The Children's International School (CIS) is a coeducational day school in Lekki Phase 1, offering a British curriculum from Nursery through IGCSE. Founded in 2003, CIS has built a reputation as a quietly competent option for families wanting British schooling at the lower end of the premium tier. The school does not operate boarding, does not run a Sixth Form, and intentionally keeps its student roll around 500 — making it noticeably smaller and more personal than its larger competitors. Fees range from ₦3.8M to ₦5.2M annually.
Fee breakdown
Tuition range
₦3.8M–5.2M
/yr · 2025/2026
Estimated first-year total
₦5.2M
tuition + extras
Sibling discount: 10% off second child; 12% off third and subsequent.
Fees by year group
2025/2026 session — quoted per pupil per year.
Year group
Tuition
Weekly boarding
Full boarding
KG
₦3,800,000
Day only
Day only
Primary
₦4,300,000
Day only
Day only
JSS
₦4,800,000
Day only
Day only
SSS
₦5,200,000
Day only
Day only
L
Lagos.Cool Editorial
2 May 2026 · 2 min read
About this school — The Children's International School
CIS is the British curriculum school that no one outside the Lekki Phase 1 catchment talks about — which is exactly the position the school has chosen. It does not pursue rankings, does not chase celebrity enrolment, and does not expand its roll for revenue. The result is a settled, professional school with low staff turnover and consistently strong IGCSE pass rates. For families wanting British schooling without the institutional feel of BIS or the brand awareness of LBS, CIS is a sensible third option.
CIS was founded 2003 by educators who had run British-curriculum programmes elsewhere and wanted to build a small, focused primary+secondary in Lekki Phase 1. The intentional 500-pupil cap and 20-per-class model are central to the school's value proposition. What CIS offers that larger alternatives (Chrisland Lekki with 1,500+, Meadow Hall with 500) do not is that smaller cohort — closer teacher-pupil relationships, individualised attention, and multi-year continuity with class teachers. Twenty-plus years on, CIS has produced consistent Year 11 leavers who transfer strongly to Bridge House Sixth Form, LBS Sixth Form, BIS Sixth Form, and UK Sixth Form colleges. WAEC parallel is not offered — CIS is British-curriculum only through IGCSE. Alumni move into UK, Canadian, and Nigerian private universities.
Strengths & trade-offs
✓ Strengths
✓Intentionally small (~500 pupils) keeps class sizes at 20 vs 24+ at larger schools
✓20+ years continuous operation, low staff turnover
✓IGCSE certification with strong 80%+ A*-B results
✓Solid feeder to Bridge House Sixth Form, BIS, Charterhouse
✓Reception and Year 7 intake competitive but achievable
✓Lekki Phase 1 location convenient for Lekki families
✗ Trade-offs
✗No A-Level or Sixth Form — must transfer after Year 11
CIS admits via an entrance assessment held monthly. The assessment is play-based for Reception and KG, and written for Year 1 upwards (English, Mathematics, age-appropriate reasoning). Year 7 and Year 9 entrants additionally have a head-teacher interview. Application fee is ₦40,000 non-refundable. Sibling priority operates. The Year 7 cohort fills first via internal promotion from CIS primary; external applicants compete for the remaining 20–25 places.
CIS admits via an entrance assessment held monthly. The assessment is play-based for Reception and KG, and written for Year 1 upwards (English, Mathematics, age-appropriate reasoning). Year 7 and Year 9 entrants additionally have a head-teacher interview. Application fee is ₦40,000 non-refundable. Sibling priority operates. The Year 7 cohort fills first via internal promotion from CIS primary; external applicants compete for the remaining 20–25 places. Deposit fee ₦80,000 refundable against first-term tuition.
Tuition is only part of the bill. Here's what families actually pay:
School bus₦250,000–₦500,000/yr
Uniform₦60,000–₦110,000
Books and IGCSE entries₦80,000–₦220,000/yr
Lunch₦220,000–₦340,000/yr
ECAs and trips₦40,000–₦120,000/yr
PTA + development levy₦40,000/yr
Campus & facilities
The 2.5-acre Lekki Phase 1 campus is compact and modern. It includes 20 classrooms across primary and secondary blocks, two science labs (upgraded 2023), a 150-seat hall used for assemblies and small productions, a small swimming pool (15m, used mostly for swimming lessons), a sports court (basketball/netball convertible), and a 5,000-volume library. There is no Sixth Form provision and no boarding facility.
The 2.5-acre Lekki Phase 1 campus is compact and modern. It includes 20 classrooms across primary and secondary blocks, two science labs (upgraded 2023), a 150-seat hall used for assemblies and small productions, a small swimming pool (15m, used mostly for swimming lessons), a sports court (basketball/netball convertible), and a 5,000-volume library. There is no Sixth Form provision and no boarding facility. Power on grid + 60KVA generator + inverter backup. Water from LSWC + onsite borehole.
No — CIS finishes at Year 11 with IGCSE. Pupils wanting A-Levels typically transfer to Bridge House, LBS, BIS, or Charterhouse for Sixth Form. CIS provides transfer references and IGCSE result transcripts to support applications.
Small — most classes are capped at 20 pupils, and primary classes often run at 16–18. The intentionally small school roll (~500 total) keeps classroom sizes consistently below the Lagos premium-tier average of 24.
Yes — IGCSE results are consistently strong (typically 80%+ A*-B across the cohort), and recent leavers have transferred successfully to Bridge House, BIS Sixth Form, and Charterhouse. The school does not publish league-table positions but shares aggregated results with parents annually.
French is the primary modern foreign language taught throughout. Spanish is offered as an after-school enrichment from Year 4 upwards. Mandarin is not currently offered.
CIS is smaller (~500 vs ~900), cheaper (₦5.2M Year 11 vs ₦6M+ at LBS), and finishes at IGCSE instead of A-Level. CIS suits families who want British primary and secondary without the Sixth Form expense and who value smaller class sizes; LBS suits families who want continuous schooling through Year 13.