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Below, we discuss some of the main types of private and non-public schools in Warsaw. Keep in mind, this isn’t an exhaustive list.
Living arrangements
Boarding schools: Warsaw boarding schools offer room and board. Since many offer day programs as well, these schools tend to have both international and domestic students. Boarding schools thus often have diverse student bodies. They also normally feature international education programs (such as IB), challenging academics, leadership programs, and close-knit communities.
Day schools: Warsaw day schools come in all different flavours. Each has their own special focus, curricular philosophy, teaching approach, and more. While these schools don’t offer room and board, most are open to both domestic and international students. Some may offer international students assistance in finding living accommodations.
Age levels
Preschool: Preschool (or pre-primary school) is geared toward kids from three to six years old. Some Warsaw schools also have programs for infants and toddlers (from birth to 12 months) as well. Preschool is optional in Poland, except for the so-called “zero year” which is compulsory for all Polish children. This year is meant to help kids get off to a good start in elementary school.
Elementary school: Elementary (or primary) school is for kids from age 7 to 13. Along with the final (zero) year of preschool, it’s the only mandatory level of education for Polish kids. Elementary school in Poland is divided into two stages. The first stage (I Etap), Grades 1 to 3, involves more integrated teaching. The second stage (II Etap) covers Grades 4 to 6, and involves more subject-specific teaching.
Middle school: Middle (or junior high) school is also sometimes called “lower secondary schools.” It covers grades 7 to 9 or the ages of 13 to 16 (equivalent to schools in Canada and the US). While middle school is no longer mandatory for Polish kids, many do attend it. It’s the third stage of education (III Etap) in Poland and covers stages 1 to 3.
High school: High (or upper secondary) school is also optional in Poland. These schools are for kids from age 16 to 20, which is roughly equivalent to grades 10 to 12 and the first 2 years of university or college in North America. Poland high schools are meant to prepare students for upper secondary school (i.e., university or college). They also prepare students for the workforce, though they don’t provide them with any professional credentials.
Curriculum
Montessori schools: There are Montessori schools (and preschools) in Warsaw and throughout Poland. These schools follow the student-centred educational philosophy of Maria Montessori. They offer self-directed learning, individualized curricula, hands-on learning (especial at the lower levels), child-to-child teaching, and more. Many Poland Montessori schools (including those in Warsaw) are accredited by a Montessori certifying body, such as the Polish Montessori Institute or the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI).
Special needs schools: Special needs schools provide support for students with one or more learning, developmental, or physical disability. Private learning disability schools, which may support kids with ADD or dyslexia, are especially common in Warsaw. Some schools have full-time special needs support, while others offer part-time support (for instance, through a special education class or in-class accommodations).
Social schools: Social schools in Warsaw, Poland are normally non-public (and non-profit) schools created by social organizations, such as the Social Education Association (STO) in Poland. These schools feature plenty of parent involvement: parents often work closely with teachers, staff, and students. They also aim to cultivate the social skills and competencies of students. As the STO puts it, “It’s about shaping a student as a person: in a mental, social, cultural, and physical sense.”
Language schools: Many private and non-public schools in Warsaw offer language programs. Many Warsaw international schools use English as the main language of instruction. And many offer intensive courses in other languages, such as French, Italian, Spanish, and German. These schools can be ideal for both international students and Polish kids who are looking for a challenge and are interested in languages.
International schools: International schools in Warsaw have many foreign students, including from Canada, the United States (US), Britain, France, Germany, Japan, and Korea. Often, these schools, provide English-language instruction. Some also offer bilingual, Polish-English instruction. Like all Poland international schools, these schools normally have a challenging curriculum, with international programs such as the International Baccalaureate (IB), which can be offered in the primary, middle, and high school years. Many international schools also admit local residents, from Warsaw, but also from other cities in Poland, such as Kraków, Poznań, Wrocław, Łódź, Gdańsk, Szczecin, Bydgoszcz, Lublin, and Rzeszów.
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Advice Guide
- ABC of educational terminology: Glossary of terms and concepts
- The admissions process
- Advantages and disadvantages of studying in an international school
- The application process
- Benefits of Polish private schools
- Bilingual schools
- Boarding schools
- Cambridge Pathway programme
- Choosing a private or nonpublic school in Poland
- Compare schools in Poland
- English schools in Warsaw
- Homeschooling
- International schools in Kraków
- International schools
- Private school interviews
- Music education
- Myths about private education
- Non-public schools in Poland
- School open houses
- Our Kids Interview: Get to know EF Academy Oxford
- Our Kids Interview: Get to know Open School
- Our Kids Interview: Get to know The American School of Warsaw
- Our Kids Interview: Get to know The British School Warsaw
- Our Kids Interview: Get to know The Primary and Secondary Schools of the Sisters of Nazareth in Warsaw
- Our Kids Interview: Get to know Wrocław Cosmopolitan School (two interviews, new video)
- Poland school profiles
- Private day schools
- Gifted schools & programs
- Private Jewish schools in Poland
- Language schools
- Private school tuition and costs in Poland
- Private schools in Poland
- Private schools in Poland offering French-language immersion
- English immersion schools
- Poland school uniforms
- Public versus non-public schools in Poland
- Private school questions
- Private school rankings
- Reasons for choosing private schools - Our Kids’s survey report
- Religious schools
- Schools and classes for children with ADHD in Poland
- Social Schools
- Special educational needs (SPE) certificates
- Special needs schools
- Study abroad at a private school
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- The first annual Our Kids non-public school expo in Warsaw was a great success
- Third Private School Expo in Warsaw - summary
- Types of schools
- Types of schools in Warsaw
- Warsaw preschool costs
- Why private school?
- Why parents go private
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Grades
- Boarding high schools
- Choosing a high school in Poland
- Mokotow High School Campus - a new Warsaw high school and Thames British School campus
- Montessori nursery schools
- Montessori preschools
- Our Kids Interview: Get to know English Montessori School Katowice
- Our Kids Interview: Get to know FSA School
- Our Kids Interview: Get to know KIDS & Co.
- Our Kids Interview: Get to know Polish British Academy of Warsaw
- Our Kids Interview: Get to know The English Playhouse and The English Primary
- Poland education: grade levels
- Preschools in Warsaw
- Private & non-public preschools
- Private & non-public primary schools
- Private bilingual elementary schools in Warsaw
- Private high schools
- Private high schools in Warsaw
- Private middle schools
- Nursery schools
- Private primary schools in Warsaw
- Social high schools
- Social primary schools
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Locations
- Boarding schools in Warsaw
- English schools in Kraków
- International Baccalaureate (IB) schools in Warsaw
- International schools in Warsaw
- Montessori schools in Warsaw
- Non-public schools in Warsaw
- Our Kids Interview: Get to know EF Academy
- Our Kids interview: Get to know Excellence in Education better
- Our Kids Interview: Get to know PRIMUS Non-Public Primary School No. 47 and Non-Public Secondary School
- Our Kids Interview: Get to know Thames British School
- Our Kids Interview: Get to know the Canadian School of Warsaw
- Private Catholic and Christian schools in Warsaw
- Private day schools in Warsaw
- Private language schools in Warsaw
- Private schools in Bialystok
- Bydgoszcz schools
- Częstochowa schools
- Private schools in Gdańsk & Gdynia
- Katowice schools
- Private schools in Krakow
- Lublin schools
- Olsztyn schools
- Private schools in Poznań
- Private schools in Rzeszów
- Szczecin schools
- Private schools Warsaw
- Private schools in Wrocław
- Zielona Góra schools
- Private schools in Łódź
- Private special needs schools in Warsaw
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