The three routes
Families in Limassol usually choose between three things: public schools, which are free and teach in Greek; private English-language schools following an international curriculum; and private Greek or bilingual schools.
The decision is not only educational. It affects where you can realistically live, what your mornings look like, and how quickly your children build a local social circle.
Public schools: free, Greek-language, genuinely local
Public schools cost nothing in tuition and teach in Greek. Younger children usually absorb the language quickly, and the social integration that comes with a local school is hard to replicate any other way.
The honest caveat is age. Teenagers arriving mid-cycle find the language transition much harder, particularly when they are also facing exams. If you are considering this route for an older child, plan explicit language support from day one rather than hoping immersion does the work.
Private English-language schools
These follow curricula such as the English National Curriculum with IGCSEs and A Levels, or the International Baccalaureate. They are the default choice for many relocating families, especially where a future move is possible and curriculum continuity matters.
Expect fees per term plus registration, transport and exam charges. We deliberately do not publish fee tables - they change every year and only the school's own admissions office can confirm them.
The five questions to ask every school
Ask all of them, in the same wording, to every school on your list, so the answers are actually comparable:
- What are current class sizes in the year group we need?
- What English or Greek support exists for new arrivals?
- Is there a waiting list in that specific year group?
- What is the total annual cost including registration, transport, exams and extras?
- Where do leavers go next?
The last one tells you more about a school than any brochure.
Visit properly
Book physical visits during a normal school week rather than an open day. Open days are curated; a Tuesday morning is not.
Ask to speak to a parent already in that year group, and if the school will not facilitate that, note it. Watch the corridors between lessons, look at what is on the walls, and pay attention to how staff speak to children when nobody is presenting.
Nursery and preschool places move fast in the east of the city. Start those enquiries as early as school ones.