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VIII Prywatne Akademickie Liceum Ogolnoksztalcace

Poland, Kraków

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The school at a glance
Instructs in Polish, English
Fees Fees not listed
Ages 16 - 18 years
Type Co-educational
Opened 1993
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum IB (DP), Bespoke Curriculum
Taught languages Polish, English, German, Spanish, French, Latin
Typical class size 20
Strengths Languages, Sport, Academic Enrichment
Clubs Cultural and Language, Social and Hobbies, Community and Service
Stages Secondary School, Sixth Form
Introduction

VIII Prywatne Akademickie Liceum Ogólnokształcące in Kraków is a private, co-educational upper secondary school offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme alongside a bespoke curriculum. Located at ul. Karmelicka 45, it serves students aged 16–18 in a compact, supportive setting with class sizes capped at 20. The school is IB World School No. 006265 and aligns with the IB profile while recognizing Polish matura equivalence. Since 2011, it offers the IB DP, with pre-IB pathways and university collaborations with the Jagiellonian University and AGH, including classes in their laboratories. Facilities include a swimming pool, gym, climbing wall, modern dance, and a well-equipped science program with six hours of English weekly plus German, Spanish, or French. The school emphasises international exchanges, Erasmus, a robust volunteer program, and university admissions guidance. Notable features include small classes, on-site medical care, and active CAS projects.

ul. Karmelicka 45, 31-128 Kraków, Poland

The Essentials

VIII Prywatne Akademickie Liceum Ogolnoksztalcace has typical class sizes of 20, instruction in Polish, English.

Location
The school is located in Kraków, Poland. Address: ul. Karmelicka 45, 31-128 Kraków.

Stages
Upper secondary education (Liceum Ogólnokształcące) with pathways to the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP), including a pre-IBDP track.

Type
Private, co-educational high school; IB World School No 006265.

Country affiliation
Poland
Diving Deeper

Uniform Requirement
Uniform for girls is a white blouse, a tie with the school logo, a navy blue or black skirt or trousers, and a blazer of the same color. Uniform for boys is a white shirt, a tie with the school logo, navy blue or black trousers, and a blazer of the same color. Daily attire should be clean and neat. Provocative makeup, extravagant hairstyles, and unnatural hair colors are prohibited.

Governance and Ownership
The school is owned by Prywatne Akademickie Centrum Kształcenia Sp. z o.o. (PACK). PACK originated as a civil partnership under the name Prywatne Akademickie Centrum Kształcenia (PACK) grouping non‑public schools. Governance involves the owner (osoba prowadząca szkołę) together with the director and the school bodies; the Student Council (Samorząd szkolny) and a School Board (zarząd szkolny) operate within the framework set by the statute, and the Pedagogical Council (Rada Pedagogiczna) advises and approves key decisions. The owner is referenced as the entity that runs the school, and the body of governance includes the owner, the director, the pedagogical council, and the student council.
Fees
Application fee (opłata rekrutacyjno‑rezerwacyjna)
- The school charges a recruitment / reservation fee for admission. One quarter (25%) of this fee is refundable under the school's rules.

Tuition fees (czesne) — amounts by year group
- The school requires payment of tuition (czesne) but does not publish specific tuition amounts or differentiated per‑year figures in the publicly available admission and policy documents. No fixed per‑term or per‑year fee amounts for the 2026/27 academic year (or for 2025/26) are available in the school's published regulation and recruitment materials.

Billing schedule and payment terms
- Tuition is billed on a 12‑month basis: czesne is payable for twelve months of the year. Payments are due in the agreed amounts by the 10th day of each month. Late payments incur contractual penalty interest as described in the school's agreement.
- The school's governing body may set the level of czesne and other fees, may grant discounts or bursaries, and may, in exceptional circumstances, exempt families who make donations exceeding specified thresholds from a month's fee.

Boarding / internat fees
- The school's published materials and regulations make no authenticated, published statement of boarding (internat) service fees. There is no published fee schedule for boarding; therefore no boarding fee amounts can be provided.

Other costs and incidental fees
- Parents/guardians are responsible for additional costs connected with individualised or special programmes where applicable; such additional costs must be covered by families when an individual programme is implemented.
- School activities that are billed separately include school trips, workshops and international exchanges; separate bank accounts are provided for payments related to excursions, workshops and exchanges. Specific fees for trips, workshops, study materials, external examination fees (e.g., IB examination charges) or similar items are charged in addition to tuition and are billed individually.
- The school has provisions for a uniform (a single school outfit) and the school authorities determine the uniform's pattern and when it must be worn; however no uniform cost schedule is published.

Refunds and cancellation
- The recruitment / reservation fee is partly refundable: 25% of that fee is refundable under the school's regulations. Other refund situations (for example refunds of tuition) are governed by the learning contract signed with the school and by the school's regulations; late payment rules, reductions or exemptions and scholarship/stipend decisions are managed under those rules and by the school's governing body.

Fee payment options and bank details
- The school accepts payments by bank transfer. Dedicated bank accounts are published for tuition and admission fees as well as separate accounts for international exchanges, trips and workshops in three currencies: Polish zloty (PLN), euro (EUR) and US dollars (USD). IBAN and SWIFT/BIC identifiers are provided for non‑zloty payments. Example account listings for payments in PLN, EUR and USD are made available by the school administration.

Summary of findings and gaps
- The school's regulations clearly define payment mechanics (tuition paid over 12 months, monthly due date—10th—and penalty interest for late payment), a partial refund rule for the recruitment/reservation fee (25%), responsibility for additional program costs, and published bank accounts for payments in PLN, EUR and USD.
- However, specific numeric tuition amounts (per term, per year group or total annual fees) and any numeric boarding fees for 2026/27 (or 2025/26) are not published in the school's available admission/regulation documents and therefore cannot be listed here. The school's documents and contact pages supply bank account details and the contractual rules but do not provide a public fee table with amounts for each year group.
Academics

VIII Prywatne Akademickie Liceum Ogolnoksztalcace teaches IB (DP), Bespoke Curriculum for students aged 16 to 18.

Curriculum
Offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP) as part of its upper secondary education. The IB DP is designed for students aged 16–18 (the last two years of Polish liceum) and is administered by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) in Geneva. Under Polish law, the IB diploma is equivalent to the Polish matura. The IB standards and strategic objectives are defined and closely supervised by the IBO. The school is an IB World School (No. 006265) and highlights the IB student profile.

Exam Results
In 2026, graduates achieved excellent matura results. A 9 July 2026 update celebrates the graduates' performance. The school presents these results as a key academic achievement and the IB diploma program complements the Polish matura pathway.

Higher Education Progression
Partner universities include the University of Agriculture in Kraków. Jagiellonian University (UJ) – Faculty of Chemistry and Institute of Environmental Sciences (Institute within the Faculty of Biology and Earth Sciences). Cracow University of Economics. Collegium Medicum of Jagiellonian University. Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków. AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków.

Gifted and Talented
Stypendia (scholarships) are available for students.
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
The school's mission is the comprehensive intellectual and emotional development of students.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)
The school has a Pedagog specjalny, Maria Stachoń. Office hours: Monday 9:30–14:20; Tuesday 13:00–16:10; Friday 08:30–13:30.

Mental Wellbeing
The school has a school psychologist. Dagmara Filewicz-Buczek, Psychologist: Monday 09:00–16:00; Tuesday 08:00–14:00; Wednesday 08:00–13:00; Thursday 08:30–12:30. Małgorzata Jakóbik, Psychologist: Tuesday 07:30–13:00; Wednesday 08:00–13:00; Thursday 10:30–16:30; Friday 10:30–16:00.

Safeguarding
The Director, acting in the best interests of students and in accordance with duties described in the acts on protection of minors, adopts and implements Standards for the Protection of Minors. Full text is the Child Protection Policy.
Parent Experience

History
VIII Prywatne Akademickie Liceum Ogólnokształcące w Krakowie was founded in March 1993 at Studencka 5 as an alternative to the standard education system, which often left teachers, students, and parents feeling powerless in the face of changing realities and rigid formal constraints. The school moved to Karmelicka 45 in April 1999. In November 2002, it formed PACK (Private Academic Centre of Education), a civil-law entity grouping non-public schools under one umbrella. In 2011 it became an IB World School No. 006265, authorized to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. The school celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2013 and, in 2014, earned the British Council International School Award Full Accreditation for 2014–2017 and established international exchanges with partners such as Gjovik in Norway and Delhi Public School Gurgaon in India.

Community
The school's mission is anchored in UNESCO-associated School pillars: learn to know, learn to do, learn to live together, and learn to be. It maintains international exchanges with partner institutions across Germany, Norway, India, Nepal, and the United States, supporting students' involvement in conferences, exchanges, and joint projects. The school publishes an annual Newsletter documenting events and achievements, available online and as PDFs, and provides a parent/student zone and a 3D virtual tour to engage families. Student achievements in national and international Olympiads and other competitions are highlighted on the site, underscoring the school's active learning community.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
The school is located at Karmelicka 45, Kraków. Classes are limited to 20 students. Medical care is provided on site. The school cooperates with foreign schools and participates in international projects. Some classes take place in university laboratories at the Jagiellonian University (UJ) and AGH University of Science and Technology. The physical education program includes a swimming pool, a gym, a climbing wall, modern dance, and a fitness room; transportation to sports facilities is provided under teacher supervision.

Sports Facilities
The school has a swimming pool for physical education. The school has a gym for physical education. The school has a climbing wall for physical education. Modern dance is offered as part of physical education. A fitness room (siłownia) is available for physical education. Transportation to sports facilities and back is provided under teacher supervision.

Academic Facilities
English is taught in the extended program: six hours per week, with an option to add three more hours. German, Spanish, and French are available. Philosophy is a mandatory subject. Mathematics is taught in full extended form from the second year. In the first year, students make an initial choice of one extended subject; the final selection of extensions is made in the third year; extended subjects are taught in cross-year groups. Some classes are conducted in the laboratories of the Jagiellonian University (UJ) and AGH.

Extra Curricular Facilities
Extracurricular activities include Latin, typing, the European Club, and subject-specific circles, plus an expanded volunteer program. The school regularly organizes after-school activities according to student needs. Some activities are held in the laboratories of the Jagiellonian University (UJ) and AGH University of Science and Technology. The school supports a broad volunteer program. The school offers additional language and cultural activities as part of its extracurricular program.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
The school offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP). It runs pre-IB DP and IB DP pathways, with collaboration on university projects with institutions such as the Jagiellonian University (UJ), Wyższa Szkoła Ekonomiczna (WSE), UE, and WSBiZ. Classes take place in university laboratories (UJ, AGH). Philosophy is a mandatory subject.

Arts & Creative
The school has a rich program of cultural education, including outings to theatres, philharmonics, cinemas, and museums, as well as school performances and exhibitions.

Cultural & Language
Foreign-language instruction is extended: English is six hours per week, with three hours to choose from German, Spanish, or French. Latin is available as an extracurricular, and Lingualand courses offer a 30% discount.

Social & Hobbies
Extracurriculars include Latin language, computer typing, the European Club, subject clubs, and an expanded volunteer system. The school regularly organizes various after-school activities and uses laboratories at UJ and AGH to support some activities.

Community & Service
The school runs a robust volunteer system and participates in international programs such as Erasmus, cooperating with foreign partners. Exchanges exist with Gymnasium Johanneum Luneburg (Germany), Delhi Public School (India), Malpi International School (Nepal), Gjovikskole (Norway), and Pompano Beach High School (USA).

Leadership & Professional
Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) is central to the Diploma Programme, organized around three strands: Creativity, Activity and Service. Students undertake CAS experiences, including at least one CAS project lasting a minimum of one month, and maintain a CAS portfolio with reflective practice; formal CAS coordinator meetings occur during the program. The school also provides career guidance and university admissions counseling.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
Physical education is offered in multiple formats, including a swimming pool, gym, climbing wall, and modern dance, with transport to facilities supervised by staff. The program also includes a rich cultural education component and mid-year trips and camps.
Languages

Language Provision
The language of instruction in the IB DP program at VIII PALO is English. All classes, assessments, essays, papers and exams use exclusively English; the exceptions are Polish Literature (Group 1) and subjects other than English B in Group 2. Joining the IB program thus requires English language competence, primarily in speaking and writing, but the program is aimed at an international community and English is not the native language for most IB students worldwide. In examination work (excluding English A, Literature and English B), linguistic accuracy is not graded as long as the language used is communicative and correctly uses the terminology and language specific to the subject, enabling students with very different levels of English proficiency to successfully undertake the IB program.
Admissions

Admissions
1. Recruitment begins in October of the year preceding the start of studies. The admissions cycle unfolds during this period. The following steps describe how admission decisions are made.

2. The director of the school makes the admission decision after meeting with the candidate and their parents or legal guardians. The interview with the family is part of the process. The outcome determines whether the candidate is entered on the list of admitted students.

3. Enrollment on the list of admitted students occurs after paying the enrollment fee and signing a learning agreement. These steps finalize placement in the school.

4. The school considers the following criteria: grades earned by the candidate at the end of seventh grade and/or at mid-year or end-of-year in eighth grade; a preferred average of at least 4.5, calculated excluding music, art, technology, physical education, and religion/ethics; conduct grade of at least satisfactory; results of the eighth-grade exam and end-of-primary school grades for applicants who are joining after the end of the school year; passed mathematics exam (for the mathematics class) and English exam (for the PDP class); and any special achievements of the candidate.

5. Priority in admission is given to laureates and finalists of subject contests organized by the Superintendent of Education, as well as laureates and finalists of national subject Olympiads accredited by the Ministry of National Education. Laureates and finalists in the first period of study (September–January) receive a 10% discount on tuition for that period.

6. Documents required for final enrollment include the original primary school certificate; the original eighth-grade exam certificate; the student data form (PDF downloadable); a medical certificate confirming the ability to continue study; two photographs; and a copy of the shortened birth certificate or another document confirming candidate data.

7. A candidate entered on the admission list will be asked to choose a second mandatory foreign language (German, French, or Spanish) and to report their level of proficiency. Students may receive a 30% discount at LinguaLand Language School.

8. Contact: Parents interested in enrolling their children should contact the school and arrange a meeting with the headmaster. The school office operates daily from 8:00 to 16:00.

Scholarships
Stypendia (scholarships/discounts) are awarded based on academic performance and other criteria. The following provisions apply:
1) A student who, at the end of a period, achieves an average of 4.75–5.00 receives a monthly discount of 100 PLN; an average of 5.01 or higher yields a monthly discount of 150 PLN. In international divisions, similar discounts apply, scaled to the local grading system.
2) The discount for the first period covers September through January inclusive, and for the second period covers February through June. Discounts do not apply during vacation months.
3) Eligibility requires at least a “good” conduct grade.
4) For achieving finalist status at the central level of an Olympiad, a 10% discount is awarded for the duration of the study period.
5) For achieving laureate status at the central level of an Olympiad, a 20% discount is awarded for the duration of the study period.
6) Discounts do not accumulate.
7) Candidates for the Lyceum who are laureates of subject district-level competitions during the first period of study receive a 10% discount on tuition.
8) Children of PACK employees enrolling in schools operated by PACK receive a 30% discount.
9) The above rules apply from July 4, 2025, and supersede previous resolutions dated August 28, 2019.
School Events
The school has not added events
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