Bilingual Schools in Peñalolén: A 2026 Guide for Expat Families

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

Families relocating to eastern Santiago often ask the same thing within a week of arriving: can my child keep up their English, or pick up Spanish, without losing a year? In Peñalolén the answer is yes, but the options are few and they are not interchangeable. This guide to bilingual schools in Peñalolén looks at what each one actually does with English in the classroom, what it costs in 2027 terms, and how entry works for a child arriving from abroad.

A word on vocabulary first. In Chile almost every private school calls itself "bilingüe", and the label covers everything from a few extra English periods a week to near full immersion. None of the schools below is an embassy or foreign-system school; all three work within the Chilean school structure (Básica and Media) and add English, and in some cases international programmes, on top. That matters for expat families, because your child will also study Spanish language, Chilean history and the national subjects.

Peñalolén for international families: where the schools sit

Peñalolén is a large commune on Santiago's eastern edge, climbing from the Américo Vespucio ring road towards the Andes foothills. It sits between La Reina and Las Condes to the north and Macul and La Florida to the south and west, which puts it within reach of the Las Condes and Providencia business districts where many expat parents work. The commune mixes older neighbourhoods near the ring road with newer gated developments higher up, around upper Quilín, Las Perdices and José Arrieta.

The three schools reflect that geography. Dunalastair sits on Avenida Quilín 8669, close to the foothills. Pumahue is on Viña Cousiño 5386, further down towards the flatter part of the commune. SEK Austral, according to its own website, is at Avenida José Arrieta 10,000, again towards the hills. In practical terms, a family living in upper Peñalolén or La Reina can reach any of them in a short drive, but crossing to Las Condes at peak hour along Grecia, Quilín or Arrieta can easily take 30 to 45 minutes. Ask each school about its bus routes before you sign a lease, not after.

What "bilingual" means in Peñalolén

Roughly, you will meet three models here:

• English immersion within a Chilean school: most subjects taught in English from the early years, with Spanish taught as a language and used for national subjects. Dunalastair describes its approach this way and adds the IB Diploma at the end of school.
• Bilingual track plus international exams: a school that runs a bilingual curriculum alongside a more traditional one, and uses an external framework such as Cambridge International Education to benchmark English. Pumahue Peñalolén publishes separate fees for its "Curriculum Bilingüe" and "Curriculum Tradicional".
• Strong English in the early years, then intensive English: a high share of English in Pre Kínder and Kínder, followed by a heavy English timetable in Básica. SEK Austral says 50% of its Pre Kínder and Kínder curriculum is taught in English.
• Chilean national curriculum throughout: all three schools follow the Chilean levels, from Pre Kínder to IV° Medio, and students sit the national university admissions test unless they take a different route.

There is no English-medium school in Peñalolén that follows a foreign national curriculum (British, American or IB from start to finish). Families who need that tend to look at Las Condes, Lo Barnechea or Vitacura.

The bilingual schools in Peñalolén

Dunalastair School Peñalolén

Part of the Dunalastair group, which also runs campuses in Las Condes and Chicureo, the Peñalolén school traces its history to 2010 and says it now has more than 1,500 students. Its admissions rules refer to the IB Diploma Programme in the final years, and the group's project-based model, which it calls Reimagine Learning, runs through three stages (D-Inquiry, D-Project and D-Thinking IB). The school describes itself as bilingual and talks about "trilingualism": English, the mother tongue and digital literacy. Facilities on the campus page include separate science labs, a Fab Lab with 3D printing and laser cutting, a gym, an auditorium and a library split between Junior and Senior School.

Tip: entry is selective on English from 1° Básico. Children from 1° to 6° Básico have an English interview, and from 7° Básico to I° Medio they sit written exams in English, Spanish language and maths. The school generally does not admit students into II° to IV° Medio, so families with teenagers need to move early.

Colegio Pumahue Peñalolén

Founded in 1999 and part of the Cognita network since 2018, according to the school, Pumahue Peñalolén runs two tracks under one roof. The bilingual curriculum carries a "Cambridge IE" strand on the school's website, and intensive English starts in Jardín Infantil with more class hours than a standard Chilean programme. The traditional track is cheaper and teaches English as a subject. For an international family, the key question is which track your child would join and whether moving between them is possible later.

Tip: the 2027 fee table shows bilingual fees for Pre Kínder to Básica but only an incorporation fee for the bilingual track in Media. Ask directly how the bilingual programme continues into secondary before you commit.

Colegio Internacional SEK Austral

SEK Austral belongs to the SEK international network, which lists it as one of three SEK schools in Chile. Its website says it is "bilingual in English from Infantil", with half of Pre Kínder and Kínder taught in English and what it calls a broad English timetable in Básica. Levels run from Pre Kínder through IV° Medio, with a differentiated track in III° and IV° Medio, and the network offers exchange programmes in the UK and the USA. The site carries an IB logo, but its study plan does not describe an IB programme, so treat IB as unconfirmed.

Tip: SEK Austral does not publish fees online. Book a visit and ask for the full schedule, including the incorporation fee and how English is assessed for children who arrive with no Spanish.

Fees at bilingual schools in Peñalolén

Chilean private schools price in UF (Unidad de Fomento), an inflation-indexed unit. The Servicio de Impuestos Internos put the UF at about CLP 41,140 in mid October 2026, so every figure below moves slightly with inflation.

Pumahue Peñalolén's 2027 schedule for its bilingual track lists a monthly fee of 14 UF for Pre Kínder and Kínder and 15.5 UF for Básica, roughly CLP 575,000 and CLP 640,000 a month. The traditional track runs from 8 UF to 11.5 UF a month. Matrícula (annual enrolment) is 16.1 UF to 17.8 UF on the bilingual track, and the incorporation fee is 27 UF for Pre Kínder to Básica.

Dunalastair's admissions page lists 2027 figures for Peñalolén of 77 for the incorporation fee and 147.5 for tuition in Pre Kínder and Kínder, and 82 and 172.9 for 1° to 8° Básico. The page does not say whether these figures are in UF, nor whether they are annual or monthly amounts, so ask admissions to confirm the unit and the payment plan before comparing them with Pumahue. The school says the incorporation fee includes the first year's matrícula and that tuition includes school materials and school accident insurance.

• Application fee: CLP 35,000 at Dunalastair (waived for current families).
• Incorporation fee (cuota de incorporación): a one-off charge on joining, 27 UF at Pumahue; Dunalastair lists 77 to 82 without naming the unit.
• Matrícula: an annual enrolment fee, charged separately at Pumahue.
• Uniform and materials: Dunalastair publishes separate uniform and materials lists.
• Transport and lunch: charged separately; ask for the current route map.
• Extra English support: ask whether newcomers pay for catch-up classes.

Timing matters as much as price. The Ministry of Education's 2026 calendar for the Región Metropolitana brought students back on Wednesday 4 March, with a winter break from 22 June to 3 July and the year ending between 4 and 18 December depending on each school's timetable. In short, the Chilean school year runs roughly March to December, so a family arriving in August from the northern hemisphere joins mid-year.

Practical advice for choosing a bilingual school

Match the model to your child's languages. A child who speaks English at home and little Spanish will be comfortable from day one at an immersion school, but should get help with Spanish language and Chilean history. A Spanish-speaking child with basic English may do better on a bilingual track with structured support than in full immersion. Ask each school what proportion of each year's timetable is taught in English, subject by subject.

Apply early, and for the right year. Dunalastair accepts applications all year subject to places, but its admissions page showed no places at all for 2026 on any campus, while Peñalolén listed vacancies for 2027 in Playgroup, Pre Kínder, Kínder and several Básica years. Because the year starts in March, the busy admissions window falls in the southern hemisphere spring. Bring birth certificates and recent school reports; for older children, also a promotion certificate and the latest grade report.

Check how the school year translates. A child finishing Year 6 in England in July will usually fit 7° Básico, but placement depends on date of birth and the school's own assessment. Ask for placement in writing before you pay the incorporation fee, which is typically due within five working days of an offer.

Compare schools across Chile

To compare these schools with options in Las Condes, Vitacura and beyond, and to read profiles of international schools around the world, start at International School Advisor.

More guides to schools in Peñalolén

• International school fees in Peñalolén
• International school admissions in Peñalolén
• International School Advisor

Frequently asked questions

Are there English-only international schools in Peñalolén?

No. The schools in Peñalolén that teach heavily in English, such as Dunalastair, Pumahue and SEK Austral, all follow the Chilean school levels and include Spanish and Chilean subjects. Families who want a foreign national curriculum from start to finish usually look at schools in Las Condes, Vitacura or Lo Barnechea, a 20 to 45 minute drive away depending on traffic.

When does the school year start in Santiago?

In the Región Metropolitana the 2026 school year began for students on 4 March, according to the Ministry of Education, with a two-week winter break from 22 June and the year ending between 4 and 18 December. Families arriving from Europe or North America in August should expect their child to join part way through the Chilean year.

Does my child need Spanish to join a bilingual school in Peñalolén?

Not always for the early years, where entry is usually by interview without testing. From 1° Básico, schools such as Dunalastair assess English, and from 7° Básico they also set written tests in Spanish language and maths, so older children with little Spanish should ask about support classes and how results are weighed.