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Buckingham School

Colombia, Bogotá

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The school at a glance
Instructs in Spanish, English
Fees Fees not listed
Ages 3 - 17 years
Pupil numbers 400
Type Co-educational
Opened 1983
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP)
Taught languages Spanish, English, French
Strengths Sport, Languages, Service and Sustainability
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, Leadership and Professional
Stages Preschool, Primary School, Middle School, Secondary School
Introduction

Buckingham School is an independent day school in Bogotá offering the International Baccalaureate continuum (PYP, MYP, DP) with multilingual training in Spanish, English and French. It serves ages 3 to 17, with preschool through 11th grade. Founded in 1983, Buckingham is a co-educational bilingual institution accredited by the Colombian Ministry of Education and CIS, and one of only thirteen Colombian schools authorized to deliver all three IB programs. It was the first Bogotá school to obtain ISO 9001 quality certification and the first in Latin America to earn the Lighthouse Certification for implementing Leader in Me. The 48,000 m2 campus features expansive green areas, facilities including tennis and basketball courts, football and volleyball fields, a sports arena, classrooms, a library and technology labs. An HEI model from Finland promotes learning through play, while the multilingual program develops Spanish and English and French proficiency, with DELF certification through Alliance Française worldwide.

Cra. 52 #214 - 55, Bogotá, Colombia

The Essentials

Buckingham School has 400 pupils, instruction in Spanish, English.

Location
Buckingham School is located at Carrera 52 No. 214 – 55, Bogotá, Colombia. The campus sits in Bogotá and serves students from the city and surrounding areas. Contact: info@cbk.edu.co; +57 (601) 917 2136.

Stages
Preschool; Primary Years Program (PYP); Middle Years Program (MYP); Diploma Program (DP).

Type
Independent day school offering the International Baccalaureate continuum (PYP, MYP and DP) with multilingual training in Spanish, English and French.

Bus service
Transportation is provided with a modern fleet that prioritizes safety and comfort. Route monitors ensure personalized attention and real-time tracking is available through the BusesCool application. The service covers Ciudad Salitre, Chía-Cajicá and the North Zone of Bogotá according to family needs.
Diving Deeper

Uniform Requirement
Daily uniform for boys includes grey straight‑leg trousers, a school shirt per model (pre‑school/primary) or a white Oxford shirt for grades 6–11, a green wool blazer, a blazer and tie for grades 6–11 for events, burgundy school shoes with a black sole and black laces, and grey wool socks. Girls wear a skirt of model length about four centimeters above the knee (not mini), a shirt per model (pre‑school/primary) or a white Oxford shirt for grades 6–11, a green wool blazer, a blazer and tie for grades 6–11 for events, burgundy school shoes with a black sole and black laces, and green wool tights. Preschool uniforms include white aprons; the sweatshirt set includes straight‑leg pants worn at the waist with a matching jacket, white socks, a T‑shirt per model (with a blue‑border V‑neck and school name or house shirts for older students); white sneakers with white soles and white laces (logos may be blue/green/red); PE shorts are worn from Pre‑K to Grade 11. Optional items include a blue jacket and/or hoodie, and the 11th‑grade jacket may be worn daily (blazer required for institutional events); scarves and caps may be worn in designated spaces; all garments must be labeled with the student's name. Uniforms can be purchased from Omara Uniformes; ET Uniformes y Accesorios; Uniformes y Dotaciones Maisa.

Food Options
Balanced meals are provided with a menu developed in collaboration with nutritionists; the program accommodates vegetarian or vegan diets with prior parental approval; Brunch and Lunch menus are offered to students.

House System
The House System is an integral part of Buckingham School, fostering leadership, community, teamwork and healthy competition. There are six houses: House of Values, House of Ecology, House of Integration, House of Technology, House of Communication, and House of Sports. Students join a house on entry, and inter‑house activities and events occur throughout the year to support character development and a sense of belonging for the entire school community.

Governance and Ownership
School governance includes a Principal, a Senior Leadership Team, an Academic Council, a Training Council, a Student Representative, a Student Council, a School Coexistence Committee and a Formation Council, ensuring democratic participation by the educational community.
Fees
Application fees

- Application / admission form fee: COP 120,000, payable when submitting the admission form.

Tuition fees by year group (availability)

- The school does not publish per-grade or per-term tuition amounts in its publicly available admissions materials. Detailed tuition levels by year group and per-term amounts are not available for the 2026/27 or 2025/26 academic years in the school's public documents. Families are billed through the school's billing platform and the school's financial office provides the specific tuition schedule to enrolled families.

Billing schedule and payment terms

- Billing frequency: The school collects recurring educational and service charges on a monthly basis; cafeteria (daily lunch) charges are collected monthly together with the tuition (pensif3n) during the school year. Cafeteria fees are collected in the first five (5) days of each month from September through June.

- Payment platform: Enrollment and recurring payments are processed through the school's parent/finance portal (Phidias). Families must use the Phidias portal for matriculation payments and other billed services.

- Consequences of non-payment: The school's policies state that failure to pay obligations on time may result in administrative actions up to suspension of services and potential loss of enrolment/cupo.

Boarding / residential fees

- Boarding is not offered; no residential or boarding program fees apply. The school's publicly available service descriptions list day-school services (transport, cafeteria, medical services, etc.) and do not include a boarding program.

Other costs and recurring additional fees

- One-off / admission-related charges due at enrollment: student ID card, accident insurance, stationery and photocopies, and English texts. Final-year students incur part of international exam costs.

- Grade-specific / periodic charges and optional services (examples listed by the school):
- Pedagogical field trips and school outings (salidas pedagf3gicas), and school residential convivencia activities — charged as applicable.
- Laptop rental with required licenses (arrendamiento de computador portatil) where applicable.
- ICFES / State exam registration and university-orientation testing fees.
- Examinations linked to international certifications (Cambridge, DELF) and IB-related sustaining fee for certain grades (the school lists a CUOTA de sostenimiento del IB from Preschool through Grade 9). Students in Grade 11 are responsible for 50% of the international exam costs where specified.
- Yearbook, graduation rights, and other occasional charges.
- Extracurricular activities and “onces” (mid-afternoon snack service) are optional and billed monthly; once enrolled in an extracurricular activity, students are expected to remain for the full period and the activity cost is charged monthly.

- School supplies and uniform: The school publishes grade-by-grade lists of required supplies and uniform instructions for the 2025–2026 year; these items are billed or purchased separately according to the family's choices.

Refund information

- Cafeteria and similar monthly service payments: Temporary or partial absence from school (for illness or other reasons) does not entitle families to discounts or refunds for cafeteria or monthly service charges; the school specifies no automatic monthly refunds for such absences.

- Other refunds / tuition cancellations: The school's publicly available student manual addresses obligations, sanctions and payment responsibilities but does not publish a comprehensive public refund schedule for tuition or fees; specific refund or cancellation terms for tuition or matriculation must be confirmed with the school's finance office at the time of enrolment.

Fee payment options

- The school uses the Phidias parent/finance portal for matriculation and recurring payments; access to detailed billing and payment tools is through family login to that portal. The school does not publish a definitive list of accepted instruments (for example, listed credit-card brands, specific bank transfer details or on-site cash policies) in its public admissions materials. Families should use Phidias to view and complete the billed payments and contact the school finance office for confirmation of accepted payment instruments and procedures.

Summary of availability of specific tuition figures

- Specific numeric tuition amounts by grade and per term are not available in the school's public materials for the 2026/27 or 2025/26 academic years. The school does publish the application fee amount and a detailed list of other chargeable services and billing rules; the exact tuition schedule (per grade, per term and installment options) is provided to families through the school's enrolment/finance channels (Phidias and the school finance office).
Academics

Buckingham School teaches IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP) for students aged 3 to 17.

Curriculum
IB Continuum (PYP, MYP, and DP) is offered. HEI model from Finland is implemented, promoting learning through play. Multilingual Training develops communicative skills in Spanish, English, and French to interact with people from different cultures.

Higher Education Progression
Graduates attend Universidad de los Andes, Universidad Javeriana, other Colombian universities, and universities abroad.
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
The school emphasizes socio-emotional development through initiatives like the Zero School Violence Program and related wellness work as part of its Wellness offerings.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
Multilingual Training develops communicative skills in Spanish, English, and French to interact with people from different cultures.

Mental Wellbeing
Wellbeing programs are part of the school's wellness offerings, including socio-emotional development initiatives.
Parent Experience

History
Founded in 1983, Buckingham School is a co-educational bilingual institution offering preschool through 11th grade. It is accredited by the Colombian Ministry of Education and by CIS. It is one of only thirteen schools in Colombia certified with the three IB programs: DP, MYP, and PYP. It was the first school in Bogotá to obtain ISO 9001 quality certification and the first in Latin America to earn the Lighthouse Certification by implementing the Leader in Me program. There are 400 students enrolled from PK to 11th grade, with approximately 80% Colombian and 20% from different nationalities.

Community
Buckingham School supports a diverse, international community of about 400 students from PK through 11th grade, with roughly 80% Colombian and 20% from other nationalities. Students participate in Model United Nations, having traveled to China (WEMUN) and to Harvard and Yale to represent the school. The school features a House System and adds values such as the Seven Habits of Happy Kids, integration, sports, ecology, technology, values and communication. Multilingual training includes Spanish, English, and French, with DELF A2 preparation and the HEI program incorporated into the curriculum.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
Buckingham School is a country school located in the northern part of Bogotá, spanning 48,000 m2. It has expansive green areas and resources that foster holistic development. It offers sports and academic facilities, including tennis and basketball courts, volleyball and football fields, a sports arena, specialized classrooms, a library, technology labs and other learning environments.

Sports Facilities
Tennis and basketball courts, volleyball and football fields, and a sports arena.

Academic Facilities
Specialized classrooms, a library, technology labs and other learning environments.

Extra Curricular Facilities
Extracurricular activities and projects are fundamental to the holistic development of Buckingham School students. They promote social skills, creativity and leadership and include Entrepreneurship; Sports activities; Artistic Activities; and Academic Activities.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
Buckingham School offers the International Baccalaureate continuum (Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme, and Diploma Programme) and provides the IB Diploma in addition to the national diploma. The IB programs cultivate inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring learners who take ownership of their learning and develop skills to make a difference in a changing world. The school's authorization to deliver the IB continuum supports education from primary through pre-university levels.

Arts & Creative
Extracurricular activities include artistic activities that promote creativity, collaboration, and personal growth beyond the classroom. These offerings are designed to nurture creativity and help students express themselves through arts-related pursuits alongside other activities.

Cultural & Language
Multilingual Training provides Spanish, English, and French to students, with the aim of appreciating other cultures and engaging in the global community. English and French are taught using a concept-based approach to foster lifelong learning, with English instruction starting in preschool and continuing through grade 11 and integrated into the PYP, MYP, and DP. The school also supports language learning with a language-support center, and DELF French certification is offered through the Alliance Française.

Social & Hobbies
Extracurricular activities promote social skills, creativity, and leadership, with offerings in entrepreneurship, sports, artistic activities, and academic activities. These programs provide opportunities for students to collaborate, compete, and develop interests beyond academics.

Community & Service
The school participates in social responsibility and sustainability initiatives, with certifications in Social Responsibility and Carbon Footprint. Buckingham School is part of a broader network of international education institutions and engages in activities that extend beyond the classroom to benefit the wider community.

Leadership & Professional
Leader in Me is a certified program at Buckingham School that develops student leadership through the seven habits. The school serves as a regional reference for Leader in Me in Latin America and maintains a leadership team to promote the model across the community, guiding students to lead themselves and others.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
The Zero Violence in School Program focuses on socio-emotional development to ensure a safe, violence-free environment. It emphasizes self-awareness, emotional management, healthy relationships, understanding differences, conflict resolution, leadership, and responsible decision-making to help students achieve their goals and well-being.
Languages

Language Provision
Spanish, English and French are taught. English and French are taught using a concept-based approach designed to cultivate lifelong learning, and English instruction begins in preschool and continues through grade eleven as part of the PYP, MYP and DP. Spanish literature is studied in the Diploma Program. A Language Support Center provides personalized help for students acquiring a second language, whether English or Spanish.

Bilingual Teaching
The school is bilingual.
Admissions

Admissions
1. Informative talk. The first step in the admissions process is the informative talk. The talk introduces Buckingham School's educational project and what unites the Buckingham family.

2. Attend the informative talk. The admissions coordinator explains the educational project, the school's differentiators, and what unites them as a Buckingham family. The session provides an overview of the school's approach and community. Attendees can gain a clearer understanding of what sets Buckingham apart within its admissions process.

3. Application. As part of the admission process, documents are requested and the admission form is completed, which has a cost of COP 120,000. The form is accessible online. Applicants should prepare the required documents for submission.

4. Family Interview. A family interview is scheduled with a psychologist and the head of the section to which the family is applying. The interview forms part of the evaluation of fit for the program. The process ensures all relevant perspectives are considered in making a decision.

5. Play / Experience Day. Applicants attend an experience day at Buckingham School. Elementary and High School applicants take entrance exams in math, Spanish, and English, as well as a psychology interview. The day assesses readiness and compatibility with the school's programs.

6. Results. The Admissions Committee analyzes the admissions outcome and the Admissions Coordinator contacts the family with the results. Decisions are communicated by the Admissions Coordinator. The process informs families of the next steps based on the outcome.

7. Enrollment Process. Complete the enrollment requirements and proceed to enrollment. Enrollment payment is made by logging into Phidias using the parent's credentials. The system involves the entire educational community (students, parents, teachers, and staff) in the enrollment process.

Scholarships
Partial scholarships are offered and cover a varying percentage of tuition and fees, adjusted to the family's financial circumstances; all additional costs (materials, transport, etc.) are included in the calculation. The scholarship program is open to students between 5 and 15 years old. Eligibility requires ages 7-15, having passed grades from Transition to 8th, a basic level of English, and a family commitment to the educational project. The maximum application deadline is April 8, 2025.
School Events
The school has not added events
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