La Garenne International School

La Garenne International School has been one of the leading boarding schools in Switzerland and the world. More than 120 students from over 30 nations are welcomed each year on our campus located in the charming French-speaking alpine ski resort of Villars which provides a secure environment and an extraordinary education to boarding and day students from 5 years old. Our philosophy is based on providing individual attention to each and every student, encouraging a passion for learning, developing international mindedness and ensuring the holistic development of all of the young people in our care both academically, socially and emotionally.

La Garenne prides itself on its long and rich history as a bilingual place of learning. While the main language of
academic subjects is English, we believe that language learning is vitally important and students are encouraged to develop a mastery of the French Language in addition to encouraging the study of a student's native language. In the Primary School (ages 5-10), students follow the International Primary Curriculum, which prepares them well to enter the Secondary School where they will study the highly regarded International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (ages 11 - 16). Upon completion of the MYP our students will start their studies for the world renowned IB Diploma Programme (ages 17 - 18).

La Garenne welcomes young people aged 5 to 18 from more than 30 nations to our exceptional school in the Swiss Alps. We pride ourselves on our bilingual approach, giving students mastery of French and English. Our students follow globally accredited programmes of study, creating informed, globally competent, and future-ready learners. La Garenne’s core values are academic excellence, a close-knit family atmosphere, security and cultural diversity.

Our priority is that each child at La Garenne should be happy, safe, healthy, valued and cherished. Our motto “Be Happy, Never, Never, Never Give up” reflects our approach, along with Swiss values of respect, politeness, tolerance and responsibility. We prepare our students for successful and balanced lives. Our global school trips and sports programmes provide them with challenges to develop personal confidence. With around thirty countries represented at school, our students are immersed in the richness of cultural diversity.

Our value academic excellence and our highly experienced and passionate teachers focus on inquiry-based learning, using state-of-the-art technology. French and English are learned side by side. Our small class sizes allow students to blossom in an optimal and creative environment. Our Vision To inspire our community to be responsible global citizens in an ever-changing world. Our mission of La Garenne International School is to educate young people from around the world. We promote traditional Swiss values of open mindedness, responsibility, innovation, empathy and respect. We strive to nurture the talents of each learner, meeting their individual needs and aspirations.

Our Core Aims

• Give each of our students individual attention: to make them feel appreciated, and to keep them happy, motivated and healthy.
• Teach children and young people how to live in an international community: developing empathy and respect for others, thereby becoming more internationally minded.
• Guarantee a high-quality, holistic learning environment: combining inspirational, inquiry-based learning and an enriching extra-curricular programme to promote the development of the whole child and to give each student the opportunity to flourish in exceptional surroundings.
• Instil a life-long passion for learning: stimulating our students to be curious, creative, and independent critical thinkers.

The key objectives of La Garenne are enabling each student to achieve academic success and develop a passion for lifelong learning and discovery. The boarding school environment provides the stability and structure necessary to thrive and develop. Parallel to this, the academic life of the school engages students with stimulating and challenging programmes of study. The small class sizes favour a personalised approach to teaching, based on inquiry and investigative learning.