Early years

By combining the latest teaching methods with first class facilities and resources, each child is encouraged to achieve their full potential in all areas of school life.

Pupils are nurtured as they develop core academic skills, personal qualities and attitudes for life. Early Years education takes place from the ages of 3 to 6 years and consists of Nursery, Pre-K and Kindergarten. During this period, we lay the foundations for the journey ahead, preparing children for a happy and successful progression towards the next stage of their education.

Our specialised curriculum encourages children to engage with each other and the environment, as they actively learn and construct their own meaning from their experience of the social and physical world that surrounds them. ISZN recognises that learning and exploration are interrelated in young children, and our inquiry-based approach allows for concept development that applies across subject-specific domains.

The curriculum is flexible which enables our teachers to build up children’s self-esteem and confidence in both a planned and spontaneous manner, as the need arises.

The IB Primary Years Programme develops essential skills:

  • Ability to conduct research
  • Effective communication
  • Understanding social contexts
  • Health and life management
  • Critical and creative thinking

Primary school

Throughout Primary we follow the globally renowned International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme.

This curriculum framework focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, harnessing their natural curiosity and creativity. This extends beyond the school walls and provides a well-rounded, challenging, and meaningful education for all students, regardless of their background.

The six principal subject areas are Language, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, The Arts and Personal, Social & Physical Education.

Whether native speaker or complete beginner, all pupils in the Primary School receive German language lessons. Classes are small and proficiency grouped, meaning that pupils make rapid progress regardless of the starting level.

Middle Years (grades 6-8)

In Grades 6 to 8 we build on the IB Primary Years Programme by introducing the best of the English National Curriculum.

Transdisciplinary learning is continued but supplemented with specific learning objectives for each subject area.

The learning traits that are so well nurtured in Primary – the confidence to investigate and solve problems, to work collaboratively, to reflect on learning – are further consolidated, whilst the small class sizes allow for the individualized attention required to academically stretch or support pupils in their learning.

Creatively appealing and intellectually stimulating syllabus content, enables our students to fully prepare for the rigours of the formal IGCSE and International A-Level courses.

Middle years (grades 9-10)

In Grades 9 and 10 we follow the English (I)GCSE curriculum; the world's most popular international qualification for 14 to 16 year olds.

The curriculum is developed and examined by the University of Cambridge International Exam board and Pearson Edexcel and offers pupils a broad array of subjects from which to choose.

All students work towards an appropriate German language qualification. Classes are taught by fully qualified, specialist German teachers, and consist of a small number of students each with a similar language proficiency level.

Alongside their examined subjects, all students undertake physical education (PE) and personal, social, and health education (PSHE). Students are also encouraged and expected to participate in our wide range of Co-Curricular Activities.

A levels and beyond

In Grades 11 and 12, students study Cambridge International A-Levels; recognised and highly regarded around the world.

During the grade 11 year, each student chooses 4 subject specialisms, examined at the end of Grade 11, and 3 of these will be continued into and examined at the end of the grade 12 year.

The syllabuses develop a deep understanding of subjects and independent thinking skills. Students can choose from traditional subjects such as Maths and English, to more contemporary subjects such as Computer Science or Business Studies.

Through specialist teaching we strive to provide our students with as many opportunities as possible at this crucial time in their education journey.
ISZN A-Level students have gone on to leading universities all over the world including countries such as:
Germany
Switzerland
Belgium
USA
Japan
Netherlands

University destinations include:

ETH Zurich
University of Groningen
University of Zurich
University of Basel
London School of Economics
King's College London
Manchester University
Baylor University
TU Eindhoven

Next up: School life

Learn more about what school life is like at ISZN

Admissions: +41 (0) 44 830 7000