Carlucci American International School of Lisbon

Rua António dos Reis 95, Linhó, Sintra 2710-301, Portugal. Linhó is in the Sintra municipality near Lisbon. CAISL operates an extensive bus service serving Cascais and Lisbon, with routes designed around major metro and train corridors; the fleet includes large 50-seat buses and smaller vans, and bus service carries an additional fee.

EC3 through High School

Non-profit, non-denominational, college-preparatory day school offering an American program (EC3–12) and the IB Diploma.

Learning Support; English as an Additional Language (EAL); Foundations of English Language (FoE); Counseling; Enrichment/Extension programs; Educational/Health Plans as needed.

United States (CAISL is supported by the U.S. Office of Overseas Schools and offers an American curriculum).

Non-denominational

A typical school day starts at 8:20 and finishes at 3:45.

CAISL offers an extensive bus service serving Cascais and Lisbon, with routes designed around major metro and train corridors. The fleet includes large 50-seat buses and smaller vans; buses pick up students at home when possible. The service carries an additional fee.

CAISL teaches an American curricular program from EC3 through High School under a permanent license from the Portuguese Ministry of Education, including permission to award the American High School Diploma and the International Baccalaureate Diploma, both recognized worldwide. The program follows U.S. standards: English Language Arts and Math align with the Common Core, Science with the Next Generation Science Standards, and Social Studies with the C3 Framework. Portuguese is taught to all students from Grade 1 through Grade 9, with a Native/Fluent Speakers track aligned to the Ministry curriculum and Portuguese as a Foreign Language designed for non-Portuguese speakers. CAISL follows American Education Reaches Out (AERO) resources to support curriculum development and uses frameworks across K–12 for English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Fine Arts, Information Technology, and Portuguese. Curriculum is organized by level: Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle School, and High School.

High School class sizes are small, with no more than 20 students per class. The High School includes Grades 9-12 with a maximum of 60 students per grade.

CAISL has been an IB World School since 2002. In 2025, IB results show an average DP score of 34.3 with a 98% pass rate, and 26 bilingual diplomas awarded from 58 candidates (57 awarded the IB Diploma). SAT results for 2025 show an average composite of 1267 from 58 test-takers (Reading & Writing 640; Math 627). MAP results indicate CAISL averages above U.S. and international comparison groups in Reading and Math.

College destinations for CAISL graduates include USA: Boston College, Georgetown University, Northeastern University, SUNY Binghamton University, Texas Christian University, and the United States Military Academy; UK: Goldsmiths, King's College London, Lancaster, Loughborough, University of Birmingham, University of Cambridge, University of Manchester, University of the Arts London, University of Warwick; Portugal: ISCTE, Univ. Católica, Univ. Lisboa, Univ. Nova de Lisboa; Netherlands: Amsterdam University College, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Leiden University College, Utrecht University, University of Amsterdam; Other: IE University (Spain), McGill University (Canada), RWTH Aachen University (Germany), Aarhus University (Denmark), Malmö University (Sweden).

CAISL provides counseling and guidance to support students' social and emotional development. The Counseling Department serves Grades 1–12 with a team of four counselors, including three certified clinical psychologists; counseling is available in individual and group formats and involves close collaboration with parents. Information is treated confidentially, and counselors help families access local resources when needed.

CAISL offers Learning Support for students with mild learning difficulties, with small-group instruction, regular progress monitoring, formal accommodations, executive functioning skills development, and literacy support. The program is designed for students who can function in a regular classroom setting; CAISL does not provide services for severe learning or behavioral problems. Educational/Health Plans are written when there is a relevant evaluation or medical condition and reviewed annually.

English is the medium of instruction in all classes. English as a Language (EAL) classes are available in small groups to support students whose first language is not English; ESL can be delivered through immersion, sheltered classes, or monitoring. Admission testing is used for non-native English speakers, with progression plans and monitoring (including WIDA assessments) to move students to mainstream English instruction; high school entry for non-native speakers requires demonstrated English fluency.

CAISL offers personal counseling to support emotional and social well-being for students in Grades 1–12, with a team of counselors available for individual or group sessions. Counselors work with students to develop healthy strategies and maintain confidentiality while coordinating with families as needed.

CAISL has a Child Protection Policy with annual staff training and a formal process for safeguarding students. Recruitment follows rigorous child-protection standards, including background checks and verification of criminal records for staff, contractors, and volunteers. A designated Child Protection Officer oversees safeguarding and there is a Child Protection Handbook and a formal reporting process for suspected abuse or neglect.

CAISL accepts applications year-round with rolling admissions and welcomes new students at any point during the school year. Starting at the beginning of the school year is often ideal, but not essential. The three-step application process is: First Step—Submit Application: an online form, required documents (school records for the last three years, standardized testing results, and any additional reports), and an application fee of 100 Euros; applications are reviewed only when complete. Second Step—Application Review: decisions are made by a team that includes a member of the Admissions Team, the appropriate Principal (Elementary or Secondary), and the Director; space in the grade/program and the student's academic and behavioral records inform the decision; if a class is full, no new enrollments are accepted until a spot opens; the availability of specialized programs (Learning Support, English as an Additional Language, Nursing/Medical care, and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program) also affects eligibility. Third Step—Enrollment: when a place becomes available, enrollment requires an Enrollment Contract, a Registration Agreement (updated annually in February), copies of valid identification for the student and the parents, billing information, and proof of payment of the required fees; three mandatory fees to secure a place are: a one-time Registration Fee of 600 Euros, a Building Fee of 1,953 Euros per year (payable for the first five years), and one quarter of the annual Tuition (amount varies by grade); details are in the Fee Schedule.

CAISL Scholarship is not available for new students at this moment. It is a merit-driven award that also considers financial need. Applications are accepted from students currently attending Grades 4 through 7 and entering Grade 5 through Grade 8. The Scholarship covers all required fees (tuition, building fee, registration fee, and transportation), but lunch is not included. The scholarship is awarded for one academic year with the expectation that recipients will continue to meet requirements for subsequent years through graduation from the High School in Grade 12. For information about all school fees, refer to the Fee Schedule. Questions can be directed to admissions@caislisbon.org or +351 219 239 800.

WAIT POOL: If there is no space in the grade or program or the applicant is eligible but space is not available, the student may be placed in the Wait Pool for the school year; updates will be requested if the family remains interested; it is impossible to predict when space will become available; when space opens, all Wait Pool applicants are reconsidered and offers are made based on the submitted academic/behavioral records. PRIORITY LIST: 1) Current CAISL re-enrolling students; 2) Students whose parents are US Government employees; 3) Students from American or American International Schools; 4) Students from schools whose primary language of instruction is English; 5) Students from bilingual schools or linguistically unable to attend a school whose instruction is in Portuguese; 6) Students from schools whose instruction language is Portuguese.