Guide · Comparison
Chartwell or BIS?
Chartwell International School and British International School Belgrade side by side on curriculum, admissions, what the fee covers and what neither school publishes.
Updated August 2026 · schools' own pages read 24 August 2026
Chartwell International School teaches Cambridge Primary, Cambridge Lower Secondary to ages 2-18 in Dedinje, Savski Venac. British International School Belgrade teaches Cambridge Checkpoint, Cambridge IGCSE to ages 3-18 in Voždovac. The table below sets them side by side on everything either school publishes. Where a row says “not published”, that is the finding — it means the school does not put it anywhere public, and it is a good question to take to an interview.
Where they differ
| Chartwell | BIS | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | Cambridge Primary, Cambridge Lower Secondary, Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge AS and A Level | Cambridge Checkpoint, Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge AS and A Level, American High School Diploma |
| Ages | 2-18 | 3-18 |
| Founded | 1998 | 1997 |
| Neighbourhood | Dedinje, Savski Venac | Voždovac |
| Campuses | Reported campuses | Primary, Lower Secondary, Upper Secondary |
| Students | 1,000-1,200 (sources disagree) directory figure | Not published |
| Nationalities | 40-60 (sources disagree) directory figure | Not published |
| Class size | average 16, max 18 directory figure | Not published |
| Inside the fee | Not published | Teaching and extracurricular activities; Books and instructional materials; Examination fees; Report and certificate issuance; Single-day curriculum-related field trips; ESL support at no extra charge |
| Billed on top | Meals — the school's own FAQ states meals are not included; a catering service offers a hot meal at a monthly menu; Transport, arranged and charged directly with the provider | School transport; Lunch (external caterer); After-school activities; The annual study tour; Uniform |
| Entrance testing | All Secondary students take an oral English placement test. Placement is by age and school history. Primary and Foundation testing not described. | No entrance examination is described. |
| Admission type | Rolling, year-round | By admissions conference |
| School bus | A directory reports that transport is arranged and charged directly with an outside provider rather than run by the school. Not confirmed with Chartwell. | Runs a service |
Rows where the two schools give the same answer are listed separately below, so that this table shows only what actually separates them.
Where they are the same
| Both schools | |
|---|---|
| Language of instruction | English |
| Publishes fees | No |
| Special needs support | Nothing published |
What stands out about each
- Chartwell: Largest international school in Belgrade by student numbers; Operates Green School by Chartwell as a feeder.
- BIS: Dual British and American diploma pathway; Examination fees included in tuition; Free ESL; Duke of Edinburgh's International Award operator.
Chartwell: RSD figures for Chartwell circulating on directory sites are conversions of euro values, not fees the school published in dinars.
BIS: A directory publishes an annual tuition range for BIS on a profile the school does not manage, with no academic year stated. The school's own position is that fees are given to families directly, so we do not reproduce that range.
What to ask both
Questions worth asking both schools, because neither publishes the answer:
- Chartwell: ALL fee figures — the official page was unreachable
- Chartwell: Whether bands are labelled Year 1-6 / 7-13 or Grade 1-5 / 6-12
- Chartwell: Student numbers and nationality count
- BIS: Student numbers — the ISI BSO inspection report (BSO9527, 2025) is the likeliest public source
- BIS: CIS and COBIS membership against those bodies' own directories
- BIS: Whether there are three or four campuses — the site is internally inconsistent
- Both: last year's actual leaver destinations and average results.
- Both: how many teachers in your child's year group were also there last year.
- Both: whether the bus covers the street you will live on.
Questions families ask
What is the difference between Chartwell and BIS?
Chartwell International School teaches Cambridge Primary, Cambridge Lower Secondary to ages 2-18; British International School Belgrade teaches Cambridge Checkpoint, Cambridge IGCSE to ages 3-18. They also differ on admissions process, what the fee covers and how much each publishes about itself. The full side-by-side is on this page.
Which is better, Chartwell or BIS?
Neither, in the abstract — and any source that answers that question is guessing about your child. The comparison that decides it is narrower: which one teaches the curriculum your child will finish in, has a place in the right year group, is reachable from where you will live, and can support your child's particular needs. This page is built to let you answer those four.