Cities / Sao Paulo / St Nicholas School
St Nicholas School
Founded in 1962 and IB-authorised since 2000, St Nicholas is Sao Paulo's longest-established IB-only school, serving around 1,300 students aged 18 months to 18 on its Pinheiros campus with a multilingual programme offering native-level instruction in six languages.
In brief
A long-standing IB World School founded in 1980 by Mrs Kirsten in her garage with six children, now serving over 1,300 pupils across two campuses in Pinheiros and Alphaville.
St. Nicholas runs a blended British, IB and Brazilian programme from age 1.5 through 18, with full IB authorisation across PYP, MYP and Diploma at both campuses as of 2024. Cambridge IGCSE sits in the middle years and the bilingual IB Diploma carries an 83 percent pass rate, around 50 percent above the global average. Spanish, Hebrew, Japanese, Portuguese and Korean students can study their home language to IGCSE and Diploma level, which suits genuinely multilingual families.
Parents describe a warm, welcoming environment with around 21 nationalities mixed into a largely Brazilian cohort, and 70 percent of leavers head to international universities. The Pinheiros campus is centrally located and the Alphaville campus serves families based in the western suburbs. Fees of roughly BRL 94,500 to 159,125 sit at the upper end of the local market and reflect the depth of the IB offer and the founder-led continuity.
Fees
| Fee | Age | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiny Tots / Nursery (Age 1.5-4) | 1 | Annual | R$94,500 |
| Primary (Age 5-10) | 5 | Annual | R$129,000 |
| Middle & Secondary (Age 11-18) | 11 | Annual | R$159,125 |
| Application / Registration Fee (new students) | One-time | R$9,380 |
Reviews
- Pinheiros-based IB World School authorised at PYP, MYP and DP, plus a separate Alphaville campus. About a thousand pupils across both sites; long IB track record.
- Multilingual mother-tongue offer is the most-cited strength: English-medium teaching with formal lessons up to IGCSE/IB level in Spanish, Hebrew, Japanese, Portuguese and Korean.
- Parents describe a small, cosy school culture rather than a competitive one. "Like an extended family" comes up in alumni testimony, alongside an emphasis on supporting children who need it instead of pushing rankings.
- EAL and curriculum support are part of the offer, with qualified teachers helping with homework and test prep.
- PTA-led calendar , International Day, Festa Junina , comes up across reviews as a community anchor.
- Aggregated rating on iSchoolAdvisor sits at a small but consistently positive pool.
Head of school
Ms Anna Kirsten
Andrew VanderMeulen is an experienced international educator and leader who has served as the Head of School at St. Nicholas School (Pinheiros) since August 2023. Prior to this role, he was the Head of School at Zhuhai International School for six years and held leadership positions at the Western International School of Shanghai (WISS) and International School Moshi. He holds a Master’s degree in Education, Leading and Managing in Education from the University of Bath and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Religious Studies from Queen's University. He is an expert in the IB continuum and is dedicated to community building and safeguarding within international schools.
Academic results
- IB Diploma pass rate 90%+
- Bilingual diplomas 87%
- Highest score 44/45