Guide · Support
Special educational needs at Belgrade international schools
What is actually available, where the published limits are, and the questions to ask before you accept a place.
Updated August 2026 · schools' own pages read 24 August 2026
Only one Belgrade international school publishes where its limits are. The International School of Belgrade states that up to 150 minutes a week of additional support is included — counted across English-as-an-additional-language and learning support together — and that beyond this an offer of a place may depend on additional support the family funds, with the school employing the teacher and passing on the cost. No other Belgrade school publishes a comparable statement. If your child has identified needs, this should be your first question to every school and it should be asked in writing.
What each school publishes
| School | What we found published about SEN provision |
|---|---|
| BIS | Nothing found |
| Brook Hill | A school counsellor across all divisions. |
| Chartwell | Nothing found |
| DSB | Nothing found |
| EDUCA | Nothing found |
| Green School | Nothing found |
| IPS | Nothing found |
| International School | Nothing found |
| Crnjanski | Nothing found |
| PRIMA | Nothing found |
| Ruđer Bošković | Nothing found |
| ISB | Up to 150 minutes per week of additional support, counted across EAL and learning support together rather than 150 minutes of each. |
| Westbridge | Nothing found |
| EFB | Nothing found |
“Nothing found” is a statement about our search of each school's public pages in August 2026, not about what a school provides. Several schools support children with additional needs without writing about it anywhere. What it does mean is that you cannot find out without asking — so ask early, in writing, and ask every school on your list the same question.
The six questions to ask, in writing
Ask these in writing, of every school on your shortlist, before you accept a place. A verbal answer at an open day is not something you can hold anyone to later.
- What support is included in the fee, and how is it measured? ISB expresses it in minutes per week. Most schools do not quantify it at all — ask them to.
- What happens beyond that ceiling? The honest answers range from "we fund it" to "you fund an additional teacher we employ" to "we would not be able to offer a place". All three exist in Belgrade. You need to know which one you are hearing.
- Who delivers it? A qualified specialist, a teaching assistant, or a class teacher with extra time. These are very different things.
- What happens if needs change after enrolment? This is the question that matters most and the one least often asked. A child diagnosed in Year 4 is in a different position from one who arrived with a diagnosis.
- Is the building accessible? Several Belgrade schools operate from converted villas across multiple addresses. ISB states plainly that applications from students with limited mobility are difficult to accommodate because of accessibility on its Lower School campus. Others have not addressed it publicly, which is not the same as having solved it.
- What must I disclose, and when? ISB warns that failing to disclose learning differences may result in an acceptance being withdrawn. Disclose early and in writing — it protects you as much as the school.
English as an additional language is not the same thing
Schools often describe EAL and learning support in one breath, and at least one counts them against a single weekly allowance. A child who needs both may therefore get less of each than the headline suggests. Ask whether the two are budgeted together or separately.
What the Serbian system offers
Serbian law gives foreign nationals the same right of access to state education as citizens, and requires institutions to arrange Serbian-language instruction for children who do not speak the language. State provision for special educational needs is a separate question and outside what we can report reliably — if this is your route, ask the school directly and in writing.
Questions families ask
Do Belgrade international schools support special educational needs?
To a limited and mostly unpublished extent. Only the International School of Belgrade states its ceiling publicly: up to 150 minutes a week of additional support, counted across EAL and learning support together, with anything beyond that potentially funded by the family. No other Belgrade school publishes a comparable statement, so provision has to be established school by school, in writing.
Is there a special needs school in Belgrade that teaches in English?
We are not aware of a dedicated English-medium special school in Belgrade. The realistic options are the mainstream international schools with whatever additional support they can provide, which varies and is largely unpublished. Families with significant needs should ask each school about its ceiling before applying rather than after.
Should I disclose my child's learning needs when applying?
Yes, and in writing. ISB states that failing to disclose learning differences may result in an acceptance being withdrawn. Beyond the risk, disclosure is what lets a school tell you honestly whether it can help — which is information you need before you accept a place, not after.
Are Belgrade international schools physically accessible?
Not uniformly. Several operate from converted villas and residential buildings across multiple addresses. ISB states that applications from students with limited mobility are difficult to accommodate because of accessibility on the Lower School campus. Other schools have not addressed accessibility publicly, so it has to be asked about directly.