At ISZN, we know how important a smooth transition is for student wellbeing, confidence, and academic success. That’s why onboarding begins well before the first day of school. Whether a child is joining from another local school or relocating from abroad, we prepare intentionally—getting to know each student in advance and working closely with families to ensure a warm and personal welcome.

Ahead of arrival, new students are introduced to the ISZN community through video calls with Heads of School, welcome emails, or class introduction videos. Homeroom teachers take time to understand each student’s background, interests, and learning needs. These early steps help students feel connected before they even step through the door—and ensure their first day is met with familiarity and care.

A First Day That Feels Familiar

When new students arrive, they are greeted personally by their homeroom teacher and introduced to the rest of the class. A key part of the ISZN welcome is the buddy system: each student is paired with a classmate who helps guide them through daily routines, classroom expectations, and the social life of the school.

Buddies sit with their new peers in class, show them around the campus, and offer informal support during breaks or transitions. This connection is especially meaningful in the first few days and provides a consistent point of contact as new students get their bearings.

Homeroom teachers check in regularly—often multiple times throughout the day during the first week—to ensure each child is settling in well and has someone to turn to with questions or concerns. These early routines build trust and lay the foundation for a successful integration into school life.

Staff Involvement and Peer Mentoring

While homeroom teachers are the primary point of contact during onboarding, the broader ISZN community plays an active role. Teachers across subjects, as well as administrative and support staff, learn each student’s name and story. It’s not uncommon for new students to be greeted in the hallway by teachers they haven’t yet had in class—helping to build a sense of belonging across the school.

In Secondary, peer mentoring offers an added layer of support. Older students are thoughtfully paired with new arrivals to offer guidance, answer questions, and be a friendly presence during breaks or at lunch. These informal connections ease transitions and encourage cross-grade relationships that last beyond the first weeks.

Tailoring the Process for Each Stage of School Life

The onboarding experience is adapted for Early Years, Primary, and Secondary to match students’ developmental needs and emotional readiness:

  • Early Years students begin with a gentle settling-in period. These first days focus on helping children feel secure, supported, and confident in their new surroundings. Parents remain closely involved during this phase, with teachers providing frequent updates to ensure a smooth handover and open communication.
  • In Primary, students benefit from daily support and regular verbal check-ins from their homeroom teachers. Teachers introduce routines gradually and are proactive in helping children navigate new friendships and expectations. Relationships with families remain strong, with regular updates and easy access to the teaching team.
  • Secondary students are supported through a combination of peer mentoring, regular staff check-ins, and individualised academic and pastoral guidance. Each new student has a designated adult they can go to for questions or support. Where needed, we also provide targeted follow-up to ensure transitions from other schools or countries are handled with care.

Across all age groups, the emphasis is on ensuring no student feels alone—and that families are included throughout.

Language Support in English and German

ISZN offers robust support for students who are not yet fluent in English or German. For English learners, onboarding begins with the WIDA assessment, which helps determine the student’s current language proficiency.

Depending on the results, students may receive:

  • In-class support using adapted resources and digital tools, or
  • Small group or one-to-one EAL (English as an Additional Language) sessions to develop both language and confidence.

For German, all students are baseline assessed and placed into ability-based groups—ranging from beginner to native speaker. Instruction is tailored to each level, ensuring challenge and support are matched to the student’s development. This differentiated approach allows students to grow in both languages while fully participating in school life.

Helping Families Relocate and Connect

For many international families, joining a new school is just one part of a much larger move. At ISZN, we recognise that parents are navigating change right alongside their children—and we’re here to support them too.

Each class has a designated Class Parent and WhatsApp group to help new families connect, ask questions, and share tips in an informal setting. Our admissions and admin teams are also available to provide personalised relocation support, whether that means connecting families with trusted housing agents or offering recommendations for local clubs, sports, and community resources.

As a starting point, many families find this article helpful: Settling into Zurich: What to Know as a New Family.

To help everyone feel part of the ISZN community, we also host regular welcome events and social gatherings throughout the year. These offer a relaxed space to meet other parents, ask questions, and begin building friendships that often last well beyond the first school year.

Beyond the First Week: Continued Care and Communication

At ISZN, onboarding doesn’t stop once a child knows where to hang their coat. We view it as a longer process of integration and relationship-building—one that continues through regular check-ins, academic follow-ups, and ongoing conversations with families.

Homeroom teachers remain key points of contact, providing updates on both wellbeing and learning progress. In Secondary, students also benefit from support staff or mentors who monitor how they’re adjusting socially and academically. When additional support is needed—whether pastoral or subject-specific—it’s coordinated early and shared clearly with parents.

To keep families fully informed and engaged, we use two main digital platforms:

  • iSAMS serves as our central hub for student information, timetables, reports, and attendance. It provides parents with a clear overview of their child’s day-to-day life at school.

  • SchoolsBuddy supports communication around events, sign-ups, activities, trips, and after-school programmes. It gives families a single place to manage logistics and stay up to date with what’s happening beyond the classroom.

Together, these tools reduce confusion and support a consistent, transparent flow of information.

Whether through platforms, emails, or informal conversations, we encourage families to stay in touch. Questions are welcomed, and we work hard to ensure responses are timely, clear, and helpful.

Conclusion

A strong onboarding sets the tone for everything that follows. At ISZN, we take time to get it right—preparing thoughtfully, involving the whole school community, and maintaining open, consistent communication with families.

It’s not uncommon for students to feel at home within just a few days—welcomed by their classmates, supported by their teachers, and free to be themselves. That early sense of ease and belonging is exactly what we aim to create, not just during onboarding, but throughout each student’s journey with us.