Warsaw, Poland

What are the schools in Warsaw like?

"The International European School was a great school till 2009, an excellent value for money. From that date, the management of the school has been a true disaster. Most of the international teachers and the best Polish teachers have been fired or invited to resign and they have not been replaced with equally qualified teachers. The academic level has gone down every year, mainly in Primary and Middle Years, while the fees have gone up. The most extraordinary decisions are taken by the Board of Directors without any consultation to parents or pupils, so the environment is often tense. Nevertheless, it is the cheapest international school in English (apart from the Canadian School) in Warsaw, and the fees include transportation and lunch. Only advisable if price is the main factor for taking a decision," commented one expat when asked about International European School in Warsaw.

"If you want your child to be fluent in 2-3 languages, make Polish, English and international friends- and have a highest probability in the country to enter world renown universities... this is the place," remarked another expat living in Warsaw with children attending International American School of Warsaw.

"The Elementary School is really very good and the kids and teachers very obviously enjoy their time there. The Middle School is awful - the adminstration is arbitrary and scattershot. The make discussions and change policy without informing the parents or the students. Even something as minor as the grade average needed to reach the Prinicpal's List was changed after the Trimester ended and without informing any student or parent of the change. Surprise! In general you will find people in the community telling you "well it's not really an academic school but my child enjoys himself" and that's the truth. They do not seek to retain teachers with high academic standards and although they have set curriculum standards (for example) one 5th grade teacher will pile on homework, the next will give none. This is a once great school that has suffered over the past few years from poor leadership at the top and a general dumbing down of their standards," said another expat in Warsaw with children at American School of Warsaw.