Pinewood American International School is an independent, nonprofit, college-preparatory school offering educational programs from pre-kindergarten (age three) through grade 12 and boarding facilities for grades 7-12 in Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest city. The Elementary school was founded in 1950 and the Secondary school was established in 1962. The school’s core values, which are centered around the cultivation of curious, creative, and caring thinkers, guide teaching and learning at increasingly advanced levels throughout the school. Pinewood is fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and is an IBO World School. The school year is divided into three trimesters extending from September to June.
Organization: Pinewood is governed by a board of trustees with headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts. Approximately half of the trustees reside in the United States while the other half live in Greece and other parts of the world. The head of the U.S. consular mission in Thessaloniki serves as a trustee ex officio. The school is incorporated in the United States under Delaware law and has been designated as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.
Curriculum: The curriculum is that of a U.S. general academic, standards-based, college-preparatory program with the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program offered at Grades 11-12. In addition, the school is currently in the final stage of IB PYP and MYP authorization for PreK-Grade 10. The school’s testing program includes the SAT, the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying tests (PSAT), the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) adaptive standardized test for Grades 2-10, and the IB Diploma Program exams for IB students Grade 12. All instruction is entirely in English, with Greek, French, and Spanish taught as second languages. All graduates matriculate to colleges and universities in the United States and other countries.
Faculty: In the 2022-2023 school year, Pinewood has 104 total staff including 70 teachers, 14 of whom are U.S. citizens, 37 host-country nationals, and 19 third-country nationals. Our faculty and staff represent 11 nationalities, including Canada, Spain, England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Australia and South Africa. All teaching faculty maintain a teaching certificate.
Enrollment: For the 2022-2023 school year, enrollment is 500 (PK-12). Of the total, 43 are U.S. citizens, 132 are host-country nationals, and 325 are third-country nationals.
Facilities: In September 2022, Pinewood inaugurated a newly renovated Early Years and Elementary School (PreK-Grade 6) at the school’s new location on the shared campus with Anatolia College. Equally, the Secondary School (Grades 7-12) operates on the Thermi campus. Also this year, the school commenced construction on a new, modern, purpose-built Secondary School, which will be completed in September 2024 on the Anatolia College campus. The school’s new campus is an expansive natural campus filled with mature trees, beautiful flora and fauna, sports facilities, 3 libraries, 2 theaters, modern science laboratories, and much more.
Finances: Annual tuition rates are as follows: PK1: €5,950; PK2: €6,350; K: €7,150; grades 1-5: €11,600 and grades 6-12: €11,950. The annual cost for the bus service is €1,050. The school also charges a one-time capital levy for new students of €2,500. Boarding costs for grades 7-12 are €11,500. (These fees are payable in euros or U.S. dollars and are quoted in euros.)
Special Needs: Download the Special Needs Profile (2023 Special Needs- Greece, Thessaloniki) for this school to learn more about their capability to support students with exceptionalities.
This Fact Sheet is intended to provide general information. Prospective users of the schools may wish to inquire further of A/OPR/OS or contact the school directly for more specific and up-to-the-minute information. Information and statistics are current as of September 2022 and provided by the school.