Key takeaways
Romania has a broader English-language education landscape than most families expect before they arrive. International schools in Bucharest, English courses through established language schools, British Council Romania programs, and fully online English-medium schools all serve different needs. This article maps the main options – and explains where Legacy Online School fits for families who need a complete English-language academic program, not just language skills.
- International schools in Bucharest offer English-medium instruction but come with significant tuition costs
- British Council Romania provides English courses, educator training workshops, and IELTS preparation
- English is widely spoken in Romania, particularly among young people and in urban centers
- Legacy Online School delivers a full K-12 American curriculum entirely in English, online, with qualified teachers
Contents
We are a US-accredited international online school that coexists with local schooling. Families are responsible for ensuring compliance with any local education requirements applicable to their situation.
The English Language Status in Romania: What to Know
Romanian students start learning foreign languages early. The Ministry of Education requires English as a compulsory subject from the second grade across the national curriculum. By the time Romanian pupils reach upper secondary, many have had eight or more years of English instruction. That shows – English proficiency among young Romanians is genuinely high compared to EU averages.
For expat families and foreigners arriving in Romania, that baseline is reassuring. In Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, and other urban centers, English is widely used in professional, social, and cultural contexts. Finding English-speaking teachers, tutors, and service providers is not difficult in cities. The countryside is a different matter – rural areas have significantly less English-language infrastructure, and integration can be more challenging locally.
International Schools in Bucharest
Several international schools in Bucharest deliver English-medium instruction – tuition typically runs €8,000–€18,000 per year. Cambridge qualifications including IGCSE and A-Levels are available at some institutions. Waiting lists are common, and enrollment runs on the local school calendar. Not always a fit for families arriving mid-year.
British Council Romania
British Council Romania offers English language and culture courses for teenagers and adults at various proficiency levels, plus IELTS preparation and educator training workshops. For families focused specifically on English skills rather than a full academic curriculum, it’s a well-established option. IELTS certification – recognized internationally for university and work purposes – is administered through British Council Romania.
“The British Council is the UK’s international culture and education organisation. We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide.”
What Education Legacy Provides
Legacy Online School is not an English language course. It is a complete K-12 academic program – a WASC–accredited American private school – delivered entirely in English by qualified teachers. That’s a different category from language instruction.
For expat families in Romania whose children need to maintain an American curriculum, or for internationally mobile families who need a school that doesn’t stop when they move, Legacy’s programs cover online elementary school, online middle school, and online high school – all in English, all with live instruction.
The curriculum is built on FlexPoint Education Cloud, developed by Florida Virtual School. Teachers are qualified. Groups are capped at 15 learners in the Live Group plan. One-on-one instruction is available for children who need a more individualized approach.
Virtual clubs and extracurricular activities run alongside academic classes – debate, Model UN, creative writing – all in English, all live. That addresses the social dimension that parents often worry about with online school.
“WASC advances and validates quality ongoing school improvement by supporting its private and public elementary, secondary, and postsecondary member institutions to engage in a rigorous and relevant self-evaluation and peer review process that focuses on student learning.”
— Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges
A Real Case: Sarah’s Family, Cluj-Napoca
Sarah, 11, moved to Cluj-Napoca from the UK with her parents in 2023 when her father joined a multinational technology company there. The local school system taught in Romanian – a language Sarah didn’t speak. The international schools in Cluj had waiting lists and limited spots at her year level.
Her parents enrolled her in Legacy’s online elementary school program. English-medium instruction, qualified teachers, a structured school day that Sarah could follow from their apartment in Cluj. Within one academic year, she had completed her 5th grade year without interruption and was preparing for middle school coursework.
A Second Case: Tom and Lisa’s Son, Bucharest
Tom and Lisa relocated from Chicago to Bucharest in 2024 – Tom’s company transferred him for an eighteen-month posting. Their son, Ethan, 14, had been in 8th grade in Illinois. The local Romanian schools taught entirely in Romanian. The international schools in Bucharest that offered English-medium instruction either had waiting lists or required enrollment tied to the September intake – and the family arrived in January.
They enrolled Ethan in Legacy’s online middle school Live Group plan within 48 hours of applying. English-medium instruction, qualified teachers, US academic calendar. No gap. No intake delay.
By the end of the school year, Ethan had completed 8th grade on schedule and moved into online high school the following September – already tracking toward AP coursework. The family’s total Legacy cost for the school year: under $2,500. One of the Bucharest international schools they’d contacted quoted €14,000 annually, with no mid-year availability.
Top Tips from Our Expert
Maya Robinson, College Prep Advisor at Legacy Online School
- If your child is in Romania and already fluent in English, they need a school that teaches in English – not an English language course. Those are different products for different needs
- Romanian language and culture skills matter for quality of life in Romania – encourage your child to engage with both alongside their Legacy coursework, not instead of it
- Legacy’s virtual field trips and extracurricular activities keep English-medium social interaction going outside of class – important for children adjusting to a new environment
- For teenagers preparing university applications, IELTS scores from British Council Romania can complement a Legacy transcript when applying to UK universities – they’re different credentials that serve different purposes
Disclaimer: Legacy Online School is a WASC-accredited private online school. AP exam scores support university applications but do not guarantee admission to any specific institution. Families should verify AP recognition policies with their target universities. Legacy does not provide legal or immigration advice.
