← Back to homeMusic School of Thessaloniki
Pylea, Greece · est. 1992 · State
Illustration · Pylea
Music School of Thessaloniki (Greek: Μουσικό Σχολείο Θεσσαλονίκης) is a state music Gymnasium with Lyceum classes in Pylea, a suburb of Thessaloniki. The school was founded in June 1992: in its first year it ran two classes of 46 students in a few rooms of the Papafeio foundation, and since 1999 it has been in its own building in Pylea. The school says it has 392 students, about 10 of whom have a mother tongue other than Greek. Besides all subjects of a regular Gymnasium and Lyceum, students study European and Greek traditional music, music history, harmony, piano and an instrument of choice. The school runs around fifteen ensembles, from a symphony orchestra and choir to jazz, rebetiko and pop. From the 2026-2027 school year an IB Diploma Programme class runs in the second and third year of Lyceum (Grades 11-12) alongside the Greek programme. Lessons are taught in Greek; in the IB class, as the school writes, "English is the official teaching language", except the Modern Greek language and literature course. For the 2026-2027 school year the school offers in the IB: Modern Greek language and literature (HL), English B (SL/HL), Environmental Systems and Societies (SL/HL), Computer Science (SL/HL) or Environmental Systems and Societies (SL), Mathematics Analysis and Approaches (SL/HL) and Music (SL/HL); Visual Arts will not be offered in the IB.
Key facts
Programmes
IB · DP · National programme
Languages of instruction
Greek, English
Languages taught
French, German
Students
392 students, about 10 of them with a mother tongue other than Greek (school Language Policy)
About the fees The school is a state school. It does not state any tuition fee on its pages, neither for the Greek programme nor for the IB class. Under the school regulations, local government provides students' meals and the Central Macedonia education Region provides transport.
Admissions The school's admissions policy says: "The school is dedicated to the principle of equal opportunity in education and, therefore, admits students regardless of gender, colour, race, religion, or nationality". Grade 1 of Gymnasium (Grade 7) admits by entrance tests in June: rhythm, aural perception, vocal ability, timbre discrimination and optionally an instrument. Other grades admit to vacancies by placement exams in music subjects in the last ten days of September; students who completed a music Gymnasium move to a music Lyceum without exams. For the IB class, the school's own first-year Lyceum students (Grade 10) express interest at the end of April, choosing subjects, submit their final decision by the end of June and enrol in September. Students from other state and private Lyceums apply for the IB in September together with their application for the second-year Lyceum placement exams and enrol after passing and approval of their transfer.
Stages and year groups A music Gymnasium with Lyceum classes: Grades 7-9 and 10-12; the curriculum includes all subjects of a regular Gymnasium and Lyceum plus music; graduates receive the Greek Lyceum certificate (Apolytirio) and sit the Panhellenic exams. The IB Diploma Programme class in the second and third year of Lyceum (Grades 11-12) was established by Ministry decision ΥΑ 28622/Δ6 from the 2026-2027 school year; the school says that at the end of the first year of Lyceum (Grade 10) a student can enrol in the IB. The IB class takes six subjects (three at higher level, three at standard level) plus the Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge and CAS. In spring 2026 the school described itself as an IB candidate school pursuing authorization as an IB World School.
Address Egnatias 118, Pylea, 555 35
Accreditations and programmes verified against official registries
IB · DP · authorised programmeThe IB register lists the Diploma Programme at the school. It is a state school: the IB Diploma class is taught in English in the last two years of the lyceum alongside the Greek curriculum; the ministry treats the IB Diploma as equivalent to the Greek school-leaving certificate.
school is in an official registryconfirmed by a school document, by membership or by taking part in a networkclaimed by the school, no confirmation, not counted in the scoreGuide to all organisations → What stands behind each entry
IBInternational Baccalaureate
A Swiss non-profit, working since 1968. Its programmes are among the most widely recognised school programmes in the world. Authorisation is granted stage by stage, so a school with the final stage does not necessarily run the younger ones; which stages this school holds is set out in the line below.
What the badge means for this school. The school is allowed to run this programme and to award its certificate. This is a confirmation of the programme, not a judgement on the school as a whole. The entry stands in the organisation's public register - anyone can check it. At this school: DP (ages 16-19). DP is the final stage, ages 16 to 19: six subjects plus a compulsory core of theory of knowledge, an extended essay and CAS. The diploma is accepted by universities all over the world, and in a number of countries it counts for admission on the same footing as the local leaving certificate.
Register to check for yourself, and the full guide →National programme
The state school programme of the country the school stands in: it is set by that country's ministry of education, which also licenses the school and awards the leaving certificate. That certificate is used for entry to local universities, and abroad it is matched to the local one.
What this means for this school. This entry does not count towards the score, and that is deliberate. Every lawful school in a country works to the national programme, so on its own it tells one school apart from no other - unlike the French, German or Russian programmes, which are carried abroad and confirmed by the register of their organisation. We show it because a parent needs to know what programme their child is taught and what certificate the child will get. Counting it would lift the whole ranking at once and still tell nobody apart.
Exams and destinations from the school's official website
The school publishes nothing about where its leavers go: no share going on to university, no exam results, no list of universities.
Facilities from the school's official website
·Swimming poolnot stated on the website
✓Sports hall
✓Laboratories
✓Theatre or assembly hall
✓Library
✓Catering
✓School transport
·Boardingnot stated on the website
Also on site: Art studio
Campus: The Theopisti Oslianitou theatre, the Konstantina Kiatypi library with 4500 books, an indoor gym, art, computer and science labs, music rooms with valuable instruments, instrument storage and lending to students, a lift; school buses provided by the Central Macedonia Region and meals provided by local government.
Clubs and activities: Symphony orchestra · Choir · Traditional music choir · Traditional instruments ensemble · Jazz ensemble · Rebetiko ensemble · Modern Greek music ensemble · Contemporary music ensemble · "Mediterranean Crossroads" ensemble · "Imprints" ensemble · Film music ensemble · Percussion ensemble · Pop ensemble · Piano ensemble · Fusion
Teaching staff
The school publishes neither the number of its teachers nor their qualifications.
Safety and wellbeing from the school's official website
·CCTVnot stated on the website
·Security staffnot stated on the website
·Access controlnot stated on the website
·Nurse or medical roomnot stated on the website
✓Counsellor
✓Child protection policy
·Staff trainingnot stated on the website
✓Anti-bullying policy
The school regulations include a section on preventing violence and bullying; the school's special committee includes the head, a psychologist, a sociologist and special education teachers. There are earthquake action and fire evacuation plans with regular drills.
Reviews
No reviews yet. The community rating counts towards the score once a school has five verified reviews - until then we do not show a zero, so as not to mislead.
Criteria breakdown criterion weight in brackets
Academics and programmes (16%)82 Community rating (16%)no dataparent reviews are needed: the criterion switches on at the fifth verified one Exams and destinations (12%) scored on disclosed data55 Safety and wellbeing (12%) scored on disclosed data70 Accreditation and verifiability (10%)85 Teaching staff (10%) scored on disclosed data55 Facilities (10%) scored on disclosed data90 Clubs and activities (8%) scored on disclosed data78 Value for money (6%) scored at the median68 "Scored on disclosed data" stands where we count only what the school has written about itself on its own site: exams and destinations, safety and wellbeing, teaching staff, facilities, clubs and activities. A low score here means the school does not write about this, not that the school does not have it: a school with good security and a sparse site will score low. A school can fill in its profile, and the score will be counted again.
The score is counted from 7 of the 9 criteria.Only those with checkable data count: programmes and accreditations from official registers, the fee from a published price list. Where it says "scored on the median", the school has no data and the middle of the list is put in its place, so that a gap gives no advantage. Admissions, teaching staff and reviews come in as their data arrives.
The full methodology → Similar schools in the country