St. Julian's School
St. Julian's School is a not-for-profit British international school in Carcavelos, Portugal, founded in 1932. It serves over 1,200 students aged 3-18 from 60+ nationalities through British and bilingual curricula culminating in IGCSE and International Baccalaureate programmes.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1932
- HeadquartersLisbon, Portugal
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What St. Julian's School does
St. Julian's School is a private not-for-profit British international school located on the Quinta Nova estate in Carcavelos, Portugal, between Carcavelos beach and historic Lisbon. Founded on 24 November 1932 by Mrs Bucknall OBE, Mrs Franklin CBE, Mr Etherington-Smith and Sir Claud Russell (the then British Ambassador to Portugal), the school has educated students continuously for nearly 95 years. It currently serves more than 1,200 students aged 3 to 18 drawn from over 60 nationalities across four sections: Pre-Prep (ages 3-4), Prep (ages 5-10), Bilingual (ages 6-14), and Secondary (ages 11-18). The school is the only Portuguese institution ranked in the global Top 100 of the Spear's Schools Index and the only one in Greater Lisbon to hold CIS accreditation, alongside NEASC, COBIS and IBO accreditations.
The school's product set is a continuous educational pathway delivering England's National Curriculum (leading to IGCSE) alongside the Portuguese National Curriculum through a bilingual English/Portuguese model, culminating in two International Baccalaureate programmes — the IB Diploma (offered since 1986, the first in Portugal) and the IB Career-related Programme (offered from September 2025, the first in Portugal). Supporting infrastructure includes Forest School outdoor learning, a full co-curricular programme (Model UN, Duke of Edinburgh, music, sports), three dedicated university counsellors, and standard educational technology (iPads for Key Stage 3, eLearning platforms, Weather Underground weather station data). The campus itself is a differentiating asset: an 18th-century palace estate with gardens, sports facilities, and woodland areas.
Commercially, the school operates as a sales-led direct-admissions institution under the St. Julian's School Association (founded 1938), with tuition fees as the sole or primary revenue stream and ancillary revenue from zone-based transportation provided by partner F-Irmãos. All revenue is reinvested into education per its not-for-profit mandate. Customer acquisition runs through the school website, organic social channels (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn), earned media coverage, on-campus visits ('Book a visit'), and a structured registration-of-interest admissions process targeting both expatriate and Portuguese families. Premium pricing and tuition details are not publicly disclosed but transportation annual fees for academic year 2026/27 range from €3,294 (Zone 1 round trip) to €4,092 (Zone 3), with sibling discounts of 5% (second child) and 10% (third and additional children).
St. Julian's School firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- St. Julian's School
- Legal name
- St. Julian's School
- Website
- https://stjulians.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1932
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- St. Julian's School is a not-for-profit British international school in Carcavelos, Portugal, founded in 1932. It serves over 1,200 students aged 3-18 from 60+ nationalities through British and bilingual curricula culminating in IGCSE and International Baccalaureate programmes.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
St. Julian's School industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Private K-12 International School Education
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)
Keywords
Where St. Julian's School is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lisbon
- HQ country
- Portugal
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
St. Julian's School business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Tuition Fees: Not-for-profit institution where all tuition fee revenue is reinvested directly into education. Fees fund teaching, facilities, and academic programmes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Annual | Transportation - Zone 1 Round Trip (Annual) |
| Unit Pricing | Annual | Transportation - Zone 1 Round Trip (Per Term) |
| Unit Pricing | Annual | Transportation - Zone 1 One Way (Annual) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
St. Julian's School product offering
Product offeringCore offering
St. Julian's School is a not-for-profit British international school in Carcavelos, Portugal, delivering a continuous education pathway for students aged 3 to 18. The school operates four sections — Pre-Prep (Ages 3-4), Prep (Ages 5-10), Secondary (Ages 11-18), and a Bilingual Section (Ages 6-14) — and offers the English National Curriculum with IGCSEs, the Portuguese National Curriculum delivered in both English and Portuguese, the IB Diploma Programme (since 1986), and the IB Career-related Programme (since 2025). All tuition revenue is reinvested directly into the school's educational programmes, facilities, and student development.
Product overview
St. Julian's School is a British international school in Carcavelos, Portugal, founded in 1932. The school offers a comprehensive educational pathway from ages 3 to 18 through distinct programmes: Pre-Prep (Nursery and Reception for ages 3-4) following the Early Years Foundation Stage framework; Prep School (ages 5-10) covering Key Stages 1-2 and 1º Ciclo Bilingual; Bilingual Section (ages 6-14) offering dual-language Portuguese National Curriculum; Secondary School (ages 11-18) with Key Stages 3-5; and two IB programmes for ages 16-18 — the IB Diploma Programme and the IB Career-related Programme (launched 2025). The school operates both an English Curriculum and Bilingual Curriculum pathway.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Pre-Prep (Nursery and Reception, Ages 3-4) Foundation-stage education following England's Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, providing play-based learning for children ages 3-4. Designed for the earliest cohort of the school's British international education pathway.
- Prep School (Ages 5-10) Primary education covering Foundation (ages 3-5), Key Stage 1 (ages 5-7, Years 1-2), Key Stage 2 (ages 7-11, Years 3-6), and 1º Ciclo Bilingual Section (ages 5-10, 1º to 4º ano). Delivered within the British international curriculum pathway.
- Bilingual Section (Ages 6-14) Dual-language education teaching the Portuguese National Curriculum in both English and Portuguese from ages 6 to 14 (1º to 9º ano), offering seamless transition to IGCSEs and IB programmes. Founded in 1935.
- Secondary School (Ages 11-18) Secondary education comprising 2º & 3º ciclos (Bilingual Section), Key Stage 3 (ages 12-14), Key Stage 4/IGCSEs (ages 14-16), and Key Stage 5/IBDP or CP (ages 16-18). Supports progression to global universities.
- International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme Two-year pre-university programme offering university preparation through six subject groups including languages, sciences, mathematics, and arts. Offered at St. Julian's since 1986, the first Portuguese school to provide it. Nearly 200 students are enrolled.
- IB Career-related Programme (CP) Career-focused alternative to the IB Diploma, combining IB Diploma courses with career-related studies. Available from September 2025 as the first school in Portugal to offer the programme.
Quantifiable outcome
- European Top 10 and Global Top 100 in Spear’s Schools Index for 4 consecutive years
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use St. Julian's School
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
St. Julian's School technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
St. Julian's School partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- F-IrmãoscoreF-Irmãos is the school's transportation partner, providing door-to-door bus services to students across three zones in the Greater Lisbon area. All buses are certified by IMT (Institute for Mobility and Transport), fully insured, and maintained to national standards.
- British CouncilcoreProvided generous donations and support to St. Julian's School in 1963 when the Cable & Wireless Company sold the estate. Part of the school's founding support network that enabled the school to remain open as a not-for-profit institution.
- Gulbenkian FoundationcoreProvided donations and financial support to St. Julian's School in 1963 as part of the effort to keep the school open after the Cable & Wireless Company sold the estate.
- Royal Society of St. GeorgeminorHistorical donor to St. Julian's School in 1963, contributing to the fund that enabled the school to remain open after the estate sale.
- Shell PortuguesaminorHistorical corporate donor to St. Julian's School in 1963, part of the fund to keep the school open.
- Mobil Lda.minorHistorical corporate donor to St. Julian's School in 1963, part of the fund to keep the school open.
- Carcavelos Community CentreminorLocal charity partner linked to the secondary school's service learning programme, with year groups working on fundraising and service activities.
- CercicaminorLocal charity partner linked to the secondary school's service learning programme, with year groups engaged in fundraising and service activities.
- Centro Social Paroquial Nossa Senhora de Porto Salvo (CSPNSPS)minorLocal charity partner in the enrichment and service learning programme, directly linked to specific year groups for fundraising activities.
- SemearminorLocal charity partner in the enrichment and service learning programme, directly linked to specific year groups for fundraising and community service.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
St. Julian's School competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Deutsche Schule Lissabon: German international school in Lisbon serving the German-speaking community with German curriculum leading to Abitur. Comparable international-school positioning and Lisbon catchment but serves a distinct German expatriate segment.
- Lycée Français Charles Lepierre: French international school in Lisbon offering the French curriculum leading to the French Baccalauréat. Comparable premium international school in the same city, targeting the French expatriate and Francophile Portuguese family segment.
Direct peers
- United Lisbon International School: Recently established premium international school in central Lisbon offering IB programmes. A new well-capitalised entrant competing directly with St. Julian's for premium international enrolments in the Greater Lisbon area.
- Oeiras International School: International school in Oeiras (adjacent to Carcavelos) offering IB programmes from early years through Diploma. Geographic and curriculum overlap with St. Julian's makes it a near-substitute for families in the Cascais/Oeiras corridor.
- King's College School, Cascais: British international school in the Cascais/Lisbon coastal area offering IGCSE and A-Levels with a strong premium-brand positioning. Comparable catchment, fee tier, and target family profile to St. Julian's.
- Carlucci American International School of Lisbon (CAISL): American international school in Lisbon serving roughly 1,000 students across K–12 with IB Diploma authorisation. Directly comparable to St. Julian's as another premium, multi-accredited international school competing for the same international and Portuguese families in the Lisbon market.
- Prime School (Globeducate): Network of international schools across Portugal (Lisbon, Estoril, Sintra) under the Globeducate group offering IB and British pathways. Competes with St. Julian's in the Lisbon metro for international and bilingual families.
- International Sharing School: International school in Lisbon offering IB programmes from kindergarten through Diploma. Comparable in scale and curriculum mix, serving a similar mix of international and local families seeking English-language instruction.
- The British School of Lisbon: British international school offering IGCSE and A-Level pathways in Lisbon. Direct competitor to St. Julian's on the British-curriculum side, targeting the same pool of expat and bilingual Portuguese families.
Broad incumbents
- Nord Anglia International School Lisbon: Premium international school operated by Nord Anglia Education, a large global operator with extensive resources. Competes with St. Julian's for premium international enrolments and benefits from group-level investment in facilities and curriculum (e.g., MIT, Juilliard partnerships).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
St. Julian's School social profiles
Digital presenceSt. Julian's School financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
St. Julian's School leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
St. Julian's School funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
St. Julian's School M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about St. Julian's School
What does St. Julian's School do?
St. Julian's School is a not-for-profit British international school in Carcavelos, Portugal, delivering a continuous education pathway for students aged 3 to 18. The school operates four sections — Pre-Prep (Ages 3-4), Prep (Ages 5-10), Secondary (Ages 11-18), and a Bilingual Section (Ages 6-14) — and offers the English National Curriculum with IGCSEs, the Portuguese National Curriculum delivered in both English and Portuguese, the IB Diploma Programme (since 1986), and the IB Career-related Programme (since 2025). All tuition revenue is reinvested directly into the school's educational programmes, facilities, and student development.
Is St. Julian's School a public or private company?
St. Julian's School is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was St. Julian's School founded?
St. Julian's School was founded in 1932. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is St. Julian's School based?
St. Julian's School is headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, in the Europe region.
How does St. Julian's School make money?
One revenue line is on record: tuition Fees.
Who are St. Julian's School's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Deutsche Schule Lissabon and Lycée Français Charles Lepierre. Direct peers are United Lisbon International School, Oeiras International School, King's College School, Cascais, Carlucci American International School of Lisbon (CAISL), Prime School (Globeducate), International Sharing School and The British School of Lisbon. Nord Anglia International School Lisbon is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does St. Julian's School have an API?
No public API is recorded for St. Julian's School.
What industry is St. Julian's School in?
St. Julian's School's product category is Private K-12 International School Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJABAG, International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.). Its NAICS code is 6111 and its SIC code is 8200.