REAL School Budapest

Founded in 2019, the school is driven by a mission to inspire and empower the next generation to build a sustainable, equitable, and regenerative world. It prioritizes project-based learning, wellbeing, and an entrepreneurial mindset, aiming to move beyond rote memorization to focus on skills, adaptability, and real-world impact. The school emphasizes a community-focused environment where student voice and agency are central to the learning experience.

The school follows the National Curriculum in England, integrated with its own curriculum focused on impact entrepreneurship and regeneration. Learning is structured through 'Dream to Reality' (D2R) projects, which occur every 6–12 weeks, alongside core subjects like literacy, numeracy, science, and humanities. The school utilizes multi-age groupings and emphasizes interdisciplinary, hands-on learning that connects academic knowledge to real-world contexts.

Students graduate with a portfolio of real-world projects and have successfully transitioned to various British, American, and Hungarian high schools. The curriculum aims to equip them with academic foundations alongside 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, and adaptability. The school's competencies are aligned with EU frameworks, including GreenComp, EntreComp, DigComp, and LifeComp.

The school combines live teaching with flipped classroom strategies and AI-powered tools to support different learning needs. While it offers pull-out English as an Additional Language (EAL) support for an additional fee, the school notes that it currently lacks the staffing to accommodate children with special needs, severe learning differences, or serious behavioural issues.

The school accepts international students aged 5–14 on a rolling basis, allowing for enrolment throughout the year. The application process involves research, an online application, a meeting with the founders, and three trial days to assess readiness. While the school welcomes students with varying English abilities, preference is given to those with strong skills, and conversational or fluent English is required for older students. Currently, the school does not have the staffing provision to accommodate children with special needs or severe learning differences.

The school operates on a standard academic year, with specific calendars available for 2025/26 and 2026/27. The school day is structured around the 'REAL Way,' which includes community time, academic blocks, project-based 'Dream to Reality' work, and weekly excursions into nature or the city. Families are encouraged to consult the school calendar during the initial research phase of the application process.

Located in Graphisoft Park in Óbuda, the school occupies a repurposed historical factory building near the Danube river. The campus features multi-purpose spaces, a makerspace for prototyping projects, and a student-designed playground known as 'REAL Ground.' Students have access to nearby green spaces and the Óbudai Island for outdoor learning, and the school provides plant-based meals in its canteen, 'The Planteen.'

Students can participate in the 'REAL Zone,' which offers opportunities to continue project work or join language classes, arts and music courses, game clubs, and sports. After-school programmes include activities such as Aikido, vegan cooking, woodworking, and pottery. Additionally, the school hosts summer camps in July that focus on art, pottery, sailing, and wilderness survival skills.