[marinaforest53368]

We are moving to Lisbon next year with two kids, ages 6 and 10. My company will help with relocation, but school cost is still our biggest question. International school feels safer because the kids can continue in English. Portuguese public school feels more immersive and less expensive, but I worry about language, homework, parent communication, and whether they will feel lost. Has anyone started in one system and later changed?

[martariver38055]

For the first year, international school was the right choice for us. Our children were already dealing with a new country, new apartment, new food, and missing grandparents. Keeping school familiar protected their confidence. We still added Portuguese tutoring and local sports, so they were not living in a bubble. If your move is temporary, I would be careful about making school the hardest part of the transition.

[jamespine93422]

We chose Portuguese public school for our younger child and international school for the older one. The younger child adapted quickly. The older one felt embarrassed every day. Age matters a lot.

[taliastone43512]

Ask about school commute before choosing housing. We loved one school on paper, then realized the daily drive would eat our family life.

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