Zurich International School

Zurich International School
Zurich International School
	Zurich International School logo
Address
	Steinacherstrasse 140, CH-8820 Wädenswil; Switzerland
Information
Type	Non-profit day school
Motto	Learn, Care, Challenge, Lead
Established	1963
Director	Elsa Hernández-Donohue
Age	3 years to 18 years
Enrollment	1300
Education system	IB Diploma Programme , IB World School, College Board Advanced Placement Courses, Swiss Lehrplan 21
Campus	Wädenswil (Early Childhood & Lower School), Adliswil (Middle & Upper School)
Athletics	See text
Mascot	Lion
Accreditation	Council of International Schools, New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Affiliation	Swiss Group of International Schools, Council of International Schools, Council for Advancement and Support of Education, European Council of International Schools, New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Website	www.zis.ch

Zurich International School (ZIS) is an independent non-profit day school in Switzerland for students aged 3 to 18 in the greater Zurich area. Over 1,300 students from more than 50 countries are enrolled in the school. The school has two campuses: a Primary campus in Wädenswil for Early Childhood and Lower School students aged 3 to 11 and a Secondary Campus in Adliswil for Middle School students aged 11 to 14 and Upper School students aged 14 to 18.

As of 2011^[update] it is the largest international school in the Zurich area.^[1]

History

American International School of Zurich

The American International School of Zurich (AISZ) was founded in 1963 in a Swiss villa (built in 1914) in Kilchberg. The building was renovated and expanded in 1993/4. In 2008 this became the ZIS Middle School for students aged 11 to 14.

International Primary School of Zurich

The English Language Kindergarten (ELK), later renamed the International Primary School of Zurich (IPSZ), opened in 1970 in Horgen and in 1979 moved to the current Early Childhood Center. This villa, which was built in 1906 on the shore of Lake Zurich in Kilchberg, was attended by children aged three to four until June 2019.

Merger and post-merger

The Pre-School to Grade 12 Zurich International School was formed in 2001 through the merger of the American International School of Zurich and the International Primary School of Zurich.

The purpose-built Lower School opened in Wädenswil in 2002 and was attended by students aged four to 11 until June 2019. In July 2019 the Early Childhood Center was moved to the Lower School and now children from the age of three to 11 attend the campus.

In 2008 a new Upper School opened in Adliswil and is attended by students aged 14 to 18.

A fifth campus, ZIS Baden, opened in 2008 in the city center. Initially this was for children aged three to 11, but in 2010 expanded to include a Middle School for students aged 11 to 14. This campus closed in July 2015 due to low enrollment.

In August 2022, a new Middle School, connected to the upper school in Adliswil opened to form the Secondary Campus. ^[2]^[3]

Accreditation

By Swiss authorities

ZIS's Kindergarten and primary education programs (Lower School) are approved by the bureau for elementary school (Volksschulamt), administration for education (Bildungsdirektion), canton of Zurich.^[4]

In August 2021 ZIS launched a bilingual program which is based on the curriculum of the Canton of Zurich and approved by it.^[4] It is for students aged 3 - 10 and will grow over the coming years up to Grade 9.

ZIS's lower secondary education (Middle school) is approved as Sekundarstufe by the bureau for elementary school (Volksschulamt), administration for education (Bildungsdirektion), canton of Zurich.^[4]

However ZIS's upper secondary education (Upper School) is not approved as a Mittelschule, neither by the bureau for gymnasial and vocational education (Mittelschul- und Berufsbildungsamt), administration of education (Bildungsdirektion), canton of Zurich, nor by the Swiss Federal State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).^[5]

By American and international authorities

ZIS is an International Baccalaureate (IB Organization World School)^[6] ZIS is accredited by both the Council of International Schools^[7] and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges^[8] The school offers both the International Baccalaureate Diploma and Advanced Placement courses.

Language program

The main instruction language is English. Students in Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 9 are required to learn German, unless they are in the English as an Additional Language (EAL) program. Students can choose to learn French and Spanish from Grade 6 (age 11) onwards.

A large number of students at ZIS arrive knowing little or no English. The EAL program includes small group lessons to help them improve their language skills.

Sports

All students from Pre-School to Grade 10 (aged three to 16) take physical education as part of their educational program. At the Early Childhood Center PE is combined with other activities. ZIS uses its own facilities as well as local sporting centers. From the Middle School onwards students have the opportunity to compete in a variety of sports, within school as well as against other international schools. Students compete in the SGIS (Swiss Group of International Schools), SCIS (Sports Council of International Schools), and ISST (International Schools Sports Tournaments). Sports include cross-country, volleyball, soccer, and rugby (boys), in the fall; alpine skiing, basketball, and swimming in the winter, and tennis, track and field, softball (girls), and golf in the spring.

Arts

All students in Pre-School to Grade 6 have compulsory music lessons. Students in Grade 3 learn the recorder, while Grades 4 and 5 can learn another instrument. In the Middle School there are choirs/band/orchestra. Students of all ages can take private music lessons on school premises with selected music teachers. There are choirs at the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools. There are regular concerts and recitals through the year for students of all ages. In the Middle and Upper Schools students can take drama as a class and also participate in the twice-yearly productions, such as ‘Grease’ and ‘Les Miserables’. At the Upper School students can direct and perform plays and shows as part of their studies. Art is part of the curriculum at the Early Childhood Center and Lower School, and an option for Middle and Upper School students. Notably, ZIS offers the opportunity for students to audition for the AMIS program, which hosts annual festivals for band, orchestra, jazz band and choir at different international schools.

References

^ "International schools see demand soar" (Archived 2016-12-21 at the Wayback Machine). The Local. September 2, 2011. Retrieved on April 16, 2016.
^ "New Middle School - ZIS | Zurich International School, Switzerland". Archived from the original on 2021-12-01. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
^ "The new campus - ZIS | Zurich International School, Switzerland". Archived from the original on 2021-12-01. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Aufsicht Privatschulen" (official site) (in German). Zurich, Switzerland: Volkschulamt, Bildungsdirektion, Kanton Zürich. 14 April 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-05-09. Retrieved 2015-05-06.
^ "Maturität - Maturité - Maturità" (official site) (in German, French, and Italian). Berne, Switzerland: Swiss Federal State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation, SERI. 1 March 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-04-07. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
^ "The Zurich International School". Washington DC, USA: International Baccalaureate Organization. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
^ "Council of International Schools". Leiden, The Netherlands: Council of International Schools. Archived from the original on 5 August 2017. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
^ "Zurich International School". Directory of Accredited Schools. Burlington, MA, USA: Commission on International Education (CIE), New England Association of Schools and Colleges. 2010. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2016.

External links

47°14′12″N 8°38′04″E / 47.236679°N 8.634468°E / 47.236679; 8.634468

[1] "International schools see demand soar" (Archived 2016-12-21 at the Wayback Machine). The Local. September 2, 2011. Retrieved on April 16, 2016.

[2] "New Middle School - ZIS | Zurich International School, Switzerland". Archived from the original on 2021-12-01. Retrieved 2021-12-01.

[3] "The new campus - ZIS | Zurich International School, Switzerland". Archived from the original on 2021-12-01. Retrieved 2021-12-01.

[AufsichtPrivat-4] "Aufsicht Privatschulen" (official site) (in German). Zurich, Switzerland: Volkschulamt, Bildungsdirektion, Kanton Zürich. 14 April 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-05-09. Retrieved 2015-05-06.

[5] "Maturität - Maturité - Maturità" (official site) (in German, French, and Italian). Berne, Switzerland: Swiss Federal State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation, SERI. 1 March 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-04-07. Retrieved 2018-04-22.

[6] "The Zurich International School". Washington DC, USA: International Baccalaureate Organization. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2016.

[7] "Council of International Schools". Leiden, The Netherlands: Council of International Schools. Archived from the original on 5 August 2017. Retrieved 14 July 2016.

[8] "Zurich International School". Directory of Accredited Schools. Burlington, MA, USA: Commission on International Education (CIE), New England Association of Schools and Colleges. 2010. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2016.

[notreg-9] Not approved, neither by the bureau for gymnasial and vocational education (Mittelschul- und Berufsbildungsamt), administration of education (Bildungsdirektion), canton of Zürich, nor by the Swiss Federal State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI)

[notregMSLBE-10] Not approved as Gymnasium (upper secondary education) by the bureau for gymnasial and vocational education MBA (Mittelschul- und Berufsbildungsamt MBA), administration for education (Erziehungsdirektion), canton of Berne

[SERI-11] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj ^ak ^al ^am ^an ^ao ^ap Not approved as Mittelschule/Collège/Liceo by the Swiss Federal State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI)

[notregBS-12] Not approved neither as Volksschule (Kindergarten, primary and lower secondary education), nor as Mittelschule by the administration of education (Erziehungsdirektion), canton of Basel-Stadt

[notregMSSG-13] Not approved as Mittelschule (upper secondary education) by the bureau for gymnasial education (Amt für Mittelschulen), department of education (Bildungsdepartement), canton of St. Gallen

[notregMSZG-14] Not approved as Sekundarstufe II (upper secondary education) by the bureau for gymnasial and pedagogic education (Amt für Mittelschulen und Pädagogische Hochschule), administration for education (Bildungsdirektion), canton of Zug

[notregMSZH-15] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Not approved as Mittelschule by the bureau for gymnasial and vocational education (Mittelschul- und Berufsbildungsamt), administration of education (Bildungsdirektion), canton of Zürich.

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v t e International schools in Switzerland
AG	SIS Swiss International School (Suhr) (Kindergarten only)
Bern	International School of Berne (Muri bei Bern-Gümligen)^{[note 1]}^{[note 2]} Institut Le Rosey (Schönried BE)^{[note 1]}^{[note 2]} John F. Kennedy International School (Saanen)^{[note 1]}^{[note 2]}
Basel-Stadt	International School Basel^{[note 3]}^{[note 2]} SIS Swiss International School (Basel)
Geneva	Deutsche Schule Genf (Vernier)^{[note 2]} Geneva English School (Genthod and Versoix)^{[note 2]} International School of Geneva^{[note 2]} Collège du Léman (Versoix)^{[note 2]}
GR	Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz
Neuchâtel	Neuchâtel Junior College^{[note 2]}
St. Gallen	Institut auf dem Rosenberg (St. Gallen)^{[note 4]}^{[note 2]}
Solothurn	SIS Swiss International School (Schönenwerd)^{[note 2]}
Schwyz	SIS Swiss International School (Pfäffikon SZ)
Ticino	Istituto Leonardo da Vinci (Lugano)^{[note 2]} Istituto Elvetico Salesiani Don Bosco (Lugano)^{[note 2]} The American School In Switzerland (Collina d'Oro-Montagnola)^{[note 2]}
Vaud	École française de Lausanne-Valmont^{[note 2]} Lycée Pareto (Lausanne)^{[note 2]} Brillantmont International School (Lausanne)^{[note 2]} Collège Champittet (Pully)^{[note 2]} Haut-Lac International Bilingual School^{[note 2]} International School of Lausanne (Le Mont-sur-Lausanne)^{[note 2]} Knightsbridge Schools International Switzerland SA (Morges)^{[note 2]} La Côte International School (Aubonne)^{[note 2]} Kumon Leysin Academy of Switzerland^{[note 2]} Leysin American School^{[note 2]} St George's School in Switzerland (Montreux)^{[note 2]} Surval Montreux^{[note 2]} Collège Champittet (Nyon)^{[note 2]} Institut Le Rosey (Rolle)^{[note 2]} Aiglon College (Villars-sur-Ollon)^{[note 2]} Collège Alpin International Beau Soleil (Villars-sur-Ollon)^{[note 2]}
Zug	Institut Montana Zugerberg (Zug) International School of Zug and Luzern (Baar, Hünenberg)^{[note 2]} International School of Central Switzerland (Cham)^{[note 5]}^{[note 2]} SIS Swiss International School (Rotkreuz)^{[note 2]}
Zürich	Lycée français Marie Curie de Zurich (Dübendorf)^{[note 6]}^{[note 2]} Liceo Vermigli (Zürich)^{[note 6]}^{[note 2]} International School Zurich North (Zürich)^{[note 6]}^{[note 2]} Japanese School in Zürich (Uster) Inter-Community School Zürich (Zumikon)^{[note 6]}^{[note 2]} SIS Swiss International School (Männedorf, Winterthur, Zürich-Wallisellen, Zürich-Wollishofen) Zurich International School (Adliswil, Wädenswil)^{[note 6]}^{[note 2]}
Former schools	International School Winterthur^{[note 6]}^{[note 2]} American International School of Zürich^{[note 2]} Gstaad International School^{[note 2]} Villa St. Jean International School^{[note 2]}
List by far not complete ^ ^a ^b ^c Not approved as Gymnasium (upper secondary education) by the bureau for gymnasial and vocational education MBA (Mittelschul- und Berufsbildungsamt MBA), administration for education (Erziehungsdirektion), canton of Berne ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj ^ak ^al ^am ^an ^ao ^ap Not approved as Mittelschule/Collège/Liceo by the Swiss Federal State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) ^ Not approved neither as Volksschule (Kindergarten, primary and lower secondary education), nor as Mittelschule by the administration of education (Erziehungsdirektion), canton of Basel-Stadt ^ Not approved as Mittelschule (upper secondary education) by the bureau for gymnasial education (Amt für Mittelschulen), department of education (Bildungsdepartement), canton of St. Gallen ^ Not approved as Sekundarstufe II (upper secondary education) by the bureau for gymnasial and pedagogic education (Amt für Mittelschulen und Pädagogische Hochschule), administration for education (Bildungsdirektion), canton of Zug ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Not approved as Mittelschule by the bureau for gymnasial and vocational education (Mittelschul- und Berufsbildungsamt), administration of education (Bildungsdirektion), canton of Zürich.

v t e Zurich
Districts	Altstadt (1) 2 Wiedikon (3) Aussersihl (4) Industriequartier (5) 6 7 Riesbach (8) 9 10 11 Schwamendingen (12)
Transport	Zürich S-Bahn template Zurich Airport Funicular Rigiblick Dolderbahn Polybahn Glattalbahn Limmattal light rail line Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft
Education	ETH Zurich University of Zurich Kantonsschule Rämibühl Kantonsschule Stadelhofen Kantonsschule Zürich Nord Liceo Vermigli
Schools for foreign students in the Zurich area, outside the city limits, include Lycée français Marie Curie de Zurich (in Dubendorf) and Japanese School in Zurich (in Uster)