King’s College School, Panama

What the school is

British roots, Inspired ownership, a 2022 campus

The school graduated its first class in 2020 and moved to its Clayton campus on Avenida Demetrio B. Lakas in August 2022. It operates under a MEDUCA licence and lists AoBSO and COBIS memberships. These memberships are separate from BSO inspection and IB authorisation.

The school describes a High Performance Learning approach. Older directory enrolment estimates of 375–440 do not align with the larger EAL population reported in the 2026 inspection, so they should not be combined into a current school total.

Academics in practice

IGCSE, IB and the February 2026 inspection

The programme leads through IGCSE to the IB Diploma rather than A Levels. The school reports a 2024 IB average of 35 points against a worldwide 30.3.

The February 2026 ISI team found BSO standards met and noted improving examination results, particularly at IB level. Recommendations included wider activities for older pupils, more consistent application of the behaviour policy and stronger careers guidance in younger senior years. The report identifies 104 pupils with SEND and 462 with EAL; ask how needs are assessed and supported, noting that EAL status does not necessarily mean additional intervention is required.

The February 2026 report records whether standards were met. The older June 2023 report used outstanding judgements. Read each report in its own framework rather than treating the wording as evidence of a decline or improvement.

Admissions and cost

Admissions, and the two-plan fee choice

The admissions policy describes entry throughout the year where places are available, a 31 August placement cutoff and a separate young-learner rule attributed to MEDUCA. Entry into Years 11 or 13 needs course-compatibility checks. English requirements vary by age, and the application/testing fee is US$150.

The official 2026–27 schedule lists Plan A entrance of US$1,000 with annual tuition from US$17,648 in Nursery to US$24,941 in Years 12–13. Plan B entrance is US$12,000 with tuition from US$12,232 to US$19,520. Pre-Nursery is US$8,441 in either plan, and Pre-Nursery and Nursery also pay a US$1,300 registration fee deducted from the first term. For Nursery or senior years at unchanged rates, the additional US$11,000 upfront is recovered after slightly more than two years of tuition differences. That calculation does not apply to Pre-Nursery and excludes later price changes, refunds and financing costs. Request a grade-specific quotation under both plans.

The 2024–25 fee terms included lunch, snacks, educational materials and day trips, with uniforms, buses, residential trips, examination fees, activities, a Year 7-up Chromebook and induction English charged separately. The 2026–27 schedule sets termly due dates of 10 September 2026, 4 January 2027 and 1 April 2027, a 3% discount when the full annual tuition is paid before 27 August 2026, a one-term 5% referral credit and a US$600 annual re-enrolment fee credited against the next year’s first term. It does not repeat the earlier 15% third-child discount; ask whether it still applies.

The family experience

Clayton, the calendar, and the daily reality

The Clayton campus lies on a different route from the eastern-city and Green Valley schools, and bus route charges are additional. Published material gives a school day of 8:00 am–3:20 pm and a 2025–26 calendar from 25 August to 3 July. Those academic-year dates are historical.

The school describes activities across academics, sport and creative arts; the inspection made a recommendation about provision for older pupils. For transfers from a March–December school, agree placement and course mapping individually rather than assuming a lost or repeated half-year.