Good to know
Good to Know
- Bermuda's currency, the Bermudian Dollar (BMD), is pegged 1:1 with the US Dollar and both currencies circulate interchangeably on the island, so local and USD prices for tuition are effectively identical.
- There are no boarding schools in Bermuda — all listed schools are day schools only, which matters for nomad families without extended family support on-island.
- Three schools (Bermuda High School, Warwick Academy and Somersfield Academy) are authorised IB World Schools; Saltus has moved toward a British Columbia (Canada) offshore curriculum rather than IB for its younger grades, so families wanting a straight IB pathway should double-check which programme years are currently on offer.
- Scholarships and financial-assistance funds mentioned by schools like Saltus are generally aimed at Bermudian residents rather than incoming international/expat families, so budget for full published tuition.
- Published tuition figures found online vary by source and year — always confirm current-year fees directly with the school's admissions office before budgeting, as several figures cited here come from older fee schedules.
- Bermuda's private/international schools are few in number and legally capped on admissions per year, so applying as early as possible — sometimes over a year ahead for the earliest entry points — genuinely improves your odds, especially for popular grades.
- Priority at several schools goes to siblings and alumni children first, which can put new-to-Bermuda families at a real disadvantage for oversubscribed year groups; asking directly about current waitlist length for your child's specific grade before you commit to relocating is worth doing.
- Homeschooling is a legitimate and fairly well-used option in Bermuda precisely because private-school seats are scarce — it's not a fringe choice here.
- There does not appear to be an established, documented homeschool co-op or free peer-support network in Bermuda the way there is in many larger countries; homeschooling support here is mostly delivered through paid private tutoring companies rather than a volunteer parent community.
Schools And Curricula
- Overview
- Hamilton itself and the parishes immediately surrounding it (Pembroke, Devonshire) host most of Bermuda's private/international day schools. There are no boarding schools on the island, and all are fee-paying day schools serving a mix of Bermudian and expatriate families.
- Public Alternative Note
- Government (public) schools are also available and free, following a Cambridge International Curriculum framework for English, Maths and Science since 2010, with public-school leavers earning the Bermuda Secondary School Certificate rather than GCSEs — relevant context for nomad families weighing private tuition costs against the free option.
Schools
Saltus Grammar School
- Tuition
- BMD 26,500
Figure from a third-party school-profile aggregator (2025); an earlier academic-year 2020/2021 figure cited elsewhere was USD/BMD 24,060, so treat as approximate.
- Location
- Hamilton (city centre)
- Curriculum
- Historically a hybrid of the English National Curriculum and North American curriculum; the school has more recently become an accredited British Columbia (Canada) Offshore School offering the BC Curriculum from Kindergarten through Grade 10, alongside its established academic programme.
- Ages Grades
- Age 4–18, Kindergarten through Grade 12
- Distance From Center
- In Hamilton itself
Bermuda High School for Girls (BHS)
- Tuition
- BMD 23,500
More recent estimate (~2023); an older published fee schedule listed a range of roughly 18,354–19,990 BMD/year, so exact current figures should be confirmed with the school.
- Location
- Pembroke Parish
- Curriculum
- British curriculum through Year 9, then IGCSE, followed by the IB Diploma Programme; BHS was the first school in Bermuda to introduce the IB Career-related Programme (in STEM).
- Ages Grades
- Nursery/Year 1 through Year 13 (age 4–18); all-girls until Year 11, co-educational for the IB Diploma years
- Distance From Center
- A few minutes' drive from Hamilton, effectively adjoining the city
Mount Saint Agnes Academy
- Tuition
- BMD 15,807
Figure is from an older published rate sheet; likely to have risen since.
- Location
- 19 Dundonald Street West, Hamilton
- Curriculum
- North American/American system, delivered within a Roman Catholic school philosophy (opened 1890); Catholic identity does not appear to be an admissions requirement.
- Ages Grades
- Kindergarten through Grade 12 (age 5–18)
- Distance From Center
- In Hamilton
Somersfield Academy
- Tuition
- BMD 19,000
Approximate figure from a nomad/expat relocation guide; not sourced directly from the school's own current fee schedule.
- Location
- Middle Road, Devonshire Parish
- Curriculum
- Montessori-based approach in Early Years and Primary, transitioning to the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) for ages 11–16; an IB World School.
- Ages Grades
- Age 3–16
- Distance From Center
- Roughly a 5–10 minute drive from Hamilton
Warwick Academy
- Tuition
- BMD 20,448
Academic-year 2020/2021 figure; an older, separate source cited a lower figure of ~16,266 BMD/year, so current tuition should be verified directly with the school.
- Location
- 117 Middle Road, Warwick Parish
- Curriculum
- British/English National Curriculum leading to IGCSE/GCSE, with the IB Diploma Programme offered in the final two years (Years 12–13); also delivers the IB Career-related Programme. Warwick is Bermuda's oldest school, founded in 1662.
- Ages Grades
- Reception through Year 13 (age 4–18)
- Distance From Center
- Further out, roughly a 10–15 minute drive from Hamilton — outside the immediate city-centre radius but commonly used by Hamilton-based expat families
Bermuda Institute
- Tuition
- BMD 15,610
2020/2021 figure; an earlier source quoted 11,500 BMD/year, indicating fees have risen over time.
- Location
- 234 Middle Road, Southampton Parish
- Curriculum
- American system operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church; students sit IOWA basic skills tests through their schooling and SAT/ACT exams. Church membership is not required for admission.
- Ages Grades
- Kindergarten through Grade 12
- Distance From Center
- The furthest of the schools listed here, roughly a 20–25 minute drive from Hamilton — included for completeness as it is a well-known option for expat families, but not a genuine 10-minute-from-centre school
Enrollment And Homeschooling
Homeschooling
- Legal Status
- Fully legal and regulated
- Exam Pathways
- Homeschooled students in Bermuda can still sit UK-style external examinations (GCSE and A-Level/CIE) in coordination with a school on the island, according to a Bermuda homeschool-tutoring provider, allowing them to pursue recognized qualifications without full-time enrollment.
- Legal Basis And Process
- Homeschooling is explicitly permitted in Bermuda. Parents who wish to homeschool must register their intent with the Bermuda Department of Education (part of the Ministry of Education) and, per Bermuda-based education-service sources, provide a suitable education plan; the requirement is generally described as informing the local education authority rather than a lengthy approval process.
- Who Can Deliver Instruction
- Bermudian law allows parents themselves to homeschool, or to engage a private tutor to deliver the education, as long as the authorities have been informed.
- Why Families Choose It Locally
- A Bermuda-based tutoring provider states that homeschooling is fairly common on the island partly because of limited school choice — the island has only a small number of private, fee-paying schools, some of which are oversubscribed for certain year groups — and because home tutoring can better serve students with specific needs (e.g. neurodivergent learners) or intensive extracurricular/sports schedules.
- Local Homeschool Community Or Co Op
- No independently documented, parent-run homeschool co-op or peer support group specific to Bermuda was found in this research. What exists locally are commercial private-tutoring companies (e.g. Chapkin Edwards) that provide full-time home tutors and describe organizing some sports/drama activities for homeschooled children — this is a paid service model, not a free parent-led co-op or community association. Families wanting a peer homeschool community should not assume one exists and should ask the Department of Education directly whether it can connect them with other homeschooling families on the island.
International Bilingual School Enrollment
- Overview
- Bermuda's private/international schools (Saltus Grammar School, Bermuda High School for Girls, Warwick Academy, Mount Saint Agnes Academy, Somersfield Academy, Bermuda Institute) are all self-governing, fee-charging day schools concentrated in or near Hamilton, and they set their own admissions rules rather than following a single national process.
- Typical Process Flow
- Most schools follow an inquiry-and-tour stage, then a formal application with documents and fee, then testing/interview, followed by a decision communicated to parents (BHS advises parents of the final admission decision by email after the interview), and finally a window to accept the offer and complete enrollment.
- Demand And Waitlist Reality
- Because Bermuda has only a small number of private/international schools and legislation caps how many students each may admit per year, demand for places is high and applying early is strongly advised. A specialist education-services source notes that Bermuda's fee-paying schools are frequently oversubscribed, particularly for popular year groups, which pushes some families toward private tutoring or homeschooling instead.
- How Far In Advance To Apply
- Sources are consistent that families should apply well before their intended start date, though exact windows vary by school and grade. At Bermuda High School for Girls, early registration is only offered for the Early Years Programme and Year 1, with the formal enrolment process for those spots running in the year the child turns three; places for Year 2 and above are only opened in the actual proposed year of entry, on a rolling basis.
- Admission Criteria And Priority
- Where applicants outnumber spaces, schools commonly prioritize according to non-academic as well as academic factors. At BHS, preference in oversubscribed years goes first to siblings and daughters of alumni whose application was submitted within two years of the child's birth, with all other applicants then ranked partly by how early they applied. More generally across Bermuda's private schools, admissions may weigh diversity and gender balance, alumni children, siblings of current students, vacancy, and the school's own assessment of a candidate's character and readiness, alongside entrance test performance.
- Practical Note For Relocating Families
- Because private-school waitlists can be long for key year groups and public (government) school enrollment is tied to residency and generally processed before the September academic year start, families moving to Hamilton on a tight timeline sometimes end up choosing private tutoring or homeschooling as a bridge while waiting for a place to open up.
Required Documents And Steps
- Completed application/registration form submitted to the school's admissions office
- Non-refundable application fee (at Bermuda High School for Girls this is $75 or $100 depending on entry point)
- Student's passport and birth certificate
- Previous school academic records / most recent report card
- Entrance assessment or placement testing in subjects such as English, Mathematics and Science for many entry years
- Parent and student interview, typically scheduled after documents/testing are reviewed
- For scholarship-track applicants at some schools (e.g. BHS Year 7), sitting scholarship examinations during the academic year of entry
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
This section has no cited sources.
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.