Haut-Lac International Bilingual School

Haut-Lac International Bilingual School, an independent day and boarding school, opened its doors in 1993 with thirteen students and continues to grow and develop. It’s location and highly diverse, international student body give students a wealth of opportunities to examine their own and other cultures in a global context.

Small class sizes enable the teaching staff to follow the progress of individual children closely. The students are actively encouraged to adopt a positive, responsible and caring attitude within the classroom as well as towards the wider school community and beyond. A good relationship between the school and the parents, over 150 extra-curricular activities and the many opportunities to become involved and act cooperatively with others provide a stimulating and caring environment in which they are able to develop their potential to the full.

An English-only stream runs parallel to the bilingual stream through every level of schooling at Haut-Lac for families on short-term contracts to Switzerland or not seeking a bilingual education. Of course, the door is always left open for students to transition into the bilingual stream, should they wish to at any time.
The bilingual French/English programme in the Infant/Primary sections is delivered by native French- and English-speaking teachers on a one day-one day schedule, alternating the language of instruction from one school day to the next. The children spend an equal amount of time in each language environment, so that by the time they move up to secondary level, they are comfortable in both of the school’s working languages and can continue to benefit from bilingual IB MYP, IB Diploma and IB Career-Related Programmes.

The IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) provides an in-depth study of conventional subject areas within a challenging framework which emphasises the teaching of life skills for students aged 11 to 16. It is a five-year programme that allows schools the liberty to be creative in the development of their curriculum, but closely disciplines them through a rigorous assessment system. Fundamentally, the IB MYP aims to show how school subjects are inter-related and teaches students that consideration of issues and problems in their widest scope will enhance their critical thinking. Their ability to find acceptable solutions to a range of problems and adapt them to a variety of situations is developed through five cross-curricular perspectives, termed ‘areas of interaction’. This holistic approach to education combined with the fostering of inter-cultural awareness and communication promotes in students the values of understanding, tolerance and respect. In consequence, adolescents are helped to grow into responsible members of a world community.

The IB Diploma Programme (DP) continues the philosophy of encouraging students to follow a broad-based educational programme. They study six subjects selected from the following subject groups: Language A, Language B, Individuals and Societies, Experimental Sciences, Mathematics and the Arts. At Haut-Lac, students are able to benefit from the possibility of taking the IB Diploma in French, in English or bilingually (i.e. some subjects in each of the school’s two languages). In order to meet all the requirements, students must also complete three compulsory elements that are central to the IB Diploma Programme philosophy: writing an extended essay (EE), participating in a theory of knowledge (TOK) course and demonstrating creativity, action and service (CAS). In this way the aim of offering students a holistic education that provides them with the skills and knowledge to cope with the challenges of further education and life beyond is fulfilled. The IB Diploma is widely recognised by the world’s leading universities.

As well as our flagship secondary IBMYP and IBDP programmes, we also run a number of other programmes. These cater for students who wish to pursue intense sport training schedules alongside an IBMYP, IBDP or IBCP (IB Sport & Study Programme), to complete the final years of their schooling in a Swiss state school (Swiss Option), to get into US or Canadian universities (US High School Diploma).
Moreover, to complement their school studies with practical work experience, Haut-Lac proposes IBCP in Sustainable Management, Hospitality Management, Art & Design or International Sports Management run by industry professionals and university professors.

And as of September 2022, Haut-Lac’s English, French and bilingual programmes will also be available to international students and athletes seeking a family boarding experience on the Swiss Riviera. With local international peers, a caring boarding team, and exciting evening and weekend activities, they too will be able to grow into confident, global citizens ready to take their place in the world.