Are there British schools in Paphos?

Yes, three. ISOP, Aspire and TLC teach the English National Curriculum to IGCSE and A level, and use English year groups, so a Year 5 child joins Year 5. Lumio teaches in English but follows Cambridge primary and the IB.

Are there English public schools in Cyprus?

No. Every public school teaches in Greek. The Ministry runs parallel Greek-language classes for children whose first language is different, but there's no English stream.

How much are school fees in Paphos?

For 2026-27, ISOP charges €3,250 for kindergarten up to €9,515 for Years 12–13. Lumio charges €8,600 for Grade 1 up to €13,850 for Grades 11–12. Aspire and TLC share fees on request or at interview.

Can a foreign child attend a public school in Cyprus?

Yes. The Ministry of Education says every child living in Cyprus can enrol regardless of nationality, and whether or not the parents are legal residents. School is free from 4 years 8 months to 18.

What age do children start school in Cyprus?

Compulsory pre-primary starts at 4 years 8 months. Grade 1 of primary starts at 6: your child must turn 6 before 1 September of that year.

When do you register for school in Cyprus?

Public schools register pupils in January for the following September, and confirm places around April. Private schools take applications all year, subject to space.

Do UK universities accept A levels from Paphos schools?

Yes. ISOP, Aspire and TLC teach the same IGCSE and A level qualifications that UK schools use, and UK universities also accept the IB Diploma offered at Lumio.

Is there a school bus?

Usually, as an extra. Lumio lists its bus service as a cost on top of tuition. Ask each school which villages its routes cover, and the price, before you choose where to rent.

Is Paphos good for children?

Yes, for most families. You get four English-medium schools, free state schools, a GESY paediatrician as your child's family doctor, and a lot of outdoor life. The downsides are hot summers, a car-dependent school run and Greek-only state schools. Our families guide covers the full picture.

Are there good schools in Cyprus?

Yes, but you have to judge them yourself. Cyprus doesn't publish Ofsted-style inspection reports or league tables for private schools, so ask each school for its latest IGCSE, A level or IB results, class sizes and staff turnover, and visit if you can.

Are there waiting lists at Paphos schools?

Sometimes, mostly for Reception and Year 7. TLC gives siblings of current pupils priority and has a limited number of new places each year. Apply six to nine months ahead, and ask to go on the list even if a year group is full.

Do Paphos schools support special educational needs?

Yes, but it varies. State schools follow a legal process run by the District Committee for Special Education and Training. Private schools agree support case by case and may charge extra, so get the offer in writing before you pay a deposit.

Schools in Paphos 2026: Private, State & How to Enrol

Schools in Paphos: Private and State Options for UK Families (2026)

Paphos has four English-medium private schools: ISOP, Aspire, TLC and Lumio, with published 2026-27 fees from €3,250 to €13,850 a year. State schools are free for every child living in Cyprus but teach in Greek, and you register in January for the following September.

JJason 16 min read Last verified 27 September 2026

Get help with school admissions Compare international schools

The short version

Four English-medium private schools serve Paphos: ISOP (Anavargos), Aspire (Chloraka), TLC (Peyia) and Lumio (Acheleia).

Published 2026-27 fees: ISOP €3,250–€9,515, Lumio €8,600–€13,850. Aspire and TLC share fees at interview.

State schools are free from 4 years 8 months to 18, textbooks included, for every child living in Cyprus. All teaching is in Greek.

State school registration is in January for September. Miss it and the District Education Office places your child wherever there's space.

Grade 1 starts at 6. Your child must turn 6 before 1 September, a year later than Year 1 in England.

Last verified: 27 September 2026 against each school's fee sheet and the Ministry of Education.

Paphos schools at a glance

English-medium private schools in the Paphos district

€3,250

lowest published yearly fee

ISOP kindergarten 2026-27

€13,850

highest published yearly fee

Lumio Grades 11–12, IB Diploma

January

state-school registration month for September entry

How the Cyprus school system works

Cyprus runs two parallel systems: free public schools taught in Greek, and fee-paying private schools, most of which teach in English. Most British families in Paphos start in a private school and some move across once their children speak Greek.

Education is compulsory from 4 years 8 months to 15, and public schooling is free up to 18. The public system is split into four stages:

Stage	Greek name	Ages	Length
Compulsory pre-primary	Prodimotiki	4y8m–6	About 1 year
Primary school	Dimotiko	6–12	6 grades
Lower secondary	Gymnasio	12–15	3 years
Upper secondary	Lykeio or technical school	15–18	3 years, not compulsory

Pupils leave the Lykeio with the Apolytirion, the Cyprus school-leaving certificate. Two Paphos private schools, ISOP and Aspire, also prepare students for it alongside A levels.

How Cyprus year groups line up with England's

Your child joins Grade 1 only if they turn 6 before 1 September that year. In England, the same child would already be in Year 2. The private British schools use English year groups instead, so a Year 5 child in Surrey usually goes into Year 5 at ISOP, Aspire or TLC. Lumio uses grades: Grade 1 is ages 6–7.

Private schools in Paphos compared

Details and fees come from each school's own website, checked on 27 September 2026. Fees are tuition only, per year.

School	Location	Curriculum	Ages	2026-27 tuition
The International School of Paphos (ISOP)	Anavargos, east Paphos	English National Curriculum: IGCSE, A level, Apolytirion. Boarding available	2½–18	€3,250–€9,515
Aspire Private British School	Chloraka, north of town	British National Curriculum: IGCSE/GCSE, International A level, Apolytirion	Early years–18	Not published online
TLC Private School	Peyia, near Coral Bay	English curriculum: IGCSE/GCSE, A level	Kindergarten–Sixth Form	Given at interview
Lumio Private School	Acheleia, south-east of town	Cambridge primary, IB Middle Years and IB Diploma (IB World School)	6–18	€8,600–€13,850

Paphos also has several Russian-language private schools, not covered here. For year-by-year fee tables, see our international schools comparison.

The four English-medium schools in Paphos

Each school has a different shape, and the right one usually depends on your children's ages and where you want to live. Our guide to international schools in Paphos compares them in more detail, with year-by-year fees.

Children's backpacks lined up on a stone wall in a sunny Paphos school courtyard — Morning break in a Paphos school courtyard.

The International School of Paphos (ISOP)

ISOP is the oldest and largest: founded in 1987, part of the Globeducate group, with more than 1,000 pupils from over 40 nationalities. It takes children from 2½ in kindergarten to 18, and it also takes boarders. Its campus is on Aristotelous Savva Avenue in Anavargos, about 5 km from Tala.

Tuition for 2026-27 runs from €4,815 in Pre-Reception and Reception to €9,515 in Years 12 and 13. Kindergarten is €3,250 for September to June. New pupils pay a €115 assessment fee and a €260 admissions fee.

Aspire Private British School

Aspire is a British-curriculum school in Chloraka, a few minutes north of Paphos town. It teaches to IGCSE/GCSE and International A level, and offers the Apolytirion. It's known for small classes. Aspire doesn't publish fees online, and its website blocked our checks in September 2026, so ask the admissions office for the current fee sheet in writing.

TLC Private School

TLC is in Peyia, which makes it the natural choice for families in Peyia, Coral Bay and the Sea Caves. It runs from kindergarten to Sixth Form, with IGCSE, GCSE and A levels. TLC caps classes at 20 and accepts pupils at any point in the year on a date agreed with parents. Siblings of current pupils get priority. Fees are shared at interview.

Lumio Private School

Lumio opened its Acheleia campus in September 2024. It's a not-for-profit school and an authorised IB World School for the Middle Years and Diploma Programmes, with Cambridge primary below that. It's the only one of the four offering the IB Diploma. Fees for new families run from €8,600 (Grade 1) to €13,850 (Grades 11–12), with no application or enrolment fee.

Chloraka and Kissonerga along the coast north of Paphos in morning light — Chloraka and Kissonerga, on the coast road north of Paphos town.

Which Paphos school suits the area you want to live in?

Most families pick the school first and rent near it. This is the usual match between areas and the four English-medium schools.

If you live in…	Nearest English-medium school	Worth knowing
Peyia, Coral Bay, Sea Caves	TLC (Peyia)	The shortest school run on the west coast. ISOP and Lumio mean a daily drive across town.
Chloraka, Kissonerga, Universal, Kato Paphos	Aspire (Chloraka)	ISOP is also reachable across town. Good for families who want to walk to shops.
Tala, Tsada, Mesogi, Konia	ISOP (Anavargos)	Tala is about 5 km from ISOP. Hill villages are cooler in summer.
Geroskipou and the east side of town	Lumio (Acheleia) or ISOP	The only area where both the IB and A level routes are close.

Check each school bus route and price before you sign a lease. See best areas for families and our pages on Peyia, Chloraka and Tala.

Watch out

Read the withdrawal terms before you sign

ISOP's 2026-27 terms say a pupil who withdraws during the year is liable for the entire year's fees, and fees can rise by up to 6% a year. Lumio keeps your €500 deposit if you leave without a full term's notice. Ask every school for its fee contract before you pay a deposit, especially if your residence permit isn't approved yet.

Public schools in Paphos

Public schools are free and open to every child who lives in Cyprus. The Ministry of Education says this applies regardless of nationality, and whether or not the parents are legal residents. Textbooks are free too.

The catch is language. All lessons are in Greek, from maths to history, and there's no English stream. The Ministry runs parallel Greek-language classes for pupils whose first language isn't Greek, with placement tests to put them at the right level. How much support your local school offers varies.

In practice, the age of your child decides whether this works:

Under 7: most young children pick up playground Greek within months. A state primary is a real option if you're staying long term.
8 to 11: doable with a lot of support at home, but expect a hard first year academically.
12 and over: Gymnasio subjects in a new language are tough. An English-medium school is usually the kinder route, at least to start.

Children who start in a British school still study Greek as a subject, so switching later is possible.

Special educational needs in Paphos schools

Support for special educational needs (SEN) depends on which system your child joins. There's no Cyprus equivalent of an EHCP that a private school has to follow.

Child reading on a cushion in a quiet sunlit classroom corner — A quiet reading corner in a Paphos primary classroom.

State schools work under Laws 113(I)/1999 and 69(I)/2001. The District Committee for Special Education and Training assesses your child and decides the support. Most children stay in a mainstream class with adjustments. Some spend part of the day in a resource room or a special unit inside a mainstream school, which usually takes no more than six pupils. A coordinator writes an Individual Educational Programme with you, and speech therapists are often attached to schools.

Private schools decide for themselves. TLC's admissions policy says a place can depend on English support or an outside assessment for learning needs. ISOP charges extra for pupils on a modified curriculum in its Enhancement Department, and for ESL and homework classes. Ask each school, in writing, what support it will give, who delivers it and what it costs, before you pay a deposit.

Bring your child's EHCP, educational psychologist reports and diagnosis letters. If you're applying to the state system, ask the District Education Office whether it needs certified translations. An education advisor can check what each school really offers before you apply.

School places

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Parent and two children walking through the gate of a village primary school near Paphos — First morning of term at a village primary school near Paphos.

How to enrol your child in a public school in Paphos

These are the Ministry of Education's published rules for public primary schools. For a Gymnasio or Lykeio place, check the process with the Paphos District Education Office.

1
Find your educational region
December
Your child must register at the school for your home address. The Ministry posts the updated list of educational regions around the end of December.
2
Register in January
January
Registration for all grades happens online and/or in person in January. Use form YPAN DDE 11 for a first registration. The online system runs through engrafes.moec.gov.cy.
3
Hand in the documents
January
Birth certificate or Alien Registration Certificate (ARC), two proof-of-address bills (a refuse bill and a recent electricity bill, or your lease plus an electricity bill), and a copy of the vaccination record.
4
Apply for a transfer if needed
By end of January
Want a school outside your region? Register at your local school first, then apply on form YPAN DDE 33. Results come out by the end of January.
5
Confirm the place
Usually April
Every parent must confirm the registration, online or in person. Miss this and you can lose the place.
6
Arriving mid-year?
Any time
After January, head teachers can't enrol pupils directly. Apply to the Paphos District Education Office, which places your child at the nearest school with space.

Documents for public school registration

Photocopies only count if an official has certified them. Get UK birth certificates apostilled and translated into Greek or English before you move.

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1 All pupils

Form YPAN DDE 11 (application for registration)From the Department of Primary Education website or the school.
Birth certificate or Alien Registration Certificate (ARC)For children born abroad, the ARC or another official document from the country of birth.
Refuse bill plus a recent electricity billRenting and can't get a refuse bill? Give your lease plus an electricity bill.
Copy of the vaccination record with your child's name on itThe UK Red Book pages are fine.

2 Starting Grade 1

Pre-primary leaving certificateFrom a pre-primary school approved by the Ministry. Needed by September.

Children running across a school sports field above Paphos in late afternoon — After-school football on a pitch above Paphos.

Vaccinations needed for school in Cyprus

The Ministry of Education asks for proof of seven vaccinations before a child starts primary school: diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP), polio, MMR, hepatitis B, meningococcal C (or another vaccine containing it), Hib and pneumococcal (PCV). Hib and PCV are recommended by age 5.

Most children who followed the NHS schedule have all of these. One gap to know about: the UK stopped giving the Hib/MenC jab at one year for children born on or after 1 July 2024. Those children won't reach primary school until 2030, but if you have a toddler, ask your Cyprus paediatrician about a meningococcal dose. Our healthcare for children guide compares the full UK and Cyprus schedules.

How to apply to a private school in Paphos

Private schools run their own admissions, and most accept pupils during the year if there's space in the class. The usual sequence:

Enquire and visit. All four schools run tours. If you can't fly out, ask for a video call with the admissions team.
Send school reports. Expect to provide the last one or two years of reports and your child's passport.
Assessment or interview. ISOP charges €115 for its entrance assessment. Lumio charges nothing for Grade 1, €20 for Grade 2 and €50 from Grade 3. TLC interviews parents and pupils.
Accept and pay the deposit. ISOP's €1,000 reservation deposit is non-refundable and set off against fees. Lumio's is €500, set off against the third term.
Sign the fee contract. ISOP bills in three instalments (40% by 31 August, 40% by 1 December, 20% by 31 January). Lumio's terms fall due on 1 August, 1 December and 1 April.

Waiting lists are most common at the busiest entry points: Reception and Year 7. Start six to nine months before you move if you can. If you're arriving within weeks, call anyway. Places open up when other families leave.

For the mistakes we see most often, read our school admissions tips for Paphos. To line up school deadlines with your permit and flights, use the family move checklist. If you would rather have help with applications and waiting lists, our school search and admissions support can introduce you to an education advisor in Paphos.

What private school really costs in Paphos

Tuition is only part of the bill. These are ISOP's published extras for 2026-27, plus what Lumio excludes.

Cost	ISOP	Lumio
Assessment fee	€115	€0–€50
Admissions / enrolment fee	€260 once	None
Reservation deposit	€1,000, credited to fees	€500, credited to term 3
Composite fee (IT, labs, library, accident insurance)	€250 primary / €375 secondary	Included
Books	€340 primary; secondary buys its own	Included to Grade 10
Bus, meals, uniform, trips	Extra	Extra
Sibling discount	10% / 20% / 25%	10% / 20%
Pay-early discount	5% if paid by 31 May	3% if paid by 1 August

Sources: ISOP schedule of fees 2026-2027; Lumio tuition fees 2026-27. External exam fees (IGCSE, A level, IB) are charged on top at both schools.

Children building a sandcastle at Coral Bay in early summer — Coral Bay in the first week of the summer holidays.

School year and holidays in Cyprus

The school year runs from early September to late June in three terms, and private schools set their own dates within that pattern. Check each school's calendar before you book flights.

The spring holiday follows Orthodox Easter, which rarely matches the UK. In 2027 Orthodox Easter is on 2 May, while UK Easter Sunday is 28 March. If you have children at school in both countries, or grandparents planning visits, that five-week gap matters.

The summer holiday is long, roughly ten weeks, and July and August are hot. Most Paphos families use summer camps. TLC, for example, advertised a camp from 29 June to 31 July 2026.

State school or private school?

Public (Greek) school

Free, full immersion

Wins 2 of 6

English-medium private school

Continuity with the UK

Wins 4 of 6

Cost

Free, textbooks included

€3,250–€13,850 a year plus extras

Language of teaching

Greek

English

Qualifications

Apolytirion

IGCSE, A level or IB Diploma

Joining mid-year

Via District Education Office

Directly with the school

Integration and Greek fluency

Fast, especially under 7

Greek as a school subject

Moving back to the UK later

Harder above primary age

Same exams as UK schools

The verdict

Under-7s staying long term can thrive in a Greek state primary. For older children, or families who might return to the UK, an English-medium school is usually the safer start. Weigh it against your area too: see best areas for families.

Schools in Paphos: common questions

Yes, four. ISOP in Anavargos, Aspire in Chloraka and TLC in Peyia follow the English curriculum to IGCSE and A level. Lumio in Acheleia teaches in English and offers the IB Diploma.

Families

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We introduce you to an independent education advisor who shortlists schools, books visits and tracks your applications from the UK. The introduction is free.

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Sources checked for this page

1.The International School of Paphos — Schedule of fees 2026-2027, Primary & Secondary (checked 27 Sep 2026)Professional
2.The International School of Paphos — Kindergarten fee schedule 2026-2027 (checked 27 Sep 2026)Professional
3.The International School of Paphos — About the school (checked 27 Sep 2026)Professional
4.Lumio Private School — Tuition fees 2026-27 (checked 27 Sep 2026)Professional
5.Lumio Private School — Home and contact, Acheleia campus (checked 27 Sep 2026)Professional
6.TLC Private School, Peyia — Admissions and fees (checked 27 Sep 2026)Professional
7.TLC Private School, Peyia — Kindergarten to Sixth Form (checked 27 Sep 2026)Professional
8.Aspire Private British School, Chloraka (school website; fees not published online)Professional
9.Ministry of Education — Pupils' registration/transfer in public primary schoolsGovernment
10.gov.cy — Electronic student registration system (public schools)Government
11.Eurydice (European Commission) — Cyprus education system overviewGovernment
12.Eurydice — Cyprus: support measures for learners (Greek-language parallel classes)Government
13.UKHSA — Changes to the childhood vaccination schedule from January 2026Government
14.Eurydice — Cyprus: special education needs provision within mainstream educationGovernment

Written by

Jason

Founder, Paphos Advisor

British founder who moved his family from the UK to Paphos in 2025. I write down what I learned doing it properly — the tax, the residency and the living-here detail — and introduce people to the specialists I’d use myself.

How I research and fact-check