I've had look through this forum and couldn't find a thread on International Schools.

We are relocating in April and have decided to send our 5 year old to an International school, what are your thoughts on ISOCS, ZIS, ISZL?

Have you had an experiance of any of these schools?

Many Thanks

I think that you should visit the schools and and see how you feel. We did and had a strong preference. Some of these schools have waiting lists. I think you need to check them out more, and maybe think about alternatives.

There is 59 separate threads on International Schools, if you put that into the search window on the right hand upper corner. Loads of info.

I have had experience with 2 of these international schools and I would recommend ZIS, my children are very happy there. Of course as a result of the school being very popular it is over subscribed, but I know they give new families priority so worth a try if you are interested. Good Luck!

First: call admission officer and ask about waiting list.
Then: subsequently, you'll know now many school are waiting for you, and how many you are waiting for.
Hence: If all on waiting list, you'll know that your actual concern should be local school. Otherwise, it's just a financial issue when an international school have a place for your child.

ISOCS - is very new and the classes are very small. Also Jax is the owner, principal and a teacher there... ISZL - kids were there for 7 years - I would rather try ZIS tbh... Four Forest is opening or has opened a new school in Cham/Hünenberg - it is a bilingual school and have a very good reputation. In Baar is Stepping Stones - great school - pre-school to Kindergarten. Good luck with your search, pm me if you have any questions

A search is worth a thousand looks.. (or in this case, about 80 threads)

http://www.englishforum.ch/search2.p...ational+school

Hi everyone,

I know this topic has been discussed in the past but I'm wondering if those of you with their children in the international schools could discuss there experience its such a big and expensive decision to make so I would appreciate your experience my kids are all under 7.

I've read the curriculum on both the ZIS and ICS and I see that they're not bilingual schools but teach German as a forigen language, is it working are your kids learning enough german to integrate. Are there any other international schools in Zurich worth looking at?

I appreciate any input you might have.
Thanks
Gianna

Ours get German and French ( the latter from grade 5 I believe) as second and third language. That in combination with the German they speak when out and about it is enough. They won't be fluent but as English is not their mother tongue it is enough for me. They attend the ISSH and sofar we are satisfied. There will always be things we don't like but we had that with every school they attended.

Your child's German is hardly likely to be as good as that of a child who is taught exclusively in German. Timetables and holidays for the International Schools are different from those of the Swiss schools so even Sports' Clubs etc. are not as useful for integration as they would be for a foreign child attending a Swiss school.

This is one point which is sometimes missed. What do the youngsters do if they do not go to University after completing 'Senior School'?

Do a search for other similar threads - they should be shown at the bottom of the page below this post.

If you want integration, send them to Swiss school.

It all depends on how long you're staying here and how much integration you want. My kids are happy enough with just socializing with their friends from school. All from different countries but one thing in common, they all speak English. We know we won't be here longer then 5 years.

Maybe those who work in CH for a year or so have some advantages in sending their children to private schools .... I thought that maybe when the kids want to go back to the States or to UK they have to show that they fullfilled a somehow anglosaxon education path ... who knows ...

But consider that unless the sponsor of the school is not EU (école européenne/scuola europea/europäische Schule, btw don't know if they exist in CH),

private or so-called "international" schools are not better than any public school in any continental European country.

They don't enhance career (maybe if we talk global players it might change a little), they are generally considered as to be kind of semi-illegal, odd, alien, sh**ty and expensive.

Why would anybody send his own children there, if they don't even teach the local main languages sufficiently?

Reason 1 (in our case): Kids already fluent in English (besides their mother tongue Dutch)

Reason 2: Here for max 5 years, after that who knows

Reason 3: Company pays for the school

We do and that was our policy but then we realised that with my husbands work it's not working. We've been to 3 main cities already and we've always gone to public schools. The kids already speak 3 languages non very well! we've realised that although we think this move is the last in our case there are no guarantees and we've decided to go international school. English will be their reference language and everything else they get would be a plus.

So we're trying to evaluate the international schools

So it's about time to learn an important language, to begin with?

Btw: If their mother tongue is Dutch, Swiss German won't be any problem.

SwissAstrid, which school do your kids go to? are they happy there? are you happy with the school?
Thanks

I am not getting dragged into the International-Local school debate, picking a school for your kids is personal. I have nothing against local schools and totally agree that if you are settling down in Switzerland for a long - or life time it is the best option. As we are not we decided to go the International route.

www.issh.ch , International school of Schaffhausen. 3 of the 4 are going, 4th will follow in August. We like it, the kids are happy and doing well.

The debate is not between international and local, but between private and official instead.

Difficult to find work in CH, Germany, France, Italy e.g. with their diplomas.


Of course it is.


But I agree with you on that most important point.