Best schools in Warsaw
Education in Warsaw
A few well-established international schools exist, used both by expats and the increasing number of wealthy and internationally minded Polish families who want their children to be educated in English.
Even where children speak neither English nor Polish, families tend to select these international schools with a British, American or partially International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum if they’re looking for an education that’s recognised internationally and can be transferred between countries.
Generally, families choose to live near their international school, primarily around the Wilanow/Sadbya area (home to British, French and German schools and a host of pre-school options). Some schools run a bus service and car-pooling is common.
Other families prefer schools dominated by stable populations of local Polish children over the more transient international schools. Not only is the Polish public school system free, but it’s more likely that your child will pick up Polish as a second language. It is particularly popular among families who have at least a five year posting and with younger children. But older children who have no – or only a basic – knowledge of Polish would find it hard to keep up.
The key stages are: an introductory pre-school year age 5 (przedszkole); six years of primary school (szkoła podstawowa); then three years of gymnasium, with final exams taken after the third year, which marks the end of compulsory education (gimnazjum). Those who want to study after gimnazjum can choose between a liceum for three years or a ‘technical college technikum’ for four years. Alternatively, students can attend a vocational school (szkola zawodowa) for two years that focuses on preparation for manual professions. Following the completion of education in a liceum or technikum, students can pass the maturity examination (matura) to obtain a maturity certificate, which allows them to take entrance exams for Higher Education, be it a university, university of technology or medical academy.
Private, fee-paying education is relatively new in Poland, having only been introduced in the late 1980s. Many are run by religious or social organisations and can also rely on private or parent donations. These schools are independent of the government and not restricted to following the national curriculum.
Choosing a school in Warsaw
There are many benefits of sending a child to one of Poland’s international schools. The most obvious are the qualifications, in particular the American High School and the IB diplomas, delivered in the British and American schools. These schools focus on small teaching groups and personal development, interesting and abundant extracurricular activities and diverse and multinational parent, teacher and student groups. But these benefits do not come cheap.
Other international schools tend to have a high percentage of Polish children and a curriculum which, although taught in English or French (in the case of the lycée), is largely focused on the Polish system and considered by expats to be a ‘second tier’ to the British and American Schools. The exact curriculum varies between the schools but usually has a focus on the Polish core curriculum as defined by the Polish Ministry of Education ( https://men.gov.pl/) including Polish language, as well as Polish history, geography, maths and science. At high school level, a more flexible approach can be adopted by the schools and it might teach, for example, Polish Matura, American High School Diploma and IB diploma programme.
You can also find a fully French or German education. This approach is popular in early years education (nursery through to year 2). For example, where English is spoken at home, the French and German schools will expose children to a foreign language and also offer introductory Polish classes - a good option in Warsaw if you are happy to move your children around to cement a bi/trilingual education at an early age. There is also the option to go further and give your child the opportunity to learn French, Chinese, Japanese and Spanish in addition to English and Polish.
