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The five schools parents researched most, from 9 international schools across Lusaka.
The 2026 ranking
Ranked purely by parent interest — the number of families who opened each school’s profile and spent time reading it between September 2025 and August 2026.
Italian School of Lusaka is a Cambridge International Centre with over four decades of operation and 400+ students, offering British curriculum education with Italian language programmes and Duke of Edinburgh International Award.
International School of Lusaka (ISL) is a not-for-profit day school founded in 1963 and serving students from age 2 to 18. The school delivers the International Baccalaureate continuum, from the Primary Years Programme to the Diploma Programme, with Cambridge IGCSE offered in the High School alongside the IB Diploma Programme. ISL staff are IB trained and also qualified in Cambridge IGCSE and IMYC, with ESOL and Learning Support available in both Primary and Secondary. The curriculum includes French and Spanish from Reception to Year 13, Chinyanja language lessons, Zambian Studies, and English for Speakers of Other Languages. The campus features libraries, a House system named after Zambian rivers, and an emphasis on field trips, counseling, and a broad range of extracurricular activities. Activities include monkeynastics, tennis, chess, horse riding, dance, golf and violin, plus drama and music performances and annual UN Art events. ISL is accredited by CIS and NEASC.
Lusaka Oaktree School offers a Cambridge curriculum framework for students from age 3 to 18. Preschool (3–5) feeds into Cambridge Primary (5–11), Cambridge Lower Secondary (11–14), Cambridge IGCSE (14–16), and Cambridge A/AS Levels (16–19). Instruction is delivered in English and follows Cambridge Primary, Lower Secondary, IGCSE, and A Level pathways. The school emphasises 21st‑century skills through LOTS—Leadership And Excellence, Holistic Education, Service Learning, University Guidance, Learning Support, STEAM Education, and Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Service learning is embedded across programmes, and Counsellors help students plan next steps. Learning@LOTS provides Learning Support, University Guidance, and Counselling. Facilities include a Cambridge programme delivered across all stages and a library managed via Librarika. The school runs a broad extracurricular programme, including sports, with Leadership development and STEAM activities integrated into clubs and societies. The campus emphasizes wellbeing and personal development alongside academic progression. This combination supports confident learners prepared for higher education and citizenship.
AIS Lusaka is an independent, co-educational day school serving ages 3 to 18. It offers the International Baccalaureate framework (PYP, MYP, DP) alongside an American Curriculum, with authorized delivery of all three IB programs. Founded in 1986, AISL is accredited by the Council of International Schools and the Middle States Association, and maintains affiliation with the American Embassy. The school serves a diverse international community, with approximately 21% European, 28% North and South American, and 22% African nationalities. The Leopards Hill Road campus spans 25 acres and features purpose-built classrooms, science labs, a library/media center, and administration spaces. Facilities include a 400-seat theater, indoor and outdoor gymnasia, three swimming pools, two athletic fields, six outdoor multi-sport courts, a multipurpose hall, and maintenance buildings. Renovation phases have improved spaces, security, traffic flow, and green space. AIS Lusaka emphasizes intercultural understanding, language development, and critical thinking throughout its IB and American programs.
Enko Pestalozzi International School, Pestalozzi Education Centre, is an IB World School in Ibex Hill, Lusaka. It serves learners from creche to year 12 and offers ECZ national education alongside Cambridge programmes, including Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge International AS Levels and Cambridge A Levels, plus the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. The curriculum covers English A: Language and Literature, French Ab initio, Geography, Business Management, Expressive Arts, Environmental Systems and Societies, Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Mathematics. The on-site campus provides spaces for sport, computer labs, science labs, work labs and a library to support inquiry-based learning, a rich drama and art programme, and the CAS Camp for service learning and citizenship. Pestalozzi International, a non-profit trusted by Enko Education, emphasises holistic development of the Head, Heart and Hands and runs service projects such as a recycled bull sculpture (2023) and a borehole installation (2024). It welcomes families and fosters strong community partnerships.
What’s on offer
The mix of programmes and teaching languages across all 9 schools. Many offer more than one curriculum, so totals run higher than the school count.
Number of schools teaching each curriculum.
Number of schools teaching in each language.
Size & classes
School size and class size shape day-to-day experience as much as curriculum does.
Schools grouped by total enrolment.
Average school size is 527 students · based on the 8 schools that report enrolment.
Schools grouped by typical class size.
Average class size is 19.4 students · based on the 5 schools that report it.
What it costs
Fees shown are one year for a 12-year-old (or the closest age available), excluding one-time enrolment costs.
Across the 5 schools that publish a price for a 12-year-old. All figures in ZMW.
How many schools sit in each annual-fee range.
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