St. George's International School, Switzerland
In the process of preparing the material, we referenced the following sources: Wikipedia, I am Expat, My Premium Europe, Teacher Horizons, International School Advisor, Prestige Online
Description of St. George's International School, Switzerland
- Year of foundation: 1927
- Location: Montreux
- Boarding from 11 years old
- Campus: Montreux, Switzerland
- Age: 11-18
- Programs: British Curriculum, IGCSE, IB Diploma Program
- Accommodation: residence
- Tuition fees: from 37400 Swiss francs per semester with accommodation
Uniquely set in the very heart of Europe, St. George's International School, founded in 1927, overlooks Lake Geneva and the Alps, not far from the mountains and only 10 minutes from the beautiful towns of Montreux and Vevey.
Our experienced Boarding staff live on campus and are available throughout the day – like a family. Along with the rest of St. George's teams, they ensure to deliver personal well-being, safety and best possible academic achievements of our students, by providing daily supervision and support. This home-away-from-home experience enables each student to benefit from the care, empathy and global understanding needed to become responsible and independent citizens.
Boarding students are housed on our 12-acre campus within the main building. The Boarding House is located in the main building, in fully separated areas, in newly refurbished single, double and triple rooms. With boarders from all over the world, representing 25 nations, our students learn to live and work in groups and teams with a global perspective. Our aim is to guide students on their way towards top Universities in the United Kingdom, USA and other countries. Boarding House staff liaise daily with Heads of Sections, tutors and teachers to ensure effective monitoring of students' progress. After-school hours and weekends are filled with fun activities (sporting and cultural), leisure time, trips around Switzerland and cities all over Europe.
Inspired Education
Inspired is a leading global premium schools group operating in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America educating over 48,000 students across a global network of more than 60 schools.
A definitive statement of excellence in private education, Inspired is a co-educational, non-denominational, independent school group designed to inspire students to achieve their maximum potential in a nurturing, progressive academic environment from ages 1 to 18.
The group's distinctive features lie in its advanced teaching methods, carefully selected and hand-picked teachers, an individual approach to each child and preparation for admission to local educationl institutions such as University of Geneva or best universities in the world. Over 48,000 students choose to study at an INSPIRED school every year.
Do not miss the opportunity of discussing your child’s opportunities and admission through an individual meeting with a representative of the best institutions offering secondary education abroad!
What distinguishes Swiss schools, making them highly valued by parents?
Several factors make Swiss schools stand out: safety, the opportunity for year-round sports and activities (like water sports, skiing, snowboarding, rock climbing, hiking, and team sports), and the chance to learn multiple languages amidst a rich cultural backdrop. Swiss education paves the way to top universities, and many state-owned Swiss universities offer world-class education at minimal cost.
Things to know about
All students have the opportunity to participate in the Inspired Global Exchange program: it offers exchanges between boarding schools of the network around the world, where the organization provides a homestay program. Each exchange offers a unique opportunity to explore a new environment, improve language skills, make new friends, and experience new cultures. Exchanges last from four weeks to a year, with the student assigned a place at St. George's International School.
Programs and prices, tuition fees in St. George's International School, Switzerland
The Middle School at St. George's is a place between the Junior and the Senior Schools where students learn key skills in a fun and creative environment. Our Lower Secondary International Cambridge curriculum is tailored to students with any language background and promotes bilingual English /French competences.
A clear pathway for progression with contemporary pedagogical approach offers choice and flexibility and develops Cambridge learners’ attributes: Confidence, Responsibility, Reflection, Innovation and Engagement. A solid pastoral framework guides all learners in Year 6 to Year 9 to become all-round individuals.
Curriculum
Our Lower Secondary International Cambridge curriculum caters to students with any language background, promotes bilingualism, maintains consistency and continuity from the Junior School and provides creativity and collaboration for effective learning. Lessons mix the traditional and blended learning approach to cater for everyone’s needs within a 21st-century education.
The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) is a high-profile qualification provided by the University of Cambridge International Examinations Board (CIE).
An IGCSE is designed to be taught as a 2 year course. Exams are taken by students in Year 11 (US Grade 10) and are equivalent in standard to the UK GCSE and Cambridge International GCE O Level examinations.
CIE is the world’s largest provider of international qualifications for 14-19 years old.
The Cambridge IGCSE curriculum provides an excellent foundation for a range of higher level courses, including the IB Diploma. It is recognised by schools, universities and institutes around the world.
Cambridge IGCSE courses are designed to allow students achieve high levels of academic and personal skills. They develop students’ confidence, responsibility, reflection, innovation and engagement. The curriculum is flexible giving students the freedom to select the subjects that are right for them.
Founded in Geneva, Switzerland in 1968, the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) has developed four different educational programmes. The IB Diploma Programme is a challenging two-year curriculum aimed at students aged 16 to 19. This IB qualification is welcomed by leading universities around the world. At St. George’s, IB Diploma main language of instruction is English.
WHAT IS THE PROFILE OF THE IB DIPLOMA? The IB Diploma students develop their academic and personal strengths by:
- asking challenging questions
- learning how to learn
- developing a strong sense of their own identity and culture
- building communication skills and understanding of other cultures
- THE IB LEARNER PROFILE
The IB Learner Profile was developed from the IBO Mission Statement. It describes the ideal character of an IB student. IB Diploma students are encouraged to be Inquirers, Thinkers, Communicators, Risk-takers, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Knowledgeable, Balanced and Reflective.
IB Diploma students are active, compassionate and lifelong learners. They will exhibit all of these characteristics at some stage during their education. The consequence of this is that IB students are better prepared for further study and diverse career paths.
The Pre-Diploma Programme has been designed for students aged 15-16 who want to build a solid foundation before embarking on their two year Diploma programme.
The Pre-IB Programme is a one-year course which includes the study of these subjects from the following groups:
- Language: English
- Foreign Language: French
- Humanities
- Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Physics
- Mathematics and Technology: Mathematics, Computing
- Arts: Art & Design, Drama, Musi
Physical Education is compulsory. All students follow a Life Skills programme, too.
Junior School
- Age: 3-10 years old
- Duration: 7 years
- Language of instruction: bilingual education in French and English.
Junior School combines preschool education with elementary grades and prepares children with high quality for a rich high school program. Special attention is paid to diversified development: academic, social, creative. The curriculum is based on the author's Learning Means the World program, which touches on four aspects in the study of the world:
- Culture
- Communications
- Conflicts
- Preservation.
The author's program allows you to gain academic knowledge that is closely related to the world around you, which will make children conscious and help them learn to understand global processes.
Summer Language Camp – English
- Duration: 1-2 weeks
- Dates: July 3-16, July 17-30, July 31-August 6
- Age of pupils: 8-18 years (two age groups: 8-13 years and 14-18 years).
- Price: 2875 CHF/week, 5750 CHF/2 weeks.
The camp program will help you quickly and confidently progress in learning English.
- 30 lessons in 2 weeks
- Learning all the main aspects of the language: reading, speaking and writing, listening, vocabulary (vocabulary), grammar
- Public speaking and debate skills
- Small classes up to 10 people.
Classes are held from 9:00 to 12:30 hours 5 days a week, followed by an hour break for lunch, and after that students go to additional classes according to the selected options (13:30-17:00).
Available options:
Lake & Mountain Camp
For true adventure lovers! Classes are mainly held on the shores of Lake Geneva and include:
- Wakeboard
- Rock climbing
- Mountain Bike
- Swimming
- Sailing and canoeing
- Tubing
- Hiking with overnight stays in tents, in the evenings by the fire
- Zip trails and rope parks
- Kayaking
- Rafting.
Tennis Camp
For all lovers of this sport, Tennis Camp offers balanced training programs: professional teachers will help create a course for a child with any level of training. The Sport Spirit team, which has already brought up 7 national champions, helps in the organization. All coaches are ATP/WTA players certified by Swiss Tennis and Youth & Sport. Every evening there are 3 hours of classes:
- Video Analytics
- Tactics at matches and games
- Development of key skills
- The final tournament with prizes.
The price already includes:
- 30 lessons – Language or Steam Science
- Medical Insurance
- Certificate of Completion + Achievement Report
- 30+ lessons in the chosen direction (after the main course)
- Weekend excursions: White Water rafting, hiking in canyons, hiking, cultural and educational tours.
- Minimum 1 full-day excursion (usually on Wednesdays): Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Swiss chocolate or cheese factory, Charlie Chaplin Museum, CERN, Maladaire beach, Jardin d'Anglais, local farms, walks on Lake Geneva.
- Accommodation (rooms for 1-2 people) and meals (three times a day + snacks + kitchen with cooking options, you can organize a dietary diet).
- Laundry service (once a week).
- Nightly entertainment program: cinema evenings, team games and competitions, sports, art and creativity, themed holidays, board games, costume parties, crafts, etc.
To be paid separately:
- Transfer to/from Geneva Airport
- Individual lessons: languages, mathematics, tennis, wakeboard.
Summer Language Camp – French
- Duration: 1-2 weeks
- Dates: July 3-16, July 17-30, July 31-August 6
- Age of pupils: 8-18 years (two age groups: 8-13 years and 14-18 years).
- Price: 2875 CHF/week, 5750 CHF/2 weeks.
The program is aimed at rapidly improving the level of the French language. With children in small classes (up to 10 people) work professional teachers-native speakers who have experience in teaching foreign students. Comprehensively develop all the basic language skills - reading, oral and written speech, listening comprehension, improves grammar, expands vocabulary.
Classes are held from 9:00 to 12:30 hours 5 days a week, followed by an hour break for lunch, and after that students go to additional classes according to the selected options (13:30-17:00).
Available options in the afternoon:
- Lake & Mountain Camp
- Tennis Camp.
The price already includes:
- 30 lessons – Language or Steam Science
- Medical Insurance
- Certificate of Completion + Achievement Report
- 30+ lessons in the chosen direction (after the main course)
- Weekend excursions: White Water rafting, hiking in canyons, hiking, cultural and educational tours.
- Minimum 1 full-day excursion (usually on Wednesdays): Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Swiss chocolate or cheese factory, Charlie Chaplin Museum, CERN, Maladaire beach, Jardin d'Anglais, local farms, walks on Lake Geneva.
- Accommodation (rooms for 1-2 people) and meals (three times a day + snacks + kitchen with cooking options, you can organize a dietary diet).
- Laundry service (once a week).
- Nightly entertainment program: cinema evenings, team games and competitions, sports, art and creativity, themed holidays, board games, costume parties, crafts, etc.
To be paid separately:
- Transfer to/from Geneva Airport
- Individual lessons: languages, mathematics, tennis, wakeboard.
STEAM Summer Camp
- Duration: 2 weeks
- Dates: July 3-16, July 17-30.
- Age of pupils: 8-18 years (two age groups: 8-13 years and 14-18 years).
The program is for enthusiastic, curious students who want to know more! This course, which includes 30 lessons in modern classrooms and laboratories, will help to learn how the world works and how its main processes proceed. Groups are formed small, from children of similar ages and levels of knowledge, so that it is more comfortable and easier to study.
What is included in the course program:
- 3D printing
- Design (the guys will create their own copy of the Da Vinci Bridge without a single nail and fastening)
- Programming
- Robotics
- Creation of a solar-powered boat and sailing on it on Lake Geneva
- Rapid prototyping.
Classes are held from 9:00 to 12:30 hours 5 days a week, followed by an hour break for lunch, and after that students go to additional classes according to the selected options (13:30-17:00).
Available options in the afternoon:
- Lake & Mountain Camp
- Tennis Camp.
The price already includes:
- 30 lessons – Language or Steam Science
- Medical Insurance
- Certificate of Completion + Achievement Report
- 30+ lessons in the chosen direction (after the main course)
- Weekend excursions: White Water rafting, hiking in canyons, hiking, cultural and educational tours.
- Minimum 1 full-day excursion (usually on Wednesdays): Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Swiss chocolate or cheese factory, Charlie Chaplin Museum, CERN, Maladaire beach, Jardin d'Anglais, local farms, walks on Lake Geneva.
- Accommodation (rooms for 1-2 people) and meals (three times a day + snacks + kitchen with cooking options, you can organize a dietary diet).
- Laundry service (once a week).
- Nightly entertainment program: cinema evenings, team games and competitions, sports, art and creativity, themed holidays, board games, costume parties, crafts, etc.
To be paid separately:
- Transfer to/from Geneva Airport
- Individual lessons: languages, mathematics, tennis, wakeboard.
Performing Arts Camp
- Duration: 2 weeks
- Dates: July 3-16.
- Age of pupils: 8-18 years (two age groups: 8-13 years and 14-18 years).
A change for those who want to maximize their own talents and creative capabilities! The program develops creative and critical thinking, self-confidence, communication skills.
What is included in the course?
- Working with body and voice
- Development of imagination, trainings for the development of confidence
- Team building, group tasks and tasks
- Interaction with other participants in the game
- Useful techniques for the development of creativity, work on the stage
- Principles of storytelling
- Emotional involvement, development of empathy.
Classes are held from 9:00 to 12:30 hours 5 days a week, followed by an hour break for lunch, and after that students go to additional classes according to the selected options (13:30-17:00).
Available options in the afternoon:
- Lake & Mountain Camp
- Tennis Camp.
The price already includes:
- 30 lessons – Language or Steam Science
- Medical Insurance
- Certificate of Completion + Achievement Report
- 30+ lessons in the chosen direction (after the main course)
- Weekend excursions: White Water rafting, hiking in canyons, hiking, cultural and educational tours.
- Minimum 1 full-day excursion (usually on Wednesdays): Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Swiss chocolate or cheese factory, Charlie Chaplin Museum, CERN, Maladaire beach, Jardin d'Anglais, local farms, walks on Lake Geneva.
- Accommodation (rooms for 1-2 people) and meals (three times a day + snacks + kitchen with cooking options, you can organize a dietary diet).
- Laundry service (once a week).
- Nightly entertainment program: cinema evenings, team games and competitions, sports, art and creativity, themed holidays, board games, costume parties, crafts, etc.
To be paid separately:
- Transfer to/from Geneva Airport
- Individual lessons: languages, mathematics, tennis, wakeboard.
Computer Camp
- Duration: 2 weeks
- Dates: July 3-16, July 17-30.
- Age of pupils: 8-18 years (two age groups: 8-13 years and 14-18 years).
The new format of the camp in St Georges, which instantly became very popular among foreigners. The program will allow you to develop ICT skills and give an incentive to develop them after the summer shift. Students will develop creativity and at the same time organization, discipline, critical thinking and leadership skills.
The course has been working in collaboration with Addictlab Academy, which has been developing computer literacy for children and adolescents around the world since 1997. There is an opportunity to work with real scientists, researchers from CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research).
The program includes:
- Coding (Python, Scratch, Java) – different levels are available depending on the training of students
- Work in Minecraft
- Digital Art
- Creation of games and game characters, scenarios
- Robotics: Microbit, Thymio, Sphero Lego and other systems
- Data analytics
- Digital media: web page creation, photo editing, graphic editors.
Classes are held from 9:00 to 12:30 hours 5 days a week, followed by an hour break for lunch, and after that students go to additional classes according to the selected options (13:30-17:00).
Available options in the afternoon:
- Lake & Mountain Camp
- Tennis Camp.
The price already includes:
- 30 lessons – Language or Steam Science
- Medical Insurance
- Certificate of Completion + Achievement Report
- 30+ lessons in the chosen direction (after the main course)
- Weekend excursions: White Water rafting, hiking in canyons, hiking, cultural and educational tours.
- Minimum 1 full-day excursion (usually on Wednesdays): Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Swiss chocolate or cheese factory, Charlie Chaplin Museum, CERN, Maladaire beach, Jardin d'Anglais, local farms, walks on Lake Geneva.
- Accommodation (rooms for 1-2 people) and meals (three times a day + snacks + kitchen with cooking options, you can organize a dietary diet).
- Laundry service (once a week).
- Nightly entertainment program: cinema evenings, team games and competitions, sports, art and creativity, themed holidays, board games, costume parties, crafts, etc.
To be paid separately:
- Transfer to/from Geneva Airport
- Individual lessons: languages, mathematics, tennis, wakeboard.
Early Learning (Kindergarden)
- Age - from one and a half to three years,
- The term of study is one and a half years,
- The languages are English and French.
The kindergarten program focuses on the care and step-by-step, careful development of children from 18 months to 3 years. Young students can stay on campus for a comfortable time for them:
- 8:00-12:00,
- 8:00-14:00,
- 8:00-18:00,
- 13:45-18:00,
- 8:00-18:00.
The price of training and the number of lessons that will be attended by the student depend on the chosen time period.
In the classroom, teachers pay special attention to the comprehensive development of pupils, offering various topics for discussion and research, creative and sports activities, tasks for needlework and technical skills. The main method of teaching is communication both between teacher and student, and within a small class. Children smoothly adapt and prepare for the transition to the first grade of school.
Winter Camp
- Age - from 10 to 17 years,
- Dates — February,
- The duration of training is one week,
- The languages are English and French.
St. George's Winter Camp is a ski camp organized in Leysin.
The sports program is suitable for both already skilled skiers and those who have just started to get involved in winter active sports. In addition to skiing, students are offered ice skating and sledding, recreation in the mountains and excursions to nearby mountain resorts.
The week offers exciting activities: skiing every day, excursions, evening activities on campus.
Children are accommodated in a comfortable hotel in the center of Leysen, provided with three meals a day and the care of the staff. All sports activities are conducted under the guidance of top-level instructors.
Accommodation, meals, prices
Students are accommodated in the Boarding House which is located in the main building of the school. There are single, double and triple rooms with shared/private bathrooms. The campus is safe and alarmed in the evening. The Boarding houseparents also live in the Boarding House to provide 24/7 care.
Students eat in the dining room. Full board in boarding schools in Switzerland includes three main meals a day (including vegetarian and diet) and different snacks throughout the day.
We also have a brand new common room renovated in September which our boarders can use to relax, prepare some snacks, meet their friends and houseparents for meetings or boardgames.
Subjects and sports
Activities St. George's International School, Switzerland
At St. George’s we focus on all facets of the students’ development. A wide range of exciting extra-curricular clubs and activities are on offer art, music, dance, drama, science, maths, sport, humanities, languages, IT - which nurture the students’ interests and support lifelong learning.
Each term there are more than 60 activities on offer: https://www.stgeorges.ch/school-life/clubs-activit...
Advantages
- Founded in 1927 - 94 years of heritage
- Mixed community of Day and Boarding students
- From 18 months to 18 years old (Boarding from 11 years old)
- Over 60 different nationalities
- Safe & secure location
- International & welcoming Boarding community (80-100 students)
- BSA member (British Boarding School’s Association)
- Part of global Inspired Education Group, providing access to international best practices and world-class educational experts
Facilities and equipment at St. George's International School, Switzerland
The school is very well equipped with technical teaching aids. The building has a library, scientific laboratories, equipped music and dance classes, art studio. The sports infrastructure of the educational institution is represented by a large complex with playgrounds for team games, tennis courts, an AstroTurf football pitch, basketball courts, indoor multiuse sports hall, fitness centre. There is also a public Olympic-size indoor swimming pool just 5min walk from the school.
Admission dates and extra charges
Additional fees:
- Admission fee;
- Public exams, e.g. IGCSE, IB;
- Medical insurance;
- "Pocket" money;
- Extra language support programme;
- SEN;
- Boarding deposit;
- Private lessons;
- Single room.
Extras:
- Application Fee 5000 CHF
- Medical insurance 2700 CHF
- Deposit for a course/programme 4000 CHF
- Pocket money 1750 CHF
- Registration fee (for a programme/course) 500 CHF
- Uniform 280 CHF
- Curator support 33100 CHF
Enrolment process
The admission procedure consists of several stages:
- Filling out an online form and submitting it, creating an account online,
- Receiving an invitation to visit campus to meet with staff and admissions officers. A conversation with them can also be organized in an online format,
- Submission of an official application and required documents,
- Receiving an invitation to the entrance test in English and Cognitive Abilities (CAT) in an online format,
- Receipt of a letter of acceptance, consent to enrollment and an invoice for payment of entry fees.
Perspectives
According to statistics, about 37% of students achieve an average score, 43% - the highest, while 100% of the total number necessarily achieve a passing score in the selected universities.
93% of students receive an offer from the first university they choose, and one in three enrolls in the Russell Group or Ivy League university.
Some of the higher education institutions where graduates enroll:
- University of Cambridge,
- University of Oxford,
- University of Edinburgh,
- University College London,
- Stanford University,
- University of Southern California,
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
- University of Sydney, Australia,
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne.
Entry requirements, how to apply, what is required to enrol
For admission to St. George's International School, you must provide:
- Personal documents of the child and one of the parents: copies of passports, health insurance and immunization certificate, long-term visa or residence permit in Switzerland,
- Academic reports for the previous two school years, if the child has already been enrolled in school,
- Photos 3x4,
- A form of recommendation from a teacher of a previous institution.
Proficiency in English is important, but its level is checked at an interview during the enrollment process. Students who do not have sufficient skills are offered language support in the format of additional courses.
All documents must be translated into English and certified.
Applicants entering grades 6-13 take entrance tests on campus or online.
Scholarships St. George's International School, Switzerland
Available upon request.
Merits for
- Academics
- Sport
- Performing Arts (Dance, Drama, Arts)
- All-round performance
Literature and references
- St George's School in Switzerland — Wiki
- St George’s - The British International School: Beyond education — I am Expat
- Top Montreux School with IB Diploma - St. Georges's International School
- St. George's International School Switzerland
- St. George's International School Switzerland Lausanne — International School Advisor
- Elite Education: 12 of the World’s Most Expensive Boarding Schools
Institution on the map
Residence permits, citizenship and other services
- Guardianship services during the studies
- Student supervision
Review about St. George's International School, Switzerland
Recommendations on when to apply
| Language courses, schools and children's language camps | Primary and secondary education - private schools | Preparation programmes for entering universities - higher education | Higher education (after completing accredited programs A-level, IB, High School) - Bachelor, Master, MBA |
| - we recommend to apply 6-9 months before the start of the course (some camps and schools offer discounts for early booking or for lengthy study programs) - there are some very popular and high demand children's camps, where the applications need to be submitted 1 year in advance (in particular Switzerland , Great Britain , USA , Canada , Austria) | - we recommend to apply one year before the start of the training program, - some schools have a specific time frame (September-November - please specify an individual school) - some schools require tests in several stages (UKISET, internal tests of the school: English, mathematics, logics, subjects, interview, some require a personal visit) | - we recommend to apply one year before the start of the program, - for Foundation and Pathway programs, IELTS and TOEFL certificates are usually required, respectively | - recommended submission one year before the start of the program, - the deadline normally closes in January, for TOP HEIs and, as a rule, in March in other universities - for a bachelor, a Foundation or Pathway preparatory program a completed A-level, IB, High School + IELTS / TOEFL are required - for Masters you need a graduated higher education, in some cases you need a pre-Masters program - MBA requires completed higher education, work experience preferably at least 2-3 years, etc. |
