Finding a school for your children is one of the biggest challenges you'll face if you relocate to a foreign country. Prague, however, is well served by English-language schools, to the extent where the range of options can be confusing. When choosing a school, it's helpful to remember that each establishment offers a slightly different cultural focus. Most of Prague's English-language schools follow the British model, channeling their students towards IGCSEs - the international version of the UK's General Certificate of Secondary Education - usually via the guidelines laid out in the National Curriculum for England and Wales. Parents looking for American-style education have two options. Though only the International School of Prague offers US-style PSAT, SAT and ACT testing, The Riverside School seeks a balance between the British and American systems, offering an American High School Diploma alongside IGCSEs.

Excluding specialist preschool and elementary school options, here's a beginner's guide to Prague's English-language schools, offering a brief overview of the main options:

British International School of Prague

K lesu 2, Prague 4
Phone: 226 096 200
Website: http://www.bisp.cz/
Age Range: 18 months to 18 years

Qualifications Offered:
International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), International Baccalaureate

Memberships:
European Council of Independent Schools, Council of British Independent Schools in the European Communities / British International Schools Worldwide

Annual Fee: 10,600-14,900 EUR

An independent, English-language day school, which, as the name suggests, closely follows the British education system. BISP teaches the English and Welsh national curriculum to the age of 14; 15- and 16-year-olds study for the international equivalent of British GCSE qualifications; over-16s follow an International Baccalaureate program. The school was founded in 1992.

English International School

Na okruhu 395/1, Prague 4
Phone: 261 912 368
Website: http://www.eisp.cz/
Age Range: 18 months to 14 years

Qualifications Offered
IGCSE, International Baccalaureate

Memberships: Council of British Independent Schools in the European Communities / British International Schools Worldwide, The College of Teachers

Annual Fee: 350,600-382,700 CZK

EISP is owned by Nord Anglia Education, a British public limited company that also operates international schools in Slovakia, Russia, Poland, Hungary and China. The school offers a curriculum "based on the UK model," leading to IGCSE and International Baccalaureate exams. A second location, the Green House Site in Prague 4-Kunratice, caters for children between 18 months and 5 years old.

International School of Prague

Nebušická 700, Prague 6
Phone: 220 384 111
Website: http://www.isp.cz/
Age Range: 3 years to 19 years

Qualifications Offered:
PSAT, SAT, ACT, International Baccalaureate

Memberships:
Council of International Schools, The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Annual Fee: 17,075-20,075 USD

Founded in 1948, ISP is Prague's oldest and largest international school. It's the only Czech school offering American PSAT, SAT and ACT testing, and also runs an International Baccalaureate program. Since 1997, the entire school has occupied a large, modern, purpose-built campus in Nebušice.

Riverside School

Roztocká 9, Prague 6
Phone: 224 315 336
Website: http://www.riversideschool.cz/
Age Range: 3 years to 18 years

Qualifications Offered: IGCSE, Riverside High School Diploma

Memberships:

Association of Christian Schools International, European Council of International Schools Riverside offers education with an "underlying Christian ethos" but also welcomes students from other faiths. There's a focus on foreign languages: students are taught Czech until the age of 7, then either French, Spanish or Czech from 7 onward. High School students study for IGCSE exams and also receive an American-style High School Diploma.

The English College in Prague

Sokolovská 320, Prague 9
Phone: 283 893 113
Website: http://www.englishcollege.cz/
Age Range: 13 years to 19 years

Qualifications Offered: IGCSE, International Baccalaureate

Memberships:
European Council of International Schools, Council of British Independent Schools in the European Communities/British International Schools Worldwide, Central and Eastern European Schools Association, Headmasters' & Headmistresses' Conference, The College of Teachers

Annual Fee:
6,540 GBP Run as a non-profit organization, ECP is a six-year secondary school straddling Czech and international curriculums. In the first two years, students complete their Czech schooling, before moving on to study for IGCSEs and International Baccalaureates. The Prince of Wales and former Czech president Václav Havel are both patrons.

READER'S COMMENTS