Northlands School

What the school is

History and governance

Winifred May Brightman and Muriel Ivy Slater founded Northlands in 1920 with 16 pupils. It later became a girls’ day and boarding school before returning to co-education in the 1990s. Brightman received an OBE in 1953. In 1961, the school passed to Northlands Asociación Civil de Beneficencia. Buildings retain the names Brightman, Slater, Wallace and Parczewski.

A school-reported 2016 figure gives about 2,000 pupils, 450 teachers and 150 other staff across the two sites. These are historical figures, not current enrolment or class sizes. The houses are Keller, Fry, Cavell and Nightingale. The US Embassy’s school list includes both sites; the list is a directory, not an endorsement.

Northlands combines bilingual teaching, Argentine studies and international qualifications. These are overlapping features rather than a division between local and international education. Its calendar differs from Lincoln’s August–June year, which matters when planning a transfer.

Academics in practice

IB from the early years, on the Argentine calendar

The programme combines IB PYP, IGCSE, the IB Diploma and Argentine studies. It should not be described as the full IB continuum without an authorised Middle Years Programme. The school does not publish recent Diploma results with candidate numbers or university destinations.

The calendar description places the start around mid-February, with a July winter break, a September break and year-end dates that differ between divisions. It lists Primary and Secondary hours of 7:50 am–4:10 pm at Olivos and 8:00 am–4:10 pm at Nordelta. Obtain the current dated calendar, examination dates and pickup arrangements for your child.

A June arrival would fall during the Argentine school year. Placement should be agreed from the child’s age, records and completed coursework; repeating or skipping a term is not automatic. Northlands describes exchanges, a GAP programme, peer support and Spanish immersion.

Admissions and cost

A published peso fee table — and what sits outside it

The official 2026 table lists kindergarten half-day tuition of ARS 551,400–706,000 monthly; full-day K1 of ARS 945,600, K2 of ARS 1,207,200 and K5 of ARS 1,503,200. Primary Years 1–3 are ARS 1,980,300 and Years 4–6 ARS 2,224,600. Secondary Years 1–3 are ARS 2,701,200 and Years 4–6 ARS 2,923,900. A Bursary Fund charge of ARS 34,950 applies monthly. The table describes eleven advance instalments from February to December and an enrolment fee equal to one monthly fee.

Published tuition discounts are 10% for children of former pupils and sibling discounts of 10% for the second child, 20% for the third and 50% for the fourth and later children. February 2026 media estimates differ from the school table, which is the authoritative figure. When converting a peso quotation, use a dated exchange rate.

The school’s general-information page makes home-to-school transport the parents’ responsibility and describes included inter-site shuttles, which link the campuses rather than serving as a school run. It lists catering, bringing food and going home for lunch as alternatives, and describes an infirmary with two doctors during school hours.

The family experience

Two campuses, one decision: Olivos or Nordelta

Olivos and Nordelta are separate locations with different journeys from home and work. Nordelta is in Tigre Partido, roughly 35 kilometres from central Buenos Aires, but distance alone does not predict travel time. Grades and programmes are not identical across the two sites.

Questions to ask the school