Cities / Sao Paulo / St. Francis College
St. Francis College
The only school in São Paulo offering the full IB Continuum across PYP, MYP and Diploma, founded in 2004 in Pinheiros and accredited by CIS and NEASC. St.
In brief
The only school in São Paulo offering the full IB Continuum across PYP, MYP and Diploma, founded in 2004 in Pinheiros and accredited by CIS and NEASC.
St. Francis sits on two campuses in Pinheiros, with around 920 students from age 3 to 18 and over 100 full-time teachers from international backgrounds. Curriculum stitches the British National Curriculum and the Brazilian MEC together inside an IB framework, with PYP from 2005, MYP from 2008 and DP from 2004. Cambridge IGCSE sits alongside the IB Diploma in the senior years, giving families two credible exit pathways.
The community is mid-sized and largely Brazilian with around 16 nationalities mixed in, and parents repeatedly highlight teachers who tailor work to the individual child. The HUG parents' association is active and shapes the social side of school life. Fees in the BRL 115,000 to 144,000 range place it firmly in the premium international tier in São Paulo. Families wanting the full IB pathway in one school land here by default.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Early Years (Age 3-5) | 3 | R$115,200 |
| Primary & Secondary (Age 6-18) | 6 | R$144,000 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Registration Fee | R$700 |
Reviews
- Parents value the full IB Continuum (PYP, MYP, DP) and the school's positioning as São Paulo's IB-throughout option, with around 25-plus nationalities on roll.
- parent trackers carry consistent praise for teachers and the spaciousness of the Pinheiros campus, with parents citing strong communication and parental involvement opportunities.
- Fees sit in the upper bracket for the city; one directory lists annual ranges around BRL 115,560 to 144,540.
- Independent forum discussion is thin. Most public content is directory-aligned or school-side, so polarised parent voice doesn't surface either way.
- Common positive note: curriculum customisation and willingness to adapt to individual student needs.
Positives
- Full IB Continuum offer. Parents specifically cite PYP through DP under one roof as the reason they choose the school over peers in São Paulo.
- Teachers and community. Reviews describe teachers as friendly and engaged, and the campus as physically spacious.
- International mix. Roll of around 25 nationalities; parents highlight this as a plus for expat families.
Considerations
- Fee level. Sits in São Paulo's higher-fee international tier; not a budget option.
- Thin independent forum signal. Reddit and community discussions do not generate substantive threads on the school. Treat aggregator scores cautiously.
Leadership
Carolina Giannetto
Carolina Giannetto is the College Principal at St. Francis College. She has been with the school since its founding in 2003, serving in various leadership roles including Head of Early Years and Primary for nearly a decade and Head of Secondary. She is also an IB Workshop Leader for the Primary Years Programme (PYP). Carolina holds a Master of Education in International Schools from Oxford Brookes University and a Bachelor of Education from Universidade Anhembi Morumbi. Prior to her time at St. Francis, she worked at the Anglo-American School of Moscow and St. Nicholas School in São Paulo.
Accreditations
- Council of International Schools 01
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges 02
Academic results
- Result IB DP (since 2004), IGCSE (since 2004), PSAT 10 (since 2007). No specific scores/grades published on the official site.