← Back to the rankingRygaards International School
Hellerup, Denmark · est. 1909 · Private
Illustration · Hellerup
Rygaards International School is the international department of the private Catholic Rygaards Skole in Hellerup, founded in 1909 by the Assumption Sisters; the school calls itself the oldest international school in Denmark. Teaching was first in French, then the international department switched to English and the English school tradition; in 1968 it was integrated with the Danish department under one principal. Today it is a British school for ages 4 to 16: Reception follows the English EYFS, primary follows the English national curriculum with the Cambridge framework for English, Maths and Science, and Years 10-11 take the Cambridge IGCSE course. The language of instruction is English, taught by native speakers. The whole school, including the Danish department, has more than 1000 students of 80 nationalities. It is a Catholic school that welcomes children of all faiths; it is run on a not-for-profit basis with a Danish state subsidy, so fees are moderate.
Key facts
Tuition
≈ $6 733–7 440 a year
44 550–49 225 DKK
Programmes
Cambridge · Primary, IGCSE
Admits from
4 years · Pre-School
Languages of instruction
English
Languages taught
Danish, French, German, Spanish
Students
more than 1000 including the Danish department
Class size
two classes in each year group, up to 24 students per class
Registration fee
≈ $302
2 000 DKK
Deposit
≈ $2 267
15 000 DKK
About the fees International department fees for 2026-2027 (11 monthly instalments, no payment in July): first child 44550 DKK per year (4050 per month), second 42350, third 31900, fourth 27225 DKK. Years 7-11 add 4675 DKK per year, and Years 7-10 a further 6050 DKK per year for an international trip with overnight stay. Reception is a private childcare scheme (privat pasningsordning): 100375 DKK per year (9125 per month) with no sibling reduction; some municipalities reimburse families part of the cost. Without a CPR number or diplomatic status by 5 September, or with later enrolment, the first-child fee is 8350 DKK per month (the normal fee plus the lost state subsidy). Families can apply by 31 August for an income-based state fee rebate.
Admissions Applications are accepted all year with rolling intake: a child starts as soon as a place is available. The first step is the Registration of Interest form, by which parents accept the admissions policy and financial regulations. Reception takes children who turn 4 before 1 September, Year 1 children who are 5; a six-year-old without previous schooling cannot start in Year 2. Year placement follows age on 1 September under the British system. New students are not admitted to Year 10 after the October half-term break and not at all to Year 11 because of the two-year IGCSE course. The school is Catholic but welcomes all faiths and, in its own words, has educated children irrespective of creed and nationality since its founding; 80 nationalities attend. Fees are higher for children without a CPR number or diplomatic status and for those enrolled after 5 September.
Stages and year groups Grades Reception, Year 1-11. The international department is a British school: Reception follows the English EYFS (from age 4), Key Stages 1 and 2 (Years 1-6), Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9) and Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11) with a two-year Cambridge IGCSE course (the school mentions Cambridge and Edexcel exams). Primary follows the English national curriculum, with the Cambridge framework for English, Maths and Science. Reception has one class, other years two classes each. Danish as a subject: two lessons a week from Year 2, three in secondary; from Year 7 students choose French, German or Spanish. Besides the international department, Rygaards Skole has a Danish department (grades 0-9).
Address Bernstorffsvej 54, 2900 Hellerup
Accreditations and programmes verified against official registries
Cambridge · Primary, IGCSE · authorised programmeCOBIS · membershipNEASC · accreditationThe Cambridge register names the school as its centre: English, maths and science follow the Cambridge framework, with Cambridge IGCSE in Years 10-11. It is accredited by NEASC and is a member of COBIS.
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
CambridgeCambridge International Education
Part of the University of Cambridge. It allows a school to teach the Cambridge programmes and to enter pupils for the exams. There are four stages and they are authorised separately: primary, lower secondary, IGCSE and A Level. If the stages are known they are named in the line below; if that line is missing, the school does not publish them, and the Cambridge registry does not show stages either - it gives only the name of the centre, the country and whether private candidates are accepted. Cambridge calls what it does registration rather than accreditation, and the network holds about ten thousand schools.
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: Primary (ages 5-11), IGCSE (ages 14-16). Primary is the primary stage, ages 5 to 11: English, mathematics and science to Cambridge syllabuses. At the end of the stage a school may run the optional Checkpoint test, which is marked in Cambridge. IGCSE means exams at around Year 10 or 11, the British counterpart of a lower secondary leaving certificate.
Register to check for yourself, and the full guide →COBISCouncil of British International Schools
An association of British schools abroad with a quality inspection of its own. It has nine membership categories, and the word "accredited" appears in seven of them, although COBIS does its own inspection in one: in the rest it recognises an accreditation granted by somebody else.
What the badge means for this school. The school belongs to this organisation but has not been through its accreditation. The difference matters: membership is usually paid for and has no external inspection behind it. The entry is confirmed in the organisation's open directory.
Register to check for yourself, and the full guide →NEASCNew England Association of Schools and Colleges
An American accreditation working since 1885. For international schools it uses an approach where the visitors look first at live lessons rather than at folders of paperwork: the team works in the school for about a week. It is the only one here whose public directory honestly separates accredited schools from candidates.
What the badge means for this school. The school has been through this organisation's accreditation. It was judged as a whole: governance, safeguarding, staff, premises, teaching. The entry stands in the organisation's public register - anyone can check it.
Register to check for yourself, and the full guide →Exams and destinations from the school's official website
Exam results IGCSE 2026: all students achieved grades A*-C, 62% of grades were A*-A; English as a First Language 94% A*-C (53% A*-A), Maths 80% A*-C (22% A*-A); 97% of students achieved five IGCSEs at A*-C including Maths and English. 2025: 52% of grades A*-A, 95% of students with five IGCSEs at A*-C.
Facilities from the school's official website
·Swimming poolnot stated on the website
✓Sports hall
✓Laboratories
·Theatre or assembly hallnot stated on the website
✓Library
·Cateringnot stated on the website
·School transportnot stated on the website
·Boardingnot stated on the website
Also on site: Art studio
Campus: The school stands in park grounds in suburban Hellerup, 5 km from central Copenhagen, near Hellerup station. It has a new Learning Resource Center with a library on the top floor of the main building, two gyms, two science laboratories, two art rooms, two music rooms, specialist rooms and extensive grounds; the parish church of St. Theresa is part of the school buildings. There is no canteen: children bring lunch, and paid catering options are available. There is no school bus and no uniform. There is no boarding.
Clubs and activities: Robotics & Tech Club · Maths · Duke of Edinburgh's International Award · Debate · Spanish · Drama · Creative Writing Workshops · Lektie café (homework café, help with Danish homework) · Pokemon Go Club · Art Club · French Club · Rygaards Fritidsforening (parents' leisure association) · Scenekunst (performing arts)
Teaching staff from the school's official website
·Teachers listed by namenot published
✓Teacher qualifications
·Number of teachersthe school does not say
✓Students per teacher or class sizein the key facts above
What the listings show: native English speakers; French and German teachers are native speakers of those languages
The school describes a highly qualified, experienced team of native English-speaking teachers; French and German teachers are also native speakers. The class teacher acts as an informal counsellor for students.
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 room
·Counsellornot stated on the website
✓Child protection policy
·Staff trainingnot stated on the website
✓Anti-bullying policy
The school publishes a Child Protection Policy, Internal Safeguarding Procedures, an Anti-bullying Policy, a behaviour policy and a water safety policy. Students are served by health nurses from Gentofte municipality; the international department nurse is at the school on Wednesdays. In June 2024 the school was accredited with the Wellbeing Award for Schools for its work on emotional wellbeing and mental health.
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%)72 Community rating (16%)no dataparent reviews are needed: the criterion switches on at the fifth verified one Exams and destinations (12%) scored on disclosed data80 Safety and wellbeing (12%) scored on disclosed data70 Accreditation and verifiability (10%)90 Teaching staff (10%) scored on disclosed data55 Facilities (10%) scored on disclosed data75 Clubs and activities (8%) scored on disclosed data78 "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 8 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