St. George's International School, Switzerland (commonly referred to as St. George's) is a private, co-educational

international school An international school is an institution that promotes education in an international environment or framework. Although there is no uniform definition or criteria, international schools are usually characterized by a multinational student body a ...

for boarding and day students aged 18 months to 18 years old. Its main campus is located in

Montreux Montreux (, , ; frp, Montrolx) is a Swiss municipality and town on the shoreline of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps. It belongs to the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, and has a population of approximat ...

Vaud Vaud ( ; french: (Canton de) Vaud, ; german: (Kanton) Waadt, or ), more formally the canton of Vaud, is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of ten districts and its capital city is Lausanne. Its coat of arms b ...

, at the foot of the

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...

and on the shores of

Lake Léman , image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg , caption = Satellite image , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = Switzerland, France , coords = , lake_type = Glacial la ...

, approximately halfway between

Vevey Vevey (; frp, Vevê; german: label=former German, Vivis) is a town in Switzerland in the canton of Vaud, on the north shore of Lake Geneva, near Lausanne. The German name Vivis is no longer commonly used. It was the seat of the district of ...

and the center of the city of

Curriculum

The Early Learning School accepts children 18 months to 3 years old, following the

Reggio Emilia Reggio nell'Emilia ( egl, Rèz; la, Regium Lepidi), usually referred to as Reggio Emilia, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, and known until 1861 as Reggio di Lombardia, is a city in northern Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region. It has abou ...

philosophy in a bilingual French/ English environment. In the Junior School, children aged 3-10 years old access a dual French/English language curriculum. The Middle School follows the Cambridge International curriculum and Perspective Globales programme in French which lead to the Senior School programmes. The Senior School includes the four final years of secondary education. Students in years 10 and 11 prepare for the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE). The syllabi and examinations are set and administered by the University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE). The Pre-Diploma Programme is a one-year course that has been designed for students aged 15–16, entering the school in Year 11, who want to build a foundation before embarking on the two-year IB Diploma programme. Students in years 12-13 prepare for the

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in 140 countries around the world. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into ...

(IBDP), IB Certificates or the General Diploma Programme. The IBDP is a two-year course of study for students aged 16 – 19. Administered by the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) it is recognised internationally as a qualification for university entrance. The General Diploma Programme is also a two-year course. It is an accredited qualification giving students credits which allow them to begin foundation courses in the United Kingdom or attend colleges in North America.

History

In 1927, Lorna Southwell decided that a school for girls should be founded in Switzerland. The school opened its doors with Osyth Potts as the first principal. The first Junior girls were welcomed in 1984 and in 1993, boys were allowed to enrol as day and boarding students. Founded as a traditionally British school, St. George's has evolved to become international, offering

International General Certificate of Secondary Education The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) is an English language based examination similar to GCSE and is recognised in the United Kingdom as being equivalent to the GCSE for the purposes of recognising prior attainm ...

and

International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate (IB), formerly known as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB Dip ...

curricula in both French and English. The student body consists of more than 400 pupils, representing over 60 nationalities. The boarding section is available to students over the age of 11, with a capacity of 100 students. St. George’s School became a member of the

Inspired Education Group Inspired Education Group is a co-educational, non-denominational, international provider of private schools. It was founded in 2013 by Lebanese-British businessman Nadim Nsouli and is headquartered in London. It provides education for children ...

in 2015.

Accreditation

International The school is accredited by: *

Cambridge Assessment International Education Cambridge Assessment International Education (informally known as Cambridge International or simply Cambridge and formerly known as CIE, Cambridge International Examinations) is a provider of international qualifications, offering examinations ...

Council of International Schools (CIS)
* International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) Switzerland SGIS's (upper) secondary education (''Middle and High School'') is not approved as a Mittelschule/Collège/Liceo by the

Swiss Federal State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI within the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research EAER is the federal government's specialised agency for national and international matters concerning ed ...

(SERI).

Campus and facilities

Situated in a 45,000 square metre campus overlooking Lake Geneva/Lac Léman and the

Chablais Alps The Chablais Alps are a mountain range in the western Alps. They are situated between Lake Geneva and the Mont Blanc Massif. The Col des Montets separates them from the Mont Blanc Massif in the south, and the Rhône valley separates them from the ...

, the school's main building complex houses administrative offices, an assembly hall/theatre, a library, the boarding section, and purpose-built rooms for art, dance studio, music and information technology as well as general-purpose classrooms. An extension to the main building houses classrooms, laboratories for practical work in biology, physics and chemistry as well as a kitchen and dining room. The Senior School is based in the main building, while the Junior School uses both the main complex and a restored Swiss

Chalet A chalet (pronounced in British English; in American English usually ), also called Swiss chalet, is a type of building or house, typical of the Alpine region in Europe. It is made of wood, with a heavy, gently sloping roof and wide, well-suppo ...

located on campus. Sports facilities include a large multi-purpose sports hall, seven outdoor tennis courts, basketball courts, and playing fields.

Gallery

File:LornaSouthwell.jpg, Lorna Southwell (1889-1972), Founder File:Osyth potts.jpg, Osyth Potts (1893-1979), Founder File:Chalet - Junior School.png, Chalet - Lower Junior School File:School Campus.JPG, St. George's School Campus

Notable alumni

Angie Bowie Angela Bowie (born Mary Angela Barnett; September 25, 1949) is an American model, actress, and journalist. Alongside her ex-husband David Bowie, she influenced the glam rock culture and fashion of the 1970s. She was married to Bowie (whom she a ...

, first wife of David Bowie *

Glenn Close Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress. Throughout her career spanning over four decades, Close has garnered numerous accolades, including two Screen Actors Guild Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards ...

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

actress *

Jill Hyem Jill Hyem (8 January 1937 – 5 June 2015) was a British actor, and radio and television writer. Early life and acting career Jill Hyem was born in 1937 in Putney, London, England, to Hilda (''née'' Gladwell) and Rex, a solicitor, and was raised ...

, radio / television writer and former actress *

Christina Onassis Christina Onassis ( el, Χριστίνα Ωνάση; 11 December 1950 – 19 November 1988) was a Greek businesswoman, socialite, and heiress to the Onassis fortune. She was the only daughter of Aristotle Onassis and Athina Mary Livanos. ...

, businesswoman, socialite, and heiress to the Onassis fortune * Isabel Noboa Ecuadorian heiress

External links

St George's School website

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint George's School In Switzerland Boarding schools in Switzerland British international schools in Switzerland Educational institutions established in 1927 International schools in Switzerland Cambridge schools in Switzerland International Baccalaureate schools in Switzerland 1927 establishments in Switzerland