activities and an extensive library. Graduates gain a US high school diploma, though the school also offers the full International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma program in high school. – Byron College 7 Filolaou, Gerakas, tel 010.604.7722. Byron operates reception (introductory class for children aged 4-5), junior school, senior school and sixth form, based on the British national curriculum and preparing students for IGCSEs and GCE Advanced Level subjects. The school’s campus, situated several kilometers outside Athens, also includes arts, science and sports facilities. – Campion School Aghias Ioulianis, Pallini, tel 010.607.1700. Campion runs classes from reception to sixth form at a new campus 16 km outside Athens. Pupils follow the British national curriculum, and take GCSEs and the IB in senior school. – Greenhill International School 18 Venezuelas, Ano Glyfada, tel 010.964.6671. Greenhill prepares students for SATs, CPE, TOEFL and TELTs diplomas, offering a curriculum (junior to senior school) which is suited for further education in Britain or the United States. – Japanese School of Athens 33 Pindou, Ano Pefki, tel 010.802.2281. The Japanese School of Athens has 17 students and seven teachers. Geared to a purely Japanese curriculum, the school only operates a junior and middle school. – Pinewood Schools of Thessaloniki Pylaia, Thessaloniki, tel 0310.301.221. Pinewood offers classes in English to students from pre-kindergarten to grade 12, and allows Greek nationals to attend from grades 10-12. Graduates receive a standard high school diploma, though the school also offers the full IB program. It also has boarding facilities. – Polish School of Athens 19 Navarinou, Holargos, tel 010.653.8204. The Polish School caters exclusively for Polish students wanting to continue their education in Poland. It also has classes in Polish on Saturdays and a foreign-language program. – St Catherine’s British Embassy School 73 Sophocles Venizelos, Lykovryssi, tel 010.282.9750. St Catherine’s provides tuition only for reception and junior school students. Based on the British school system, it maintains a good student-to-teacher ratio and has a full program of parallel activities. – St Lawrence College 2 Delta, Hellenikon, tel 010.894.3221. St Lawrence College caters for kindergarten to 12th grade and prepares pupils for all regular GCSE and ‘A’ level GCE subjects, Common Entrance to British Public Schools and for the American system’s PSATs, SATs and ACTs. – TASIS Hellenic International School Elementary School: 10 Tatoiou Ave., Varibombi, tel 010.816.9421. Middle and Upper School: 7 Xenias & Artemidos, Kefalari, tel 010.808.1426. TASIS School offers both the American and British curricula. The pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and elementary school is located on the outskirts of Kifissia, while the middle and upper school is in the center of the Kifissia suburb of Kefalari. A bus service is provided for both schools. Foreign schools with a Greek curriculum – Anatolia American College of Thessaloniki (ACT) 60 Kennedy, Pylaia, Thessaloniki, tel 0310.398.357. Anatolia is split in two: Anatolia College, which currently serves over 1,200 students (mostly Greek) in grades 7-12 and offers the standard Greek apolitirion school-leaving certificate with an emphasis on English; and the American College, which offers BA degrees in a variety of subjects. The curriculum is taught in Greek, except for the IB, which is taught in English. – St Joseph Greek-French School 12 Eleftherios Venizelos, Piraeus, tel 010.417.9161. St Joseph’s applies the Greek national curriculum, emphasizing the French language and culture and giving students the opportunity to sit for the DELF and Sorbonne exams. Students wishing to attend are given a language placement test. Foreign schools with dual curricula – German School of Athens Ziridi & Homatianou, Maroussi, tel 010.619.9261. Partly funded by the German government, the school is divided into two sections, both of which run from kindergarten to high school: The Greek section offers the national apolitirion and courses in German; and the German school awards the German National Diploma. – Greek/French School of Aghia Paraskevi Chloes & Trikalon, Aghia Paraskevi, tel 010.601.2704. The Lycee Franco-Hellenique has over 1,400 students in both the Greek and French sections of the school. The French school has grades from pre-kindergarten to graduation, and the Greek school from grade 6. The sections’ curricula are set by the respective education ministries.
