Bilingual or International? How to choose for your child
Two programs, priced quite differently, and the right answer depends on your family’s plans — not on which one is “better”.
Where they differ
The bilingual program
12 months – 6 years · four age-based classes
English every day alongside Vietnamese. Your child learns both languages at once, in a class of children their own age. In Newton, for ages 3 to 5, the mornings are in English.
- A bilingual lead teacher with a Vietnamese assistant
- Your child keeps building Vietnamese for primary school
- Lower tuition than the full-English classes
The full-English classes: Picasso and da Vinci
2 – 6 years · Picasso 2–4, da Vinci 4–6
Everything happens in English, with a foreign teacher, from age two. In da Vinci the younger children pick English up from the older ones far faster than they would from an adult alone.
- English all day, and nothing taught by translation
- Suits families from abroad and those planning an international path
- Higher tuition than the bilingual program
How to choose well
Neither program is better. One of them fits your family better.
How long will you stay in Vietnam?
If you are staying long-term and your child will go on to a Vietnamese primary school, Vietnamese is what they genuinely need. If you are here for a few years, the full-English classes keep the English they can carry on using wherever you go next.
What if my child has no English at all?
Both programs take children who start from nothing, and most of them do. Nothing is taught by translation — children learn a language the way they learned their first one: through songs, play, routine and repetition.
Where will your child go after preschool?
Few families think about this early, and it is worth doing. State primary schools teach in Vietnamese. If a child spends several years entirely in English and then starts Grade 1 in Vietnamese, they will need time to catch up. We would rather talk that through with you honestly when you visit.
What is your budget?
The two programs differ substantially in price, so this is a question to ask early rather than last. Beyond tuition there are daily meals, a one-time uniform charge and a yearly facility fee; field trips are charged separately when one is arranged. Paying 4, 6 or 12 months ahead reduces tuition, and a second child receives a further discount.
What does not change, whichever you choose
- Open 7:00 – 17:00, Monday to Saturday
- Four meals a day from our own certified kitchen
- Swimming twice a week and Taekwondo once a week (from age three), included in tuition
- Classroom CCTV, live streaming for parents, and liability insurance
- A bilingual monthly report with photos of your child
- Children can join at any point in the school year
Frequently asked questions
My child is three. Which program should we choose?
A three-year-old can join either path: Newton on the bilingual path, or Picasso on the full-English path. If your family is staying in Vietnam long-term, the bilingual program usually suits better because your child keeps building Vietnamese. If you are a foreign family, or planning an international path, the full-English classes fit better. Your child can spend a trial morning in a class before you decide.
How different are the two in price?
Substantially different. We do not publish tuition because it varies by age group and payment plan — contact us and we will send the full fee sheet for your child’s exact age, including everything charged beyond tuition, so nothing surprises you later.
Can a child move from one program to the other?
Yes, if there is a place in the class. We talk it through with you and the teachers first, and settle the child in gradually rather than moving them overnight.
Do the full-English classes have native English teachers?
In each full-English class, three adults work with the children: a bilingual lead teacher who speaks English with them all day, a Vietnamese assistant teacher, and our foreign English teacher, who teaches them entirely in English every weekday. We are not a school staffed by native speakers and we do not claim to be — what your child gets is three adults who know them and who all use English with them.
Can we visit and try a morning first?
Yes, and we would rather you did. Your child spends a trial morning in a real class while you walk the school and ask everything you want to ask. There is no charge for the tour or the trial morning.
Still not sure which program fits?
Send us your details and we will send the fee sheet for your child’s age group, along with a time to come and see both.