Oporto British School
Oporto British School (OBS) is a private, coeducational day school in Porto, Portugal. It was founded in 1894 and is the oldest British school in mainland Europe. The campus is in Foz do Douro, Rua da Cerca. The school welcomes children from ages 3 to 18 and has about 558 pupils (2022).
OBS follows a British curriculum up to IGCSE. In the final years, students study the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Many OBS graduates go on to universities in the UK, Portugal and other countries.
OBS is accredited by the Council of International Schools (since 2005) and is a member of the European Council of International Schools and the Council of British International Schools.
The school has three houses named after royal houses.
A brief history: OBS opened in 1894 with 11 boys. It began in a rented building and bought the current site in 1922. Girls joined in 1914 and non-British boys in 1902. After World War II enrolment grew significantly. In the 1960s a Portuguese parallel course was added. In the 1990s post-IGCSE studies led to the IB Diploma. Today about half the pupils are Portuguese, 10% British, and 40% from other backgrounds.
The school is run by an elected board of governors and a Senior Leadership Team led by Headmaster Nick Sellers. There is a Student Council and a Parents Association. OBS offers sports such as football and basketball; colours are blue and white. It has Green Flag eco status since 2009 and runs many trips for sport, charity and culture.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 09:00 (CET).