Choosing an international school in Prague: start with the curriculum

The fee table is the least interesting thing to compare. A child who moves in the middle of a curriculum can lose a year of continuity, and a long commute decides daily life more than the brochure does.

Decide the route first

You have three broad options in Prague.

Czech state school. Teaching is in Czech. Children of foreign residents can take part in primary and lower-secondary education on the same basis as Czech children, and schools can offer Czech-language support (as of 2026; check the official source with the Ministry of Education). Tuition is free. This suits families who plan to stay long term.

Bilingual or private Czech school. Some combine Czech and English teaching. Quality and fees vary, and so does how much English a child really gets.

International school. Teaching is in English (some also in other languages), usually following a foreign or international curriculum. These schools set their own fees, which vary widely, so ask each school for its current fee schedule rather than relying on a figure from a forum.

Match the curriculum to your plans

The curriculum decides what happens when you move again. International Baccalaureate (IB) schools teach a programme that travels between countries, and the IB Organization lists authorised schools, which lets you check a claim before you believe it. British-style schools follow a national curriculum and prepare pupils for GCSE and A-level type exams. American-style schools work towards a high school diploma and often offer Advanced Placement courses. Czech-curriculum schools prepare pupils for the Czech school-leaving exam, the maturita.

If you may return to your home country, pick the curriculum that fits your home system. If you may move on again, an internationally recognised one is simpler. A switch between systems mid-way, in the final two or three years especially, is where families tend to regret a decision made on price.

Language

Check what your child needs. A younger child usually absorbs a new language quickly. A teenager entering a Czech-language track part-way through faces a hard year. Ask each school how it supports pupils who are not yet fluent in the language of instruction, and whether Czech is taught as a subject. If you live here, Czech is worth having, even in an English-language school.

Accreditation and oversight

Ask who inspects the school and under which rules. Czech schools are overseen by the Czech School Inspectorate. Private and international schools are entered in the Ministry's register of schools (as of 2026; check the official source), and an international programme may carry its own authorisation on top. Ask for evidence rather than adjectives, and check any IB claim on the IB website.

What to ask on a visit

Ask how many pupils are in a class, and how many teachers hold qualifications from the country of the curriculum. Ask how long pupils usually stay: a school with constant turnover feels different from one where friendships last for years. Ask what happens in the first month of a new pupil's term, how special educational needs are handled and who pays for extra support, what the daily schedule is, and what happens before and after lessons. Ask how fees are paid and what the rules are if you leave mid-year.

Watch the corridors, not only the tour. Listen to how adults talk to children when they think nobody important is looking.

Practical filters

Test the commute on the journey you will actually make, at school-run time. A school that looks close on a map can be a long trip by tram and bus in the morning, and many international schools sit outside the centre. Check the admissions calendar: some schools have application windows, and some use entrance assessments. Ask about waiting lists.

A fee that looks reasonable can have extras for lunches, trips, uniforms and exam registration, so request the full list. Ask about sibling policies and about whether fees can rise during a child's time at the school.

The first term

Whatever you pick, plan for the first term rather than the first day. Ask how the school places a new pupil who has studied a different curriculum, and whether there is a buddy system or a settling-in period. Children who arrive mid-year are the ones who most need a school with a routine for it. Ask whether the school will share contact details of a few current parents, preferably ones who joined from abroad. Their answers about homework load, communication and how problems get handled are worth more than the prospectus.

Also think about what the school does outside lessons. Clubs, sport and language classes decide how quickly a child makes friends, and in a city where families move often, a school with a stable community can matter as much as its exam results.

Common mistakes

Choosing by logo or by where colleagues send their children is one. Leaving it to the summer is another: popular year groups fill up and the paperwork takes time. A third is ignoring the child. Take them to the visit if they are old enough, and ask what they noticed.

Frequently asked questions

Do children of foreign residents have to go to an international school?

No. Czech state schools take children of foreign residents on the same basis as Czech children, with Czech-language support. They teach in Czech and charge no tuition (as of 2026; check the Ministry of Education).

How do I check that a school really offers the IB?

Use the school search on the International Baccalaureate Organization website, which lists authorised schools.

When should I apply?

As early as you can. Admissions rounds and entrance assessments differ by school, and popular year groups fill up, so ask each school for its timeline.

Are international school fees fixed across the city?

No. Each school sets its own fees and extras. Ask for the current schedule in writing.

Does my child need to learn Czech?

Not to attend an English-language school, but if you live here long term it helps daily life. Ask whether Czech is taught as a subject.

Do this today

Write down your non-negotiables: curriculum, language, location, budget. Email three schools asking for the fee schedule, the admissions timeline and an open-day date, then compare the answers side by side.