Bilingual Schools in Chía: A 2026 Guide for Expat Families

Last reviewed: October 2026 by David from ISA. Fee ranges are indicative; always confirm with the school.

Families weighing bilingual schools in Chía usually arrive with a mental picture of an English-medium international school, and then discover that in the Sabana de Bogotá the word "bilingüe" covers a wide range of models. Some schools teach most subjects in English, some add English as an intensive subject, and a few layer an international diploma on top of the Colombian curriculum.

The picture around Chía is compact. Three schools on the northern edge of Bogotá combine a recognisable bilingual identity with an international element, and between them they cover both Colombian school calendars. This guide explains what bilingual actually means here, what each school publishes, and how to judge the claims.

What "bilingual" means around Chía

Chía is a town just north of Bogotá, reached by the Autopista Norte or the Bogotá to Chía road, and many expat and returning Colombian families live there for space and quieter streets while working in the capital. The schools sit along those two roads, so the commute is mostly a question of traffic on the way in and out, not of distance.

In Colombia, a colegio bilingüe is not the same thing as an international school. A bilingual school is a Colombian school, following the national curriculum and national exams such as Saber 11, that teaches a significant share of the timetable in English. An international school, in the stricter sense, delivers a foreign curriculum and diploma as its main programme. Around Chía the two overlap: the schools below are Colombian institutions with an international layer, whether the IB Diploma, Cambridge English exams or a global school group.

The word itself is a marketing label, not a certificate. To judge it, ask for the share of lessons taught in English by year group, which subjects use English, who teaches them, and which external exams the school uses to check levels. Cambridge English tests, IELTS, TOEFL and the IB are useful because someone outside the school marks them.

One more local detail: Colombian schools run on calendar A or calendar B. Calendar A runs roughly from the start of the year to November, while calendar B runs from August to June, closer to the northern hemisphere. If your child may transfer to or from the US, UK or Europe, calendar B can ease the timing, but check the actual dates with each school.

Curricula and language models available

• Colombian curriculum with intensive English: the base at all three schools, ending with the national Saber 11 exam.
• IB Diploma Programme: offered at Gimnasio El Hontanar in Grades 10 and 11, according to the school; the IBO lists the school as authorised since 20 August 2013.
• Cambridge English examinations: Hontanar describes itself as a Cambridge exam preparation centre; SEK uses Movers and Flyers in primary and PET and IELTS in secondary.
• Third languages: French at Hontanar (with an Alliance Française agreement) and at SEK from Grade 6; Rochester says older students add Portuguese or French.

Bilingual schools in Chía

El Hontanar Bilingüe Internacional

Gimnasio El Hontanar sits on the Bogotá to Chía road, about 300 metres before the toll booth. It runs calendar A and teaches from preschool to Grade 11. English starts in preschool and grows each year, with a team of international teachers who are native English speakers. The school says every student has at least one year of direct teaching from a native speaker.

The English programme is checked with Cambridge exams, with C1 as the stated target for leavers, and the school offers one-month immersion trips to Canada and Great Britain. In Grades 10 and 11 students take the IB Diploma. The school reports "muy superior" ICFES results, which is its own claim. Tip: the school's calendar lists a special admissions day on 30 October 2026, so ask admissions whether a visit slot remains and how entry for 2027 works. The directory shows a monthly band of roughly USD 1,000 to 2,000, which is indicative only.

Colegio Rochester (Rochester School)

Rochester is a private, co-educational school on a country campus at kilometre 15 of the Autopista Norte, entered from Avenida 7. It follows calendar B (August to June) and teaches from Prejardín, around age four, to Undécimo. Its website lists 1,034 students and a ratio of eight students per teacher. The school joined Nord Anglia Education, announced on 12 August 2025, and the group says Rochester was founded in 1959.

The model is built on William Glasser's Choice Theory and aims for fluency in Spanish and English, with Portuguese or French added later and a final-year research project. The website shows CIS among its recognitions. Fees are not published. Tip: because it changed ownership recently, ask how the Nord Anglia link changes the curriculum or fees for incoming families.

Internacional SEK Colombia

SEK Colombia is at Autopista Norte km 25, on the road to Sopó, in the Yerbabuena area of Chía. It offers a bilingual programme from preescolar to Undécimo, and says a large share of primary hours are taught in English. Pupils sit Cambridge Movers in Grade 3 and Flyers in Grade 5, then prepare for PET and IELTS in secondary school, with French added in Grade 6.

The school belongs to the Institución Internacional SEK, which runs schools in several countries and records acquiring SEK Colombia in 2018. Its international programmes include terms at partner schools in England and the United States. Fees are not published, so request the current schedule from the admissions director.

Fees: what to expect and what to ask

Colombian private schools invoice in pesos, and most do not publish full tuition tables. Only El Hontanar has a figure on its directory page, roughly USD 1,000 to 2,000 a month, which is a wide band; treat it as a starting point and request the written schedule for your child's grade. Compare total annual cost, not the monthly figure, because the structure differs between schools.

Typical charges to ask about:

• Matrícula and annual fees: a yearly enrolment charge on top of monthly tuition (pensión).
• Transport and meals: usually separate, and priced by route.
• Exams: Cambridge English tests, IELTS and IB Diploma fees are normally extra.
• Uniform, materials and devices: especially where tablets or laptops are used.
• Trips and immersion programmes: the one-month trips abroad are optional and priced separately.

Practical advice for expat families

Match the calendar to your plans. Hontanar runs calendar A and Rochester calendar B. If you are arriving mid-year from the northern hemisphere, ask how placement works and whether your child must repeat or skip part of a year.

Test the English, not the brochure. Ask to sit in on a Grade 4 or Grade 8 lesson, and ask for recent Cambridge or IELTS results by cohort. A child arriving with little Spanish needs a school that gives real language support, which varies between these three.

Plan the commute. Km 15 and km 25 on the Autopista Norte are very different journeys at 7 a.m. from the Bogotá side. Ask about bus routes before committing to a neighbourhood.

See the national picture

To compare Colombian options beyond Chía, see ▷ Best 10 International Schools in Colombia.

More guides to schools in Chía

• How to choose an international school in Chía
• ▷ Best 10 International Schools in Colombia

Frequently asked questions

Are bilingual schools in Chía the same as international schools?

Not exactly. Bilingual schools in Chía are Colombian schools that follow the national curriculum and Saber 11 exams while teaching much of the timetable in English. International schools deliver a foreign curriculum as their main programme. Around Chía the two overlap, for example through the IB Diploma at El Hontanar or Nord Anglia membership at Rochester.

Which calendar do schools in Chía follow?

Both Colombian calendars appear. Gimnasio El Hontanar lists calendar A, while Rochester School follows calendar B, running from August to June. Calendar B is closer to northern hemisphere timing, which can help children moving to or from Europe or North America, but always confirm the exact dates and placement rules with admissions.

How do I check whether a bilingual school is genuinely bilingual?

Ask for the share of lessons taught in English by year group, which subjects use English, and who teaches them. Request recent Cambridge, IELTS or TOEFL results, and for IB schools check the authorisation on the IBO website. Sitting in on a lesson in your child's grade is the most reliable test.