St. George's International School, Switzerland is a private, co-educational international school for boarding and day students aged 3 to 18. Its main campus is located in Clarens, Vaud, at the foot of the Alps and on the shores of Lake Geneva, approximately halfway between Vevey and Montreux. Founded in 1927 as a traditionally British school, St. George's has evolved to become distinctly international, offering International General Certificate of Secondary Education and International Baccalaureate curricula in both French and English. The student body consists of more than 400 pupils, representing over 50 nationalities. The boarding section is available to students over the age of 9, and currently comprises about 70 students.
Situated in a 45,000 square metre campus overlooking Lake Geneva/Lac Léman and the Chablais Alps, the school's main building complex houses administrative offices, an assembly hall/theatre, a library, the boarding section, and purpose-built rooms for art, 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 located on campus. Sports facilities include a large multi-purpose sports hall, seven outdoor tennis courts, basketball courts, and playing fields.
Senior School
The Senior School classes for students in years 6-13 are housed in the main building. Facilities include science laboratories, library/media centre, computer centres, art rooms, music rooms and an assembly hall/theatre. Students in years 6-9 follow a programme where emphasis is placed on acquiring good study habits and skills in the full range of subjects. Students in years 10 and 11 prepare for the . The syllabi and examinations are set and administered by the University of Cambridge International Examinations. Students in years 12-13 prepare for the , IB Certificates or the High School Diploma Programme. The IBDP is a two-year course of study for students aged 16 – 19. Administered by the it is recognised internationally as a qualification for university entrance. The HSDP is also a two-year course. It is an accredited qualification giving students Credits which allow students to begin foundation courses in the United Kingdom or attend colleges in North America. The Pre-IB 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.
Boarding
During the year girls and boys from the age of 9 are accepted as boarders on a full-boarding or weekly-boarding basis. Students up to the age of 14 are housed in our off-site boarding house, “Les Sapins”. From the age of 14, students are housed in the main buildings. Houseparents live with the boarders providing full supervision.
Extracurricular activities
After-school clubs in the Senior School provide an opportunity for students to participate in team sports, music, recording studio, movie editing or pursue other interests such as debating, rock climbing, combat sports and dance.
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House and Tutor System
There are four Houses in St. George’s School which are named after four figures from Greek and Roman mythology: Atalanta, Diana, Minerva and Vesta. The senior students in each House are given the opportunity to organise and lead the House. Two House Captains are supported by two Sports Captains. All of the students in year 12 are encouraged to take a part in the organisation of the House Play.
Curriculum
In the Junior Department and in the younger years of the Senior School the timetable is based upon the British National Curriculum. The school enters students for the International Baccalaureate, the Cambridge International Examinations International General Certificate of Secondary Education, College Board tests, Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music exams and Diplôme d'études en langue française, among others. Class sizes vary from 2 to 19 students in the secondary school, with the average being about 10. In September 2006, the school adopted the International Baccalaureate Diploma for the last two years of secondary school. Currently offered: Higher and Standard Levels in English and French A1, English B, French B, German B, Mathematics, Economics, Geography, History, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Systems and Societies, Visual Arts, and at Standard Level only, Mother tongue A1 and French ab initio. St George's also provides a High School Diploma Programme for students aiming primarily for education in US Colleges and not wishing to take the International Baccalaureate. St. George's continues to offer the British IGCSE programme, through Cambridge International Examinations, usually taken in late spring of Year 11.
