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Our View
This outdoorsy all-through school in the heart of rural Switzerland offers a finely honed, holistic education to around 1200 pupils, who span some 65 nationalities. Founded in 1961, it is an IB World School, offering the Primary Years, Middle Years and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programmes, as well as Advanced Placement® and BTEC options. IB and AP results are consistently well above the global averages and ISZL is a top choice for expat families. Outdoor learning is an integral part of the curriculum for all ages – the school even has its very own purpose-built chalet in the Swiss Alps where pupils go to ski, hike and explore.
Where?
The school spans two sites 17km apart, and the Zug Campus for Early Years, Primary and Middle School sits on the outskirts of Baar, an idyllic rural setting surrounded by fields and forests. The main building, Wettinger House, dates back to the 17th century and around it are slick, contemporary buildings housing science labs, a gallery, a theatre and two indoor sports halls. Outside there are two playgrounds and an all-weather sports field.
Chalet Bergheim, the school’s outdoor education centre, is located in the mountain village of Wengen, which is around 100km away, and is used by the whole school for class trips, winter sports and outdoor learning.
Pupils are served by 35 dedicated school buses that cover a huge area with 20 routes and 200 stops. Parents can follow the buses’ locations via an app.
Head
The approachable and hugely experienced director Barry Dequanne oversees the whole school. Originally from Canada, he has worked in schools in Brasilia, Buenos Aires and Swaziland (among other international locations), and he’s also president of the board of directors of the Association of American Schools in South America. At his right hand as deputy director is Maria Voutos, also from Canada, who joined in 2023 from Atlanta International School where she led the IB Primary Years Programme.
The passionate and super-experienced Angela Steinmann leads the primary school with ever-enquiring curiosity, continually exploring the latest neurological research on learning and weighing up educational research and early-years teaching models. She has 21 years of international experience, with senior-leadership posts in Munich, Istanbul and Beijing.
Admissions
Pupil intake is fairly fluid, so children can join and leave at any point. Some year groups are oversubscribed, but interested parents should get in touch and arrange an individual tour if they’re moving to the area.
Academics and destinations
The pupil-led curriculum is based on the IB Primary Years Programme, which builds on children’s natural curiosity about the world. With pupils often arriving at different stages, there’s a lot of focus on what level of development each child is at and ensuring a robust set of developmentally appropriate skills and concepts. German is taught from the Early Years by specialist teachers, with midday meals, forest trips and outdoor activities conducted in the language as much as possible, and more structured German-language lessons as pupils rise through the school. Art, music, PE and swimming are also taught by specialist teachers, and outdoor learning happens daily up to Grade 1, with all-in-one suits at the ready if it’s raining or snowing. Grades 1 to 5 also have lots of field trips, including visits to local forests and nature reserves.
We love the sound of Personal Development Week, an integral part of the curriculum at ISZL from Grade 3 upwards. At primary level, pupils in Grades 3 to 5 head off on an annual residential trip where they have the opportunity to interact with and learn about the local culture and environment, before bringing their newfound knowledge and experiences back into the classroom.
Co-curricular
Sport is a big part of school life. In autumn, pupils take part in football, cross-country and rugby. Winter sees them playing badminton and basketball, as well as having swimming and skiing lessons. Track and field, volleyball and softball are the main sports during the spring and summer. There are regular fixtures against other international and Swiss schools.
All pupils regularly visit Chalet Bergheim for field trips, and after-school clubs are plentiful and wide-ranging – everything from theatre production, bouldering and skiing to chess, stop-motion animation and Leadership & Action Club.
School community
Homeroom teachers are the first port of call for any pastoral concerns that pupils or parents may have. There is also an on-site counselling team with expertise in social and emotional issues, which offers individual, group and family support to the whole ISZL community. A team of qualified nurses are on campus full-time. Learning support is comprehensive, with SEND teachers working alongside classroom teachers to support pupils in situ. In the early years, pupils are given individual support outside of class. There are three phases of EAL support, foundational, intermediate and advanced, with pupils moving through them until they are ready to learn alongside their peers.
There’s a large international community at ISZL, with many families relocating to and from the area all the time. The school is well liked by expats, who are made to feel very welcome with lots of social activities laid on, from coffee catch-ups to skiing and hiking get-togethers.
And finally....
From its idyllic setting to its on-point academics and superlative outward-bound learning programme, ISZL offers a fantastic education to its international pupil body.