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The British School Punta Arenas

Chile, Punta Arenas

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The school at a glance
Instructs in Spanish, English
Fees Fees not listed
Ages 1 - 18 years
Type Co-educational
Opened 1896
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP), Bespoke Curriculum, British Curriculum
Taught languages Spanish, English, French
Strengths Sport, Performing Arts, Languages
Clubs Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language, Social and Hobbies
Stages Infant/Toddler Care, Early Years, Primary School, Secondary School
Introduction

Located in Punta Arenas, The British School Punta Arenas is a private British international school within the ABSCH network. It offers the International Baccalaureate across three programmes: PYP for Infant to Fifth Grade, MYP for Middle School, and DP for Senior School. The PYP is delivered in Spanish and English, each language used about half the time. In Senior School, DP courses include English-language Literature and Language and Literature options in Spanish/English, plus English Language B. The school serves roughly 400 PYP students and about 130 DP students, reflecting a substantial IB community. The campus comprises two main buildings, with on-site St. James Church, a canteen, gym, and dedicated music spaces; sports facilities support hockey, rugby, basketball, football/futsal and volleyball. Cultural programs include theatre, dance and choir, plus robotics, chess and other clubs. The DP features TOK, CAS and the Extended Essay, reinforcing inquiry, service and independent research and discovery.

Juez Waldo Seguel 454, 6200625 Punta Arenas, Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena, Chile

The Essentials

The British School Punta Arenas has instruction in Spanish, English.

Location
The British School operates across multiple sites in Punta Arenas: Junior School on Avenida España 853; Senior School, Administration, and the St. James Church building on Waldo Seguel 454; sports facilities on Avenida El Bosque S/N.

Stages
Infant & Junior School; Middle School; Senior School

Type
Private

Country affiliation
British international school network; member of ABSCH (Association of British Schools in Chile).

Religious affiliation
Anglican
Diving Deeper

Uniform Requirement
Uniform is required. From pre-kindergarten through 4th grade, boys and girls wear red or blue polo shirts with a cotton school sweatshirt, blue tights or shorts, white socks, and sneakers; Infants School uses a blue apron, and 1st–4th grade use a plaid apron and a lab coat for labs. From 5th grade to 4th year of secondary, students wear a white long-sleeve shirt, the school tie, a grey plaid knee-length skirt (girls) or grey trousers (boys), a navy blazer with the school insignia, grey socks, and black shoes, with a navy parka and lab coats for laboratory work; a physical education uniform is worn on PE days.

Food Options
The campus has an on-site cafeteria (Casino) with a daily Menu del día; meals can be ordered online and a family-order option is available.

Governance and Ownership
The school is governed by a six-member Board of the British Corporation of Punta Arenas; the Corporation is a non-profit organization founded largely by people of British descent and authorized by Decree No. 1023 (August 8, 1990). It maintains ties with the British community to promote English-language education and with the Anglican community as a confessional Anglican school; The school is a founder member of ABSCH and ACHBI.
Fees
Application (right to apply)
- Application fee: UF 3.00 (three unidades de fomento). This fee is required to register a candidate and is non‑refundable.

Registration fee (Matrícula) and Annual tuition (Arancel anual) — amounts shown in UF
Note: the school publishes a single annual tuition (‘Arancel Anual') and a registration/matrícula amount in UF. The table below lists the matrícula (one‑off registration charge) and the annual tuition by year group and by sibling order (1st child, 2nd child, etc.). Values are given in UF.

- 1st child
- Matrícula: UF 15.00
- Arancel anual: Pre‑kínder / Kínder — UF 115.00; 1° básico a 8° básico — UF 125.00; 1° medio a 4° medio — UF 135.00.

- 2nd child
- Matrícula: UF 14.25
- Arancel anual: Pre‑kínder / Kínder — UF 109.25; 1° básico a 8° básico — UF 118.75; 1° medio a 4° medio — UF 128.25.

- 3rd child
- Matrícula: UF 13.50
- Arancel anual: Pre‑kínder / Kínder — UF 103.50; 1° básico a 8° básico — UF 112.50; 1° medio a 4° medio — UF 121.50.

- 4th child
- Matrícula: UF 12.75
- Arancel anual: Pre‑kínder / Kínder — UF 97.75; 1° básico a 8° básico — UF 106.25; 1° medio a 4° medio — UF 114.75.

- 5th child
- Matrícula: UF 12.00
- Arancel anual: Pre‑kínder / Kínder — UF 92.00; 1° básico a 8° básico — UF 100.00; 1° medio a 4° medio — UF 108.00.

- 6th child
- Matrícula: UF 11.25
- Arancel anual: Pre‑kínder / Kínder — UF 86.25; 1° básico a 8° básico — UF 93.75; 1° medio a 4° medio — UF 101.25.

Per‑term / instalment information and billing schedule
- The school presents the charges as an annual tuition (Arancel Anual). Specific per‑term tuition amounts are not published; families may choose to pay the annual amount in instalments using the school's accepted payment methods (see below).
- Upon formal acceptance, the guardian has a 15‑calendar‑day period to pay the matrícula and arancel; failure to pay within that period is treated as withdrawal of the enrollment.

Payment terms, methods and discounts
- Online (Portal de Matrícula) or on‑site payment are both supported.
- Accepted payment methods: credit card (available in up to 12 instalments), debit card, PAC (Pago Automático en Cuenta Corriente) where available, cheque al día / cheque a fecha, and cheque en garantía (with specific internal deadlines to replace guarantee cheques).
- A 3% discount is applied if the matrícula and the full annual tuition are paid in a single payment (or by a dated cheque) by the school's published deadline for that enrollment period (example: the document for the 2025 cycle specifies the payment deadline of March 31, 2025 for the 3% discount).

Boarding
- Boarding/internado is not offered; no boarding fees apply. The school's published information and policy documents describe the institution as a day school and do not list residential/boarding services or boarding fees.

Other costs and optional charges
- Uniforms: the school maintains a uniform policy and a dedicated uniform document; specific prices for uniform items are not published in the available fee schedule. Families should budget for uniform purchase.
- Materials and textbooks: the school publishes annual lists of required materials and textbooks (Lista de útiles); costs for these items are additional to the arancel and vary by year group.
- Meals / canteen (Casino): the school operates a canteen with separate charges for lunches; canteen prices are charged independently of the arancel.
- Extracurricular activities and after‑school programmes: some activities may carry extra fees; amounts are determined per activity and are charged separately.

Refund and cancellation information
- The application fee (derecho a postular) is explicitly non‑refundable.
- No comprehensive public refund schedule for matrícula or tuition is published in the available documents; cancellation, refund or credit for paid matrícula/arancel is handled under the school's enrollment and regulatory policies and is not specified in the 2025 fee document. Guardians should note the school's stated acceptance/payment deadlines and the consequences of non‑payment.

Notes on amounts and currency
- The figures above are published in unidades de fomento (UF), a Chilean indexed unit commonly used by Chilean institutions. Annual tuition and matrícula are presented as UF values; families should convert UF to CLP or another currency using the current UF value on the date of payment. The school's payment options allow payment in instalments (credit card up to 12 cuotas) or full payment with the discount conditions noted above.

Summary of availability and currency of this schedule
- The most recent formal annual fee schedule available in the school's public documents is titled “Matrícula y Arancel Anual — año 2025” and contains the detailed matrícula and annual arancel figures listed above. The school's admissions policy document specifies the non‑refundable application fee and administrative payment deadlines. No separate published fee schedule labelled for the 2026/27 academic year was located in the school's public documents at the time of review; per‑term (termly) amounts are not separately published and would be calculated by dividing the annual arancel according to the payment instalment option selected by the family.
Academics

The British School Punta Arenas teaches IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP), Bespoke Curriculum, British Curriculum for students aged 1 to 18.

Curriculum
The school offers International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes: Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and Diploma Programme (DP). PYP is taught in Infant & Junior School (Play Group to Fifth Grade); MYP in Middle School (Sixth Grade to First Year of Secondary); DP in Senior School (Second to Fourth Year of Secondary). The PYP uses two languages of instruction, Spanish and English, with each language used 50% of the time. In Senior School, Diploma Programme courses include Language A: Literature in Spanish; Language A: Language and Literature (Spanish/English options); and Language B in English, with most subjects taught in Spanish and English materials or inquiry available as needed. The IB programmes began at The British School in 2007, and the school implements the three IB programmes.
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
The British School fosters social-emotional development through Sunshine Circle from play group to first grade, Circle Time in second through fourth grade, and tutoring hours from fifth grade through fourth year of secondary. These spaces are designed and led by the year-level teams, including tutors and psychologists. The wellbeing of all members of the community is valued, and a Comité de la Buena Convivencia (Good Convivence Committee) works to promote healthy convivencia across the school.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)
The Learning Support team works with families, teachers, and students to identify, reduce, and remove barriers to learning for students with atypical development trajectories, providing tailored educational responses within the school's IB framework and policies. The Learning Support staff include Ma. José Jainaga (Coordinator, Educational Psychologist); Marion Ojeda (Psychologist); Paula Bitsch (Psychologist); Sofía Mayanz (Special Education Teacher); Paula Torrejón (Psychopedagogue); Paula Chávez (Psychologist); Paulina Cárdenas (Occupational Therapist).

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
The school promotes multilingualism as part of its IB programme, reflecting its British origins and its IB implementation across three programmes.

Mental Wellbeing
Mental wellbeing is supported through the Formacion y Convivencia Escolar program, which emphasizes socio-emotional development and healthy convivencia. From Sunshine Circle (play group to first grade) to Circle Time (grades 2–4) and tutoring hours (grades 5–4th year of secondary), these spaces are led by tutors and psychologists. The team includes Andrea Tenore (Coordinator of Formación y Convivencia Escolar, Psychologist) and psychologists Alejandra Concha, Paula Bitsch, and Liz Toledo.

Safeguarding
The school prioritizes healthy convivencia and student wellbeing through the Comité de la Buena Convivencia. It operates under formal school policies and internal regulations (Reglamento Interno Escolar y Protocolos) to support safeguarding and safety across the community.
Parent Experience

History
Since 1896, The British School Punta Arenas has its origins in the Anglican community of Magallanes, a small community largely composed of sheep farmers and Scottish shepherds seeking an English-language education for their children. In 1895, Bishop Waite H. Stirling proposed establishing an Anglican ministry to address the religious and educational needs of the community and sent Reverend John Williams to Punta Arenas to establish the first chapel. In 1895, the Anglican Saint James Church was inaugurated in Punta Arenas, and in 1896 The English School of Punta Arenas was founded under the sponsorship of the London-based South American Missionary Society. The school began on Santiago Street (now Waldo Seguel) as Saint James College and remained linked to the Anglican Church; Saint James College closed in 1937 and re-opened in 1942 as The British School, receiving sponsorship from the British Council for about thirty years. In 1989, the Anglican Society of Punta Arenas formed the British Corporation of Punta Arenas to administer The British School. Today, the school follows the International Baccalaureate model, which began officially in 2007; it is a member of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), FIDE Secondary, and ACHBI.

Community
The Centro de Alumnos (Student Council) promotes unity and integration of students into school life. It is a nine-member executive body—President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Social Delegate, Sports Delegate, Culture Delegate, Environmental Delegate, and Communications/Social Media Delegate—elected democratically each year to lead for two semesters. Elections take place in March or April, and the 2023 leadership included Isidora Contreras (President), Andrés González (Vice President), Julián Gallegos (Treasurer), Lucas Ruíz (Secretary), Luciana Contreras (Social Delegate), José Ihnen (Sports Delegate), Vesna Nikovic (Culture Delegate), Antonia Covacevich (Environmental Delegate), and Eva Jacob (Communications/ Social Media Delegate). The Centro de Alumnos organizes activities that involve the school with the Punta Arenas community, including recreational tournaments, anniversary celebrations, cultural and sports events, and projects such as remodeling the “Mariposas” space.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
The Parents Association strengthens the role of families in their children's education. Members connect with other parents, build friendships and mutual support, and share experiences, ideas, and challenges, feeling part of a united community guided by a shared objective to positively influence educational quality and strengthen links between family, the school, and the community. For the 2023–2024 period the board is led by President Mónica Espíndola, Vice President Anjela Rivera, Secretary Carolina Delard, and Treasurer Yohanna Alarcón, with delegates Makarena Vásquez (Social Media), Jacqueline Hernández (Convivencia), Catalina Karelovic (Acción Social), and Rodrigo Palomino (Deportes). The planned activities focus on sport, social action, and convivencia to foster a sense of community within the school and its educational project.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
The campus comprises two main buildings: Junior School at Avenida España 853 for Infant to fourth grade, and Senior School at Juez Waldo Seguel 454 for fifth to fourth year of secondary. The Junior School includes the Music House and Drums House, plus the Margaret Harper Building with the canteen and multipurpose room. The Senior School houses the Middle cycle (fifth to first medio) and the Senior cycle (second to fourth medio) and contains the school canteen and gym. The St. James Church sits on site to provide spiritual guidance. The Administration Building handles admissions, the school shop and lunch sales. Sports facilities include dedicated sports courts on Avenida El Bosque S/N.

Sports Facilities
Sports facilities include the sports courts on Avenida El Bosque S/N for physical education and school life, and the Senior School includes the school gym for indoor activities. Available disciplines include hockey, rugby, basketball, football/futsal, and volleyball. The facilities support both competitive teams and recreational participation across genders.

Academic Facilities
Junior School Building at Avenida España 853 houses Infant (play group, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten) and Junior (first to fourth basic). Senior School Building at Juez Waldo Seguel 454 houses the Middle cycle (fifth to first medio) and the Senior cycle (second to fourth medio). The Margaret Harper Building contains the canteen and multipurpose room. The Music House and Drums House provide dedicated spaces for music and percussion. The campus includes St. James Church on site for spiritual guidance, and the Administration Building handles admissions and enrollments and hosts the school shop and lunch sales.

Extra Curricular Facilities
The school offers extensive extracurricular sports, including hockey, rugby, basketball, football/futsal, and volleyball, with a dedicated multi-sport space for activity. Cultural programs cover dance, visual arts, traditional games, theatre, English-language cooking, storytelling, computing, robotics, chess, and choir. The Musical program organizes large-scale productions with student involvement across choir, orchestra, theatre and production teams. Auditions and rehearsals lead to performances by students from seven years up to the final year. Past productions include Jesus Christ Superstar (2007) and other shows such as Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, The Wall, Evita, Cabaret, Man of La Mancha, Grease, Aladdin, Wicked, The Lion King, We Will Rock You and The Addams Family.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
The British School Punta Arenas offers the International Baccalaureate across three programs: the Primary Years Programme (PYP) for pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, the Middle Years Programme (MYP) for sixth through ninth grade, and the Diploma Programme (DP) for tenth through twelfth grade. The school began delivering IB in 2006. The PYP serves approximately 400 students in Infant and Junior School, and the Diploma Programme serves about 130 students in Senior School. English is a central part of daily life, with immersion in the Infant School and Cambridge exam preparation in the Junior School.

Arts & Creative
Cultural extracurricular activities include Dance, Visual Arts, Ancestral Games, Theatre, English Cooking, Storytelling, Computing, Robotics, Chess, and Choir. These programs extend the curriculum by stimulating curiosity and a spirit of discovery, and by developing universal human values. They are led by trained professionals who provide students with the tools to develop their talents and abilities.

Cultural & Language
English is a central part of daily life, with an immersion approach in the Infant School and inquiry-based language learning with Cambridge exam preparation in the Junior School. In the Diploma Programme, language options include English A: Language & Literature and English B for additional language acquisition. The IB profile promotes intercultural understanding and multilingualism, with attributes such as being a good global citizen and open-minded.

Social & Hobbies
The school offers a broad range of sports and physical activities, including POLIDEPORTIVO and motor games, Hockey, Rugby, Basketball, Football/Futsal, and Volleyball. These programs foster values such as honesty, respect, camaraderie and fair play. A dedicated team of coaches and staff supports these activities to promote a healthy and active lifestyle.

Community & Service
The Diploma Programme includes Theory of Knowledge (TOK), Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS), and the Extended Essay. CAS requires participation in activities spanning creative, athletic and service experiences. Community projects include a Community Project in eighth year and a Personal Project in the final year, developing collaboration, critical thinking and autonomy, while PAES preparation supports higher education entry.

Leadership & Professional
Student leadership is organized through the Centro de Alumnos. Governance is provided by the Board of the Corporación Británica de Punta Arenas. Academic leadership includes roles such as the Diploma Programme Coordinator and the DP Director who guide the IB program and school curriculum.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
Sports and physical activities are a core part of school life, emphasizing physical development, emotional well-being and a healthy lifestyle. The program includes Hockey, Rugby, Basketball, Football/Futsal, and Volleyball, among other disciplines, with values of honesty, respect, and fair play promoted throughout. A dedicated team of coaches supports students in these activities.
Languages

Language Provision
English is a central language of instruction across the IB program. In the Primary Years Programme, English is taught through immersion in the Infant School, with the Junior School continuing language learning through inquiry and Cambridge preparation. In the Diploma Programme, language subjects include Spanish A: Literature and English A: Language & Literature, and English B is offered for language acquisition. The school emphasizes multilingualism within the IB framework.

Bilingual Teaching
The Primary Years Programme is delivered in the Infant & Junior School, with English integrated into daily routines through immersion in the Infant School. In the Junior School, language learning is experienced through inquiry, interaction with peers and teachers, and Cambridge exam preparation. The Diploma Programme includes language offerings in both English and Spanish, with Spanish A: Literature and English A: Language & Literature, and English B available for additional language acquisition. This bilingual framework reflects the IB emphasis on multilingualism.

Immersion Programs
English immersion is a structured feature of the Infant School program. The immersion approach introduces students to English through daily activities in a practical and engaging way. In the Junior School, language learning continues through inquiry-based activities and interaction with peers and teachers, with Cambridge exam preparation as part of the program.
Admissions

Admissions
1. Admissions process (2023): The British School invites applications from families who share and adhere to the Institutional Educational Project and IB curriculum, and admission is subject to vacancies. There is no PIE (Special Education Integration) program, and no separate integration admission process. Chilean and foreign applicants must meet the general requirements: birth certificate; age by March 31 for Play Group through 1st Basic; minimum age per MINEDUC for the year being applied to; certificates of current year grades and promotion from the previous year; and, where required, convalidation of grades with Chile's Ministry of Education in Santiago. Families must provide additional documents including the personality report; qualitative reading, writing and comprehension report (for 1st and 2nd Basic); identity card or passport; guardian residence certificate; certificate of no debt from the previous school; the IPE (provisorio school identifier) for SIGE; relevant medical reports (psychologist, occupational therapist, neurologist, psychiatrist, speech therapist); up‑to‑date vaccination certificates through 2nd Basic; and, if relevant, medical certificates for vision and hearing. A postulation fee of 3 UF applies. Age requirements are specified as minimum by March 31 for Play Group to 1st Basic, and a maximum age of 16 for 1st year Middle during the academic year.

Waitlist
2. Process of evaluation: The admission process comprises three stages: a visit to the school, evaluation of the student, and a parent interview. From Play Group to Kindergarten, applicants are admitted on a first‑come, first‑served basis. For Pre‑Kinder and Kinder, a diagnostic interview assesses basic skills and socialization, with in‑class intervention as needed. First Grade entrants must take a Basic Functions test to determine eligibility; from Second Basic to Fourth Year, applicants take admission exams in Language (Spanish and English) and Mathematics, and the results determine entry. Exams are scheduled biweekly starting in September of the year of application; students who do not pass may not retake the exams in the same year but may reapply the following year.
School Events
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