We chose Cosmos because we wanted a school where our children would feel comfortable, supported and understood as they adjusted to life in Bulgaria.

As a mixed foreign-Bulgarian family, one of our biggest concerns was that our children spoke very little Bulgarian and would be entering a completely new school system. From the beginning, the teachers and leadership were welcoming and understanding of our situation. They helped make what could have been a very difficult transition feel manageable and even enjoyable.

What we appreciated most was that our children were seen as individuals. Their language challenges were taken into account, extra support was offered when needed, and there was a genuine effort to help them succeed rather than expecting them to fit into a one-size-fits-all approach.

We also enjoyed the atmosphere of the school. The setting is calm and peaceful, and there is a strong sense of community. Because it is a smaller school, children of different ages know one another and interact naturally, which creates a friendly and welcoming environment.

We are grateful for the support our family received during an important transition and for the care shown to our children throughout their time at Cosmos.

Let me tell you briefly how we found the school where my children feel like themselves — the school that helped us stay in Bulgaria. ❤️

In 2024 we came back from Norway, which brought our 12 years of wandering to an end.

My younger daughter was born in Malta, where we lived from 2014 to 2021. After that I had a huge desire for us to “drink from the source”, and we moved to Norway — a country known for the way it treats children and education. There my daughters felt accepted and at ease, even though they had to learn a new language, far removed from Bulgarian. They were curious, they spent a lot of time outdoors, some of their lessons took place in nature and, to be honest, more often they didn’t want to leave school than they wanted to go home.

In 2023 we returned to Bulgaria. After many conversations and a lot of hesitation — whether I should spend hours in traffic taking the children to a private school in Sofia, or whether we should choose a school close to home and have quality time with the children — we chose the state school in Bankya, where we were living at the time. The year that followed is a period I don’t even want to think back to. One of my daughters cried every weekday evening because she knew she had school the next day. With my younger one, the stress showed itself physically too — for months she had severe stomach aches, sometimes with a temperature, which would ease off once she got home. I want to stress that both my children’s class teachers were wonderful people. For me the problem wasn’t them as individuals, but the environment and the way the children experienced school. We stuck it out until the end of the year, but the whole time I kept asking myself how I could have reached the point of wondering whether I had made a mistake by coming back to Bulgaria.

That was when I came across some interviews about Cosmos school. We decided to visit and to leave the children there for a trial day. After all, they are the ones who will be spending eight hours a day there. From that day to this, there hasn’t been a single second when I’ve regretted my decision. At Cosmos my children are calm. They feel understood, supported and accepted. They mix freely with children from the whole school, not just their own class. They go outside every day, they often go for walks in nature and they get much more exercise. And most importantly — I once again see the children I knew in Norway. Calm. Curious. Smiling. Wanting to go to school.

And academically?

Not only are they not falling behind — in many respects they are even ahead. The Cambridge programme often moves ahead with the material and complements the teaching of the Bulgarian subjects.

And I want to make one important thing clear: my elder daughter has attended a Bulgarian school since she was three years old. That didn’t change, whichever country we were living in. The Bulgarian language and an education in Bulgarian really matter to me. But if I ever have to choose between that and my children’s peace of mind, my choice will be clear-cut. I wouldn’t trade a child’s peace of mind for anything.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with inspections and oversight. They are necessary, and I understand why they exist. The only thing I would ask is that in every such process we don’t forget about the children. Because behind all the systems, rules, documents and inspections there are little people who simply want to feel good in the place where they spend most of their day.

And today my children are doing well. And that is exactly why we stayed in Bulgaria. ❤️

Our family chose Cosmos school in the village of Osoitsa for several main reasons:

The school takes a less rigid approach to the children, which aims for them to truly understand and get to grips with the subject matter, rather than racing through the material set by the Ministry of Education while the children try to cram things they don’t understand.

The school is located in an ecologically clean area, in a beautiful, peaceful and controlled environment, far from the noise, dirt and hectic pace of the big city.

The children are in small classes, where it is possible to follow each child’s individual development.

The teachers have an innovative approach to teaching and try to present the material in a way that is accessible and understandable for the children, mainly through practice and examples.

Overall, we would like to say that we feel at ease and confident that our child spends the whole day in a calm, safe and caring environment, and last but not least — Cosmos school is the place our child is happy to go to every day, which in the end is what matters most.

Thank you for your efforts, and we wish you every success.

Tervel has been at Cosmos school since the middle of the second term of 4th grade; he is now in 8th grade.

Tervel has learning difficulties, and the situation at the municipal school became very complicated — poor treatment from his classmates, being ignored by the teacher. Constant fights with classmates, which had me going into the school every week. My child was on edge and didn’t share anything about what was happening during the day, until one incident led to us watching a video recording, which showed Tervel trying to avoid provocation and conflict for 10 minutes before a fight. That was the moment I realised my child needed a more humane environment. Fortunately, I had recommendations for Cosmos from several different people, and I decided to enrol Tervel for a trial week. It turned out there was no need for a whole week — from the second day, he was getting off the bus with a smile and wouldn’t stop telling us what they had done that day.

I’m happy that my child goes to this school, because here they show children how to be good people with empathy for those around them. Here they manage to take an individual approach to each child’s learning. The children are calm and happy.

Why did I choose Cosmos International School? — My child is quite emotional, and I was looking for an environment where he would feel good and be understood and, if there was ever a problem, would have someone to talk to. We had also had positive feedback from other parents whose children were already at the school.

Last year my husband and I visited the school and saw how kind and natural the teachers are with the pupils and how happy the children are there, and now we see that happiness in our child too.

Another plus for us in choosing the school was that they follow the Cambridge programme.

After just one month at the school, my child has changed a lot for the better. He has become more confident. He finds school interesting and is happy to go. He has started climbing — something he didn’t do before and was afraid of.

He comes home with a scratch and it doesn’t bother him at all, whereas before he always complained and would walk around with a plaster on the scratch for a month.

Coming home from school, he’s always happy and skips along as he walks 🙂 He comes back covered in dust because he’s been playing outside with friends — he had never come home dirty before 🙂 and I’m very pleased about that.

He tells us what they did at school and how many things he has learned, where they go for walks during the day and what they collect outdoors for their art classes.

I have nothing more to add. My child is happy 🙂

I am writing this letter as a parent to share why my family and I chose Cosmos International School for our children’s education.

Driven by the wish for a lifestyle more in tune with nature, clean air and a calm, safe environment for the children, some time ago we moved from the centre of Sofia to the village of Gaytanevo. We lived near the NDK (National Palace of Culture), and the children’s daily journey to school and kindergarten often took around two hours because of the traffic. We wanted our children to grow up away from the stress, aggression and tension of the city, but at the same time to get a quality education.

At first we planned to keep taking them to school in Sofia, until we came across Cosmos by chance. What won us over was the combination of an academic education and an environment close to nature — small groups, clean air, daily activities and hikes in the mountains, and a sense of security and community.

Now, after almost two years, I can say that our choice has proved to be the right one.

Our children are getting a very good academic grounding, with the material presented in a way that motivates them to learn and to love knowledge. Teaching in English and the opportunity to gain diplomas under two education systems are also a big advantage for us.

I am particularly impressed by the individual attention the teachers and the head teacher give every child, and by the way their individual abilities can be recognised and developed. Our son Maksim, for example, came second in Sofia Province in the “European Kangaroo” competition when he was only in 1st grade, and the school actively supports his interest in maths.

We also really value the “green school” trips, the hikes and the activities in nature. They give the children not only knowledge but also independence, physical activity, teamwork and responsibility.

We also appreciate the attention paid to food and to the quality of the ingredients, which are sourced from local producers and organic farms.

For me as a parent, the most important thing is that I see my children calm, curious and motivated to learn. I believe it is precisely the combination of a quality education, a safe environment, nature, physical activity and personal attention that makes this school the right choice for our family.

That is why today, after almost two years, I continue to consciously choose this school for my children.

My name is Hristina Stefanova and I am the mother of Teodosi Nikolov, who is in Pre School 2 this year. We chose Cosmos because (for us) there is no other school like it. We started with their summer school to see how our child would feel there, and contrary to my worries that he would struggle to settle in, he went with great enthusiasm. So we decided to enrol him that same school year.

What do I mean by “there is no other school like it”?

The attitude, the setting, the clean air, the food, the children from all over the world, the individual approach to and attitude towards every child. The fact that the children spend time outdoors at every opportunity! An exceptionally close-knit and understanding team. Positive, kind and patient with the children and the parents. And, of course, last but not least, the fact that they follow the Cambridge system, which is hugely important to us, because the Ministry of Education is rather outdated in its approach (personal opinion). I have a basis for comparison when we do homework together, and I can definitely say that Cambridge is many times easier for the children to understand and far less rigid, and they cope with it easily.

We chose Cosmos because our children feel good there, we trust the team and we have peace of mind that our children will be “heard” and “seen”. There they have the chance to move around, to eat fresh food, to interact calmly – without devices, without aggression – and to absorb new things without even noticing, and with pleasure.

I am happy to share that our son has started his fifth year at Cosmos.

Our family has the opportunity to grow alongside the school as it grows and develops, and also to follow how our child’s skills and abilities keep building.

We discovered the school through the “Education for the Future” forum, and from the very first moment we knew that it was the best choice for us and that it matched our idea of an educational process that combines nature with the academic knowledge every child should acquire.

There are no STEM labs at the school – every classroom is STEM, and so are the schoolyard and the sports ground. That is where we hold the Children’s Science Festival “Cosmos of Ideas”, “Cosmos Recycles” and other events, and the most important thing is that we are all together – children, parents, teachers, representatives of the local authorities and the community that supports the development of the municipality, and supporters who take part in planting the forest; we sow the field with einkorn, which goes into the children’s meals once the harvest is in. In real time and in the right season, the children understand and take part in the processes of the life cycle, the circle of life – they don’t just learn the names of herbs, they find them in the forest, recognise them, and know why to leave the root intact, why to save the anthill and protect the bees, how to look after stray cats and treat them – they bring food from home, and so on.

In the process of learning and growing up there are also differences, scuffles and disagreements, and this is where the school’s Rules come in, with rewards and sanctions – clear rules.

Rewards are the good side of the coin, and sanctions the instructive one. Our son manages to be a frequent guest of the “busy room” (the detention room), where he misses out on the fun part of what goes on at school and does instructive activities instead. He tells us how he holds the little ones’ hands and helps them write their numbers and letters properly (and feels useful), how he gathered up the grass, and about other useful activities that don’t make him feel humiliated, even though he has been sanctioned for breaking a rule. To us, this is a different approach, and the right one.

At school we also have “sunshine children”, who take part in the learning process on an equal footing with the other pupils, sit exams and meet the standards for their level of learning, and this is something we are very proud of. This happens thanks to the acceptance of the other children, the immense support, patience and love they are surrounded with, and, most importantly, the teachers they work with.

We have a resource teacher and psychologists, and neurofeedback and biofeedback have been introduced. The multilingual environment our children learn in and the diversity of different cultures gathered in one place are the great treasure of our school.

We have a lot to share from all these years, but the most important thing is that, at this stage of our son’s development, going to school is something he needs. For him, right now, “Cosmos school is his world”.

Thank you

to the founders of Cosmos – Tanya and Elena,

to the school’s management, for never standing still and for giving us parents the opportunity to be part of our children’s lives at this important stage of their development,

to head chef Bistra and her team, for the high-quality, delicious food they prepare every day,

to all the teachers of every subject, who pass on knowledge and skills,

to all the support staff, who remind the children “don’t go barefoot” and take care of good hygiene,

to everyone who runs extracurricular activities, thanks to which we have accomplished athletes, musicians, dancers, maths and science medallists, and the children can dance the Bulgarian horo – even those of other nationalities.

It is a joy for us to be part of this diverse community, which shares the same values.

We are happy that our children have the opportunity to study at Cosmos. For us as parents it is extremely important that they are eager to go to school and feel good there. The teachers have a wonderful approach to the children – with attention, respect and understanding for their individuality.

We greatly value the work and effort of the whole team behind the good organisation and the day-to-day running of the school. We know that behind everything we see as parents there is a great deal of work, dedication and care, so that this complex “learning machine” can run well.

Especially valuable to us are the opportunities the children get beyond traditional teaching – the organised hikes in the mountains, planting and caring for plants, and the small everyday responsibilities such as cleaning the dining hall and the classroom. We believe that it is precisely experiences like these that contribute so much to their personal growth, to building their independence and a sense of responsibility towards the community and the environment around them.

The food at the school also deserves a special mention. The menu is varied, and the food is prepared every day and is fresh, wholesome and well chosen – something we as parents value enormously.

We are pleased with both the organisation and the opportunities our children get during their education at Cosmos. We see an environment in which they not only learn but also grow as people.

We are happy to recommend the school to friends of ours as well – families looking for a place where their child can get a good education but also feel at ease, accepted and motivated to go to school.

I want to share with you how happy and how much at peace I am that our daughter Fani, who is in 8th grade, is at your school. What matters to us as parents is for our daughter to be in a calm school environment, surrounded by wonderful educators who manage to inspire her to discover her potential. It was at Cosmos that we found all of this. But the most wonderful thing is that she is so eager to go to school.

Thank you to the whole team, because you can see how much love and thought goes into everything.

Why did I choose Cosmos?

For us it was the only choice in the area, with no competition. The standard of the schools in Elin Pelin municipality (after 4th grade) didn’t inspire confidence in us, and we were also looking for a school outside Sofia. Our requirements were good preparation in English and better care for, and knowledge of, the children. Things we didn’t see at a neighbourhood school in Mladost, Sofia. For now we are completely satisfied and we support the educational methodology of Cosmos.

What do I like about the school?

I like the location (close to where we live; surrounded by nature and clean air) and the team of teachers, of course. The classes have fewer children than in state schools, which allows the teachers to know the pupils in the class better and to give them extra attention when needed. I like the teaching methodology – lots of projects for homework, Science experiments and the fact that there is always a psychologist on hand. She, Silvia, is usually familiar with the needs and emotions of almost all the children, knows the dynamics of their relationships, and any conflicts that arise are resolved quickly. I like that the teachers actively use the EduPage communication system and we are kept informed in good time about what is happening at school and with our child. And I especially like the ban on bringing in packaged food (junk food, snacks), which builds the children’s taste for, and attitude towards, the more genuine food that is prepared and served there.

As an addition, I’d also like to mention the project that we parents organised in support of the school: https://cosmosparents.club/

This is already my daughter’s second year at Cosmos school. We moved her after she finished 4th grade at a state school in Sofia, and I keep finding confirmation that my family and I made the right decision.

My name is Elena Yordanova. I am the mother of Nikol, who is in 6th grade. From the very first meeting with the people behind the school (and in particular Tatyana Zaharieva) I was left with very good impressions, and although I didn’t have any special expectations, it turned out that the policy and concept of Cosmos largely matched what I was looking for. A striving for balance between academic knowledge, emotional literacy and moral behaviour – a trio that lies at the heart of everything good that should live and grow in a society, and which is, unfortunately, so obviously lacking in ours. In these years of an information boom, when it is so easy to acquire knowledge and skills and to draw on the experience of experts, specialists and mentors (which is possible at many educational institutions)… somehow thinking about children’s “feelings” and building the “human” in a person has been left in the background. This topic – not a particularly easy one, but an important one in the long term – is addressed every day at Cosmos school. From the rules, which are the same for everyone, through the way the children treat each other from pre-school to 12th grade, to conversations ranging “from the most unwelcome to the most pleasant topic” with a qualified professional.

I like the concept of including children with special educational needs (SEN) in this tolerant community. I like the experience everyone gains from being surrounded by children of different ethnicities and from different corners of the world. I like the food policy – a variety of tasty dishes prepared on site and the ban on bringing in packaged products, sweets and so on, which is also a pressing issue in our society. I like the idea of a “school in nature”, far from the dirty air, the dirty words and the bad manners of people – a bonus for every child! And most of all, I feel satisfied with the teaching staff. Thank you to everyone who helps make sure this environment does not falter and works at its best – from the administration, through the medical staff and the psychologist, to the teachers on the front line 🙂 Young, motivated people who believe in their own abilities (extremely important if they are to have authority), who love working with children and have time for each one of them.

Thank you for the example you set, thank you for the care. I hope more educational centres and institutions will draw on your knowledge and your approach to things, which is so right for our times.

I chose Cosmos for many reasons: I studied in this building for a year before it was closed down due to a lack of pupils. I like its architecture, as well as the fact that it is in the middle of nature, in calm surroundings. As for the school and the teachers: it is something different that fulfils all my dreams and wishes for something innovative in the full sense of the word, following the Montessori method of “Back to nature”. A flexible curriculum tailored to the children’s wishes and talents, young and positive teachers, an individual approach to every child, mutual help, learning by doing, understanding, tolerance, KINDNESS and thinking of others, both among the children and between teacher and child. Freedom for every pupil to express their opinion. The pupils’ right to put forward ideas and, if they are positive, to have them carried out with the help of their teachers. Every pupil’s voice is heard. Fun activities. The methods of rewards and sanctions are inspiring and comply with the legal regulations of the Ministry of Education, respecting the children’s rights. Nurturing a love of nature and of our Homeland. The colourful palette of different pupils united as one. Saying these words reminded me of Europe’s motto, “United in diversity”.

“Believe Boldly and Conquer” – in a few words, this song partly describes the school and completes my thought. Partly, because the school is more than the song.

The way the teachers work with the parents, involving them as volunteers in various school activities. Mutual help and understanding.

And everything mentioned above is not just talk and legal requirements that are hard to comply with. At this school they are carried out and put into practice with EASE!

We chose Cosmos because it offers education of the highest standard outside an urban environment, close to nature. After 22 years of living outside Bulgaria, in 2024 my wife and I came back and settled in the village of Negushevo, 10 minutes from Osoitsa, so that we could be close to the school. We have two children there, in 3rd and 5th grade, and we are extremely pleased. The children are very keen to go to school. Even though they couldn’t read or write in Bulgarian when we came back from abroad, they caught up in just a few months and later even overtook many of their classmates, thanks to the individual approach of the Cosmos team. The small number of pupils in the classroom really does allow the teachers to stimulate each child according to their needs. In the canteen, the staff go to exceptional lengths to find seasonal, clean produce and to offer a choice of quality food. It’s no coincidence that the children like it so much. One of my children is part of the school band and has the opportunity to develop their talent every day with other musicians. In my opinion, they progress much faster this way than they would with private lessons or with the single music lesson a week in the compulsory curriculum. I could give many other examples, but these are just a few that illustrate why we have enrolled our children here. To sum up, what sets Cosmos apart from other schools is that the children achieve exceptionally high academic results, but without the unnecessary pressure and stress that I know exist at other elite schools. And so they stay curious and go to school happy.

A few words about Aya’s Cosmos, how I tell it apart from chaos and why I choose it. Because for a year now Aya has been waking me up every Saturday at 6.30 in the morning, unable to wait to see and do her homework.

Because I still have trouble getting her to go to bed at night – now it’s because she can’t put her book down. Aya is 7.

Because when I ask her what her favourite subject is, she lists every one of them, one by one, until she runs out.

Because when she sees a teacher, she throws herself into their arms.

Because every evening she comes home muddy, tired and blissful.

Because when I ask her whether school was good, she answers, “No. It was amazing.”

Because when she’s ill and dawdles over taking her medicine, she remembers that she won’t be able to go to school, and takes it straight away.

Because she sees other children who are glad the holidays are coming, and it doesn’t even occur to her why they might be glad.

Because last night she came home and couldn’t wait to tell me about Leonardo da Vinci, and how, whatever angle she looks at the Mona Lisa from, the Mona Lisa is always looking at her. Because there are faces that watch over children from every angle, and Cosmos is one of them.

I would like to share my positive assessment of the school where I have the good fortune and the peace of mind of having my child study – Cosmos, in the village of Osoitsa.

First and foremost, what matters to me is that my child feels good, calm and accepted. At the same time, the school maintains high expectations for learning, without this turning into constant pressure on the children. In my view, it is precisely this balance that is one of the reasons for the good results they achieve – they study a lot and achieve good results, but without the feeling that learning is a constant source of stress.

I also particularly value the way the school responds to challenges – both when they concern an individual child and when they affect several, or all, of the children. Problems are not swept under the carpet or left to get worse; instead, concrete and appropriate solutions are sought. This creates a sense of security and predictability and, in my view, is an important factor in the calm and healthy environment at the school.

I am also impressed by the openness of the school’s leadership. For me, it is especially valuable that the school does not try to appear infallible, but can openly admit when something has not been done well and look for a way to improve it. This builds trust and shows that feedback really does matter.

I also like the overall organisation of the learning process. The children study a lot, but they have enough time for play, rest and socialising. The social aspect is not separate from the academic one but is naturally woven into it. In my view, this is exactly what helps the children develop both as pupils and as individuals at the same time.

My assessment of the school is also coloured by a previous, rather bitter experience with other schools, where values similar to those of Cosmos were proclaimed as principles but did not always find real application in everyday practice. That is precisely why what matters to me is not so much what a school declares, but how the system actually works – how decisions are made, how problems are dealt with, and whether the stated principles can be seen in everyday life.

My many years of professional experience in public administration have made me somewhat more sensitive to the way organisations and systems work. From this perspective, it is particularly valuable to me to see in the school not just isolated good practices, but a well-functioning system as a whole – with clear organisation, consistency, feedback and a readiness to change when change is needed.

The result of all of the above: my child goes to school calmly and eagerly, feels accepted, and at the same time is developing and achieving good academic results.

For a parent, this is a very strong sign that the school manages to strike the right balance between education, demands and a safe environment.

I chose Cosmos when I was looking for a new school for my son after he had been bullied at another private school in Sofia. On my very first visit I saw something I had not come across anywhere else – children of different ages were playing together, and the older ones not only didn’t chase the younger ones away, but actually looked after them.

This is exactly what I value most about Cosmos. Here, school is not simply a place where children take in the curriculum. It is an environment in which they feel accepted and safe, trust their teachers and, alongside knowledge, learn consideration, responsibility and respect for others.

The children study a lot – and on two educational programmes at that. But the teachers and the way they teach manage to make this workload barely noticeable. Learning is not a duty they simply have to tick off, but something that awakens their curiosity. For me, the best proof is that only a few months after moving to Cosmos, my son started learning eagerly again and asked of his own accord to take part in projects and competitions.

And perhaps the most important thing for me as a parent is that both my children want to go to school. They are happy to see their teachers and classmates, and they don’t even particularly like the holidays, because they miss school. For me, this is the strongest proof that a school can demand a lot of children and at the same time be a place where they want to be.

We are the parents of a new pupil at your school. We want to express our gratitude to you and your team for making it easier for our child to settle in; he is gradually getting used to your rules and he likes it. I want to say that this is the third school in Bulgaria he has attended, and it is our BEST CHOICE, and WE THANK YOU FOR THAT!!!

We chose this school for our child for a better future!

Like all parents, we want the best for our child.