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True North School

Costa Rica, San Jose

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English, Spanish
Fees Fees not listed
Ages 3 - 18 years
Type Co-educational
Opened 2016
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum American Curriculum, Bespoke Curriculum
Taught languages English, Spanish
Strengths Academic Enrichment, Languages, Visual and Creative Arts
Clubs Arts and Creative, Social and Hobbies, Leadership and Professional
Stages Infant/Toddler Care, Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle School, High School
Introduction

True North School in Costa Rica offers an innovative, learner-centered education with an American and bespoke curriculum delivered bilingually. The school is the exclusive Costa Rica licensee for Learning 1 To 1, providing personalized, one-to-one learning paths. AYTN, Awaken Your True North, anchors the approach, cultivating five core skills—Appreciation, Audacity, Commitment, Curiosity, and Empathy—through leadership development and wellbeing. The day opens with a 20-minute skills session, then blends project-based learning with academic work and a Goal Time block to support autonomy and collaboration. The curriculum uses US and national standards as benchmarks across math, science, ELA, and Spanish, with enrichments in art, music, and physical education. A distinctive feature is the Conscious Innovation Lab, the first of its kind in Costa Rica, where students work on real-world problems. Accreditation by the Costa Rica Ministry of Education in 2020 and Cognia in 2022 confirms the school's international alignment. Committed to excellence.

WVJ2+G6F, San José Province, San Rafael de Escazú, Costa Rica

The Essentials

True North School has instruction in English, Spanish.

Location
Costa Rica. The school is the exclusive Costa Rica licensee for Learning 1 To 1 and provides 100% bilingual instruction.

Stages
Toddlers to conscious leaders; Middle School added in 2021.

Type
Bilingual school offering Learning 1 To 1 personalized learning; exclusive Costa Rica licensee for Learning 1 To 1.

Country affiliation
Costa Rica

School day structure
The day begins with a 20-minute session to awaken core skills; the day is divided into three main components: project-based learning, academic work, and a goal time block.
Diving Deeper

Governance and Ownership
The school is owned by Natalie Farrer and Ronald Xirinachs and is the exclusive Costa Rica licensee of Learning 1 To 1.
Fees
Application fees

- No application, registration, or enrollment fee is published publicly for the 2026/27 or 2025/26 academic years.
- For an exact, current application fee amount, use the school's contact channels listed below.

Tuition fees by year group (per term / per year)

- The school does not publish a term-by-term or year-group tuition schedule on its publicly available admissions materials. There are no publicly listed per-term or per-year tuition figures for specific year groups.
- Parents should request the official tuition schedule directly from the school for precise amounts and for the appropriate academic year. Contact details are provided below.

Billing schedule and payment terms

- No standardized public billing schedule (for example: number of instalments per year, deadlines, or late-payment penalties) is published. Payment terms and the billing calendar are not available in publicly accessible materials.
- The school's admissions or finance office can confirm the billing cycle (annual, per-term, monthly instalments), any required deposits, and payment deadlines.

Boarding fees (if applicable)

- Boarding is not applicable. True North School operates as a day school; no boarding facilities or boarding fees are listed.

Other costs or fees (uniform, transport, meals, materials, development fees, extras)

- There is no publicly posted, itemised list of compulsory or optional additional fees (uniforms, school meals, transport/bus service, learning-material or technology fees, development/registration fees, exam fees, extracurricular charges) on the school's public pages.
- Any additional compulsory or optional charges should be confirmed directly with the school's admissions or finance contact.

Refund information

- No publicly available refund policy (for deposits, tuition payments, or withdrawals) is published in the school's public materials. Refund eligibility, timelines, and administrative deductions are not shown publicly.
- Refund rules are typically specified in the school's registration/offer letter or enrollment contract; request those terms from the admissions or finance office.

Fee payment options

- There is no public listing of accepted payment methods (for example: bank transfer, credit card, direct debit, online payment portal) in the school's public pages.
- The school provides direct contact channels for confirmation of accepted payment methods: WhatsApp +(506) 8819-0758 and Email info@truenorthcr.education. Use these channels to obtain the current, detailed payment instructions and banking information.

Summary note

- The school's publicly available pages do not publish an itemised fee schedule for application, tuition by year group or term, billing timetable, boarding, additional mandatory extras, refund policy, or accepted payment methods. To obtain a full, official 2026/27 (or, if not yet available, 2025/26) fee schedule with amounts per term and per year group, contact the school at the details above.
Academics

True North School teaches American Curriculum, Bespoke Curriculum for students aged 3 to 18.

Curriculum
AYTN is the backbone of the school's educational approach. Five core skills are taught: Appreciation, Audacity, Commitment, Curiosity, and Empathy. The learner-centered approach focuses on wellbeing and leadership, provides opportunities for purposeful learning, and adapts to each student's needs. Students engage in project-based learning, with projects designed to solve real-world problems; the day includes project-based learning, academic work, and a goal time block. The curriculum uses US and national standards as benchmarks, and covers math, science, English Language Arts, and Spanish, with enrichment in art, music, and physical education.

Higher Education Progression
Graduates obtain a US High School Diploma through Cognia accreditation.
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
AYTN empowers children to discover and master core skills essential to living a full and happy life and to be effective leaders. The approach is learner-centered, unleashing students' power through project-based learning. Conscious leadership underpins the program, activating collective wellbeing. From toddlers to conscious leaders, the program supports ongoing social and emotional development.

Mental Wellbeing
Conscious leadership activates collective wellbeing. Learner-centered approach and project-based learning support students' wellbeing by engaging them in meaningful, collaborative tasks. AYTN emphasizes developing skills for living a full and happy life and for effective leadership. Education must evolve to prepare conscious leaders who can address environmental and social issues, aligning personal wellbeing with communal aims.
Parent Experience

History
True North began in 2016, inspired by three children, with a focus on wellbeing and leadership. The first space opened in 2017, a new building followed in 2018, and in 2019 the Awaken Your True North program was conceived. In 2020, the school earned accreditation from the Costa Rica Ministry of Education, and Cognia International Accreditation followed in 2022, with Middle School joining the community in 2021.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
Conscious Innovation Lab is the first of its kind in Costa Rica. AYTN anchors the school's educational model and culture. AYTN fosters five core skills: Appreciation, Audacity, Commitment, Curiosity, and Empathy. Learning is learner-centered, with a focus on wellbeing and leadership. The school day begins with a 20-minute session to awaken core skills, followed by project-based learning, academic work, and a goal time block.

Academic Facilities
Curriculum uses US and national standards as benchmarks to monitor progress. Core academic areas include math, science, English Language Arts, and Spanish with curated programs. Assessments are designed to support learning and provide ongoing feedback to refine skills. Enrichments include art, music, and physical education, expanding talents and confidence. The learning approach is learner-centered, adapting to the needs and potential of each student.

Extra Curricular Facilities
Enrichments include art, music, and physical education. The day includes project-based learning and a Goal Time block that supports independent work and collaboration. Project-based learning engages students in real-world problems and culminates in a public product or presentation. Goal Time develops autonomy, time management, and planning through focused activities.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
The day centers on Project Based Learning, with projects spanning from a quarter to a semester that address real-world problems and culminate in a public product or presentation. The curriculum is academically rigorous and uses US and national standards as benchmarks within a learner-centered approach, focusing on math, science, English Language Arts, and Spanish. Enrichments in math, science, ELA, and Spanish accompany core academics to deepen mastery and broaden perspectives. A dedicated Goal Time block helps students develop autonomy, time management, and collaborative skills.

Arts & Creative
Enrichments include art, music, and physical education, offering students opportunities to develop talents, explore new interests, and gain confidence. The program includes an Arts track with dedicated staff and activities as part of TN Innovators, indicating formal arts programming. Enrichments and arts-focused activities are designed to broaden perspectives and support holistic growth.

Social & Hobbies
Parkour is offered as part of the enrichment program, led by Raúl Solano, and enrichments include art, music, and physical education to help students develop talents and social connections. The daily structure—project-based learning, academic work, and a Goal Time block—also fosters collaboration and peer interaction.

Leadership & Professional
AYTN (Awaken your True North) is the backbone of the school's approach, fostering five core leadership skills: Appreciation, Audacity, Commitment, Curiosity, and Empathy. The AYTN framework emphasizes social and emotional learning as a foundation for developing conscious leaders. The learner-centered approach under AYTN supports ongoing skills development, project-based learning, and professional growth.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
Wellbeing is a central focus of AYTN, with social and emotional learning integrated into academics. Every quarter, students work on projects designed to solve real-world problems, linking academic growth with personal development and wellbeing. The program emphasizes balance, curiosity, and collaborative wellbeing as part of daily learning.
Languages

Language Provision
The language of instruction is English. Instruction is 100% bilingual. The curriculum includes English-language academic programs adapted to Learning 1 to 1 that complement the Ministry of Education content and the Common Core Standards.

Bilingual Teaching
Our instruction is 100% bilingual. Our curriculum includes English-language academic programs adapted to Learning 1 to 1 that complement the content of the Ministry of Education and the Common Core Standards.
Reputation

Accreditations
Cognia Accreditation (earned in 2022). Costa Rica Ministry of Education accreditation (MEP) in 2020. IB World School since December 5, 2025.
School Events
The school has not added events
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