International schools in Zimbabwe: a guide for British families

ZIMSEC, Cambridge — and the IB exception

Two examination systems dominate Zimbabwean schools. ZIMSEC is the local board, used by the majority of government and some private schools. Cambridge International (IGCSE and A-Level) is used by most of the established private schools that British and international families default to, and is portable straight back into the UK university system. A handful of schools offer the International Baccalaureate instead — most prominently Harare International School.

If you intend to return your child to the UK during secondary school, Cambridge is the path of least friction. If they will finish school in Zimbabwe or transfer onward to North America or continental Europe, the IB at HIS is the broader passport.

Harare International School

Harare International School is the country's only full IB school, running the Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma programmes. It is the school British diplomatic and NGO families most often default to, partly for the curriculum and partly because it follows the Northern Hemisphere calendar — the school year runs roughly mid-August to mid-June, aligned with the UK. This matters when you are mid-transfer: you do not lose a term in either direction.

Fees are quoted in US dollars and verified directly with the school. Application is competitive; British families coming on a posting should engage with admissions as soon as the move is confirmed.

The French school

The Ecole française de Harare is accredited by the French Ministry of Education and follows the French curriculum. For British families with French as a second language at home, or for binational households, it is the practical alternative to HIS. It does not run a UK-equivalent track.

The Cambridge private school circuit

Zimbabwe's traditional private day and boarding schools — the ones that have been operating for decades, in some cases more than a century — are predominantly Cambridge IGCSE/A-Level. They are listed in the Association of Trust Schools directory, which is the closest thing to a definitive listing — and we publish a searchable mirror of the 64 ATS member schools here with location and profile detail. The Harare cluster (Borrowdale, Avondale, Highlands) and the Bulawayo cluster are where most British arrivals look first. Visit before you commit; reputation and current quality are not always the same thing.

Boarding schools — the conversation to have

Zimbabwe has a long boarding-school tradition, mostly outside Harare and Bulawayo. For UK families used to the British prep-and-public-school ladder, the model is familiar, but two things differ:

• Pastoral care infrastructure varies considerably between schools — more so than in the UK, where the inspection regime is uniform
• Distance from medical care is a real consideration outside the major cities, given the healthcare gaps the FCDO flags

The FCDO advice is unambiguous: visit any boarding school in person before enrolling, talk to current parents, and make sure your child has a direct, reliable way to contact a responsible parent or family member in Zimbabwe — not just the school office — at all times. This is not the default in the UK system and you may need to ask for it explicitly.

Government schools

Zimbabwe has a network of government schools, mostly ZIMSEC curriculum, with fees substantially lower than the private circuit. British families on shorter postings rarely use them, but they exist and a small number have a strong academic record. Fee verification and site visits are essential.

Fees: how to find them

School fees in Zimbabwe change frequently and are not always advertised in advance. Contact each school directly for the current term's quoted fee, the currency of payment (most accept USD; some accept ZiG; the mix is school-specific), and any boarding, uniform and capital levies. Do this before you agree relocation terms with a UK employer — school fees are a meaningful part of an expat compensation package and quoted figures from a year ago will be out of date.