Pozos, Valle del Sol, Santa Ana, San José, Santa Ana, San Jose, Costa Rica.
Pozos, Valle del Sol, Santa Ana, San José, Santa Ana, San Jose.
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| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Scope | Private |
| Faith | Religious |
| Differentiation | Coed |
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| Languages |
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| Educational Model |
General Curriculum |
| Attention to diversity |
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| Extracurricular activities |
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| Services |
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St. Jude School (International St. Jude School) is a private bilingual school in Pozos de Santa Ana, west of San José, Costa Rica, set on a wooded campus in the Valle del Sol area. Its origins go back to 1967, when Helia Plasencia de Betancourt, an educator who had arrived from Cuba, began the project; a farm in Lindora was bought in 1992 and the two sites merged to form St. Jude School in 2008. The school joined International Schools Partnership (ISP) in 2018 and was later chosen as one of 11 ISP Lab Schools worldwide to pilot new learning technology. It welcomes children from six months old through to the end of secondary, combining the Costa Rican national programme (accredited by the MEP) with international curricula: the International Early Years Curriculum, the Cambridge pathway with IGCSE (added in 2025) and the IB Diploma Programme (since 2017), so students can graduate with both the national bachillerato and the IB. About 85% of subjects are taught in English, Spanish is developed as the mother tongue and French is taught from preschool. The school is built on Christian values, with daily prayer and preparation for First Communion and Confirmation. It reports MAP results above global averages and university places for nearly all graduates in Costa Rica, the US and Europe, and runs programmes for high-performance athletes (CASE V) and gifted students (LEAP).
Educational System of St. Jude School
Method
Pedagogical method general Curriculum
School values
St. Jude describes itself as an inclusive, internationally minded community built on Christian values, aiming to develop critical thinkers who are adaptable citizens. Its founding pillars are faith, integrity, excellence, kindness and sustainability, and its core values are self-improvement, respect, resilience, empathy and responsibility. Students take part in charity events and seasonal fairs supporting local and global causes.
Uniform
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Attention to Diversity at St. Jude School
Gifted and talented
Educational Stages of St. Jude School
Nursery
Preschool
Primary
Middle School
High School
Vocational Training
Information about the educational stages of the St. Jude School
Preschool welcomes children from six months to six years (Toddler, Nursery, Pre-Kinder and Kinder) with the IEYC. Primary covers grades 1 to 5 (ages 6 to 11) with about 80% of teaching in English. Secondary, for students aged 11 to 18, follows British and Costa Rican plans of study leading to IGCSE exams, and the final years offer the IB Diploma Programme alongside the national bachillerato.
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Languages and International Programs at St. Jude School
Spanish (Instructional)
English (Instructional)
French (Half)
Information about languages of the St. Jude School
St. Jude is bilingual: around 80-85% of subjects are taught in English, with full English immersion from the first day of primary and English classes organised in three levels within a Cambridge framework plus EAL support. Spanish is developed as the mother tongue of most pupils, and French is taught as a third language from preschool through secondary. IB Diploma graduates receive a bilingual diploma, and the school aims for students to reach at least B2 in English.
IB (International Baccalaureate)
Cambridge
Information about international degrees and programmes of the St. Jude School
St. Jude offers the IB Diploma Programme, which it joined in 2017, and since 2025 the Cambridge IGCSE programme in secondary, following both British and Costa Rican plans of study; IB students also prepare the national bachillerato exams to obtain both qualifications. In primary, the Cambridge Primary Path supports English, and Early Years follows the International Early Years Curriculum. Personalised programmes include CASE V for elite athletes, recognised as 'athletic friendly' by the World Academy of Sport, and LEAP for gifted and talented pupils. MAP tests track progress, and students take part in Model United Nations and ISP exchanges.
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Extracurricular Activities at St. Jude School
Cultural activities
Cooking
Study support
Other languages
Robotics
Arts activities
Music
Crafts
Painting
Aerial Dance
Piano
Guitar
Cinema
Ballet
Drums
Sports activities
Athletics
Cheers
Football
Basketball
Artistic gymnastics
Badminton
Taekwondo
Information about extracurricular activities of the St. Jude School
The after-school programme runs until 16:00 and covers acoustic and electric guitar, drums, piano, music initiation and an ensemble, aerial silks, ballet, cheerleading, gymnastics, athletics, badminton, basketball, football, taekwondo, film and photography, arts and painting, crafts, mini bakers, robotics, Tech Explorers, Minecraft and Portuguese classes, plus daily homework support for secondary students. Students also join Model United Nations sessions, ISP exchanges and service initiatives like Street Child United.
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Services and Facilities of St. Jude School
Dining room
Dining room - External catering
Other services
School transport
School nurse
Exchanges
Information about the services offered by the St. Jude School
A school bus service run with external providers serves the western area, including Escazú, Lindora, Ciudad Colón, Heredia and the city of San José, with monthly fees published by route. A dining hall serves balanced menus every day, and there is a nursing station with staff trained in first aid. Students buy the full uniform from the official school shop. All staff are certified in safeguarding, and the programme includes catechesis for First Communion in the first primary years.
Facilities
Swimming pool
Sports hall
Gym
Football pitch
Facilities
Laboratory
Technology Workshop
Computer lab
Other facilities
Chapel / Oratory
Vegetable garden
Garden
Information about the facilities of the St. Jude School
The forest campus combines classrooms with extensive green areas, a botanical garden and a vegetable garden used for sustainability projects. Facilities include robotics, computer and science laboratories, a gym, a large sports field with natural and synthetic football pitches, a multi-sports area and a heated 25-metre, six-lane semi-Olympic pool used for swimming lessons. A small chapel offers a quiet place for prayer and reflection, and there is a large dining hall.
Awards and Recognitions of St. Jude School
Seals gained:
Currently appears in the following rankings:
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