Verdala International School

Verdala International School, known as VIS, is an international school in Pembroke that teaches children from Pre-K to Grade 12 in English, following the International Baccalaureate (IB) from the primary years through to the Diploma. It was founded in 1976 and puts diversity first: pupils, staff and families come from many cultures and backgrounds, and differences in neurodiversity and ability are welcomed.

If you are a UK parent weighing up a move to Malta, an IB school gives your children a curriculum that is recognised worldwide and an easy path back to British universities later. The sections below explain how the school is organised, who teaches there, what support exists and how to arrange a visit before you commit to a move.

A school built on a diverse community

Life at Verdala is organised around a set of learner qualities: caring, open minded, balanced, knowledgeable, reflective, a good communicator, a risk taker, an inquirer, principled and a thinker. These traits come from the IB learner profile and appear throughout classroom and community life.

Pupils represent a wide range of nationalities, which matters to families moving from the UK because it makes settling in easier. A new arrival is unlikely to be the only child starting from somewhere else, and English is the language of the school day. The school also runs a host family programme, listed among its key information alongside its calendar for 2026 to 2027.

Learning from Pre-K to Grade 12

The school is organised into three sections. The Elementary School covers early years and Grades up to 5 and follows the IB Primary Years Programme, in which pupils learn through inquiry. The Middle School covers Grades 6 to 8 and offers the IB Middle Years Programme, including design projects that take students out to events such as a local maker fair.

The High School covers Grades 9 to 12 and offers two routes: the IB Diploma Programme and the IB Career-related Programme. Diploma students also complete Creativity, Activity, Service, known as CAS, which asks them to show regular involvement over at least 18 months in arts, physical activity and community projects. The wider offer includes a library, after school activities and programmes run with JA Malta.

Alongside lessons, pupils take part in debating and Model United Nations conferences, and a recent delegation travelled to Madrid after earning an Outstanding Delegation award at an earlier event. The school has also won a Centre of Excellence award for financial capability and entrepreneurship, presented by JA Malta Foundation, HSBC Malta Foundation and the Ministry of Education.

Teachers and support for each child

Staff come from many nationalities. Each teacher has international experience, a university degree and teaching credentials that meet the standard of the Maltese Teacher's Warrant, and half of the teaching staff hold Master's degrees. All staff are fluent in English and trained in first aid, with annual performance reviews and ongoing professional development.

Student support is a significant strand. Counsellors and advisors offer individual and small group counselling, which can be requested by teachers, staff, parents or pupils themselves. A personal, social and health education programme covers bullying, social media, mental health, making positive choices and child protection. An Inclusion Department led by a coordinator and Learning Support Educators adapts classroom teaching, consulting external specialists when needed.

A school nurse manages daily health needs and emergency care and works with parents and outside health services, and staff receive regular first aid training from the Maltese Red Cross. A diversity and anti-discrimination policy applies to every member of the community.

University destinations, including the UK

A University and Career Guidance department helps High School students through applications, supported by a handbook for navigating the process. The most popular course areas are business and economics, engineering, psychology and social science, politics and law, and art and design.

For UK families, the destinations list is reassuring. Verdala graduates have gone on to universities including Bristol, Durham, Edinburgh, Exeter, Imperial College London, King's College London, Manchester, Warwick, St Andrews, Glasgow and Leeds, as well as institutions in the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Spain and elsewhere, and the University of Malta. Students who prefer to study at home in Britain therefore have a well trodden route.

Life beyond the classroom

School life includes community events through the year: Spirit Week, a Trunk or Treat evening for younger children, World Teachers' Day, World Mental Health Day and a Pink October fundraiser that matches every euro donated. Younger classes enjoy visits from local police and the dental health team, and older students attend leadership and technology conferences.

Parents are part of the picture, and the school keeps a parent portal and uses ManageBac as its learning platform. If you want your children to spend free weekends exploring, our things to do in Malta and Valletta guide are good places to begin.

Visiting the school and planning your move

The school invites prospective families to book a personalised visit, with a walking tour of the campus and a look inside classrooms. Visits are arranged separately for Early Years and Elementary (Pre-K to Grade 5), Middle School (Grades 6 to 8) and High School (Grades 9 to 12). Check in at the Main Reception in Fort Pembroke on Triq Cassino, arrive ten minutes before your appointment and bring no more than four family members. If you need an interpreter, one may attend too. School fees for 2026 to 2027 have their own page on the school's website, and you can ask about them through our form.

When you make an admissions enquiry, include your child's date of birth and current school so that the school can check availability at the right grade level. Our international schools directory compares other options. For the wider move, read our Malta relocation guide, our Malta tax guide for UK nationals and the page on CLA Malta, our partner for company, tax and relocation services.

Families who need temporary accommodation while looking for a home can start with our guide to where to stay in Malta or hotels in Sliema. To ask about the school, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to Verdala International School.