Carlucci American International School of Lisbon

Our experience of CAISL has changed significantly over the years.
CAISL has a long history in Lisbon, and our family has been part of the school community for some time. In the beginning, we were very happy with the school. We valued the quality of the education, the sense of trust and freedom given to students, and an approach that felt genuinely caring and student-centred.
Unfortunately, our experience of the Secondary School has changed considerably in recent years, particularly since the arrival of the current Secondary Principal. We have seen a move away from the openness, flexibility and trust that initially attracted us to the school, toward a much more traditional and authoritarian approach to students and families. At the same time, some of the processes and communication from leadership have felt unnecessarily restrictive and, at times, overly concerned with control and risk.
What is particularly disappointing is the gap between the school's stated values and how some decisions and interactions feel in practice. From our experience, transparency, listening to families, and genuine student-centred decision-making have become areas of concern.
There are several other international-school options in the Lisbon/Cascais area, including TASIS Portugal, St. Julian's and International School of Oeiras, so families have alternatives worth researching carefully.
If you are looking for an environment where students are trusted, families feel heard, and leadership is consistently transparent and genuinely student-centred, I would encourage you to look beyond the school's presentation and speak to current and former families before making your decision.
We remember the CAISL we originally chose very positively. Unfortunately, our experience of the Secondary School today is quite different.