Ecole Nouvelle de la Suisse Romande

About us

ENSR / IBSL is a co-educational, private school, operating as a limited, non-profit organisation.

ECOLE: the school provides a privileged setting for the transmission of knowledge.

NOUVELLE: infused with the spirit of anticipation and innovation.

SUISSE ROMANDE: situated in Switzerland’s French-speaking region near Lake Geneva (Lac Léman), close to both the Latin and Germanic worlds, the school enjoys a privileged position in the centre of Europe.

Education

The quality of education is guaranteed by respecting the ideals of its founder, Edouard Vittoz, whose motto was to “aim to place value on individuality, by interpreting the educational programs with flexibility and by promoting a joyful collaboration”.

The quality of teaching is assured daily through highly qualified and competent teachers, committed to their students and to establishing a good environment for the whole school community.

The quality of the environment is enhanced by the school’s geographical location which is pleasant and safe, overlooks the city of Lausanne and includes numerous sporting facilities.

International vocation: ENSR / IBSL favours global understanding and multilingualism through the early introduction of English, then German, and also welcomes non French-speaking students.

On a campus where academic studies, sport and stimulating extracurricular activities are united in a magnificent green setting, Ecole Nouvelle de la Suisse Romande (ENSR) prepares students for key exams and for life beyond school.

The individuality of students is respected and their diverse backgrounds are celebrated. Practical experience goes hand in hand with theory.

ENSR welcomes a majority of students who are Swiss but is delighted to welcome foreign students who are looking for a friendly and family environment that can be harder to find in a larger « international » educational structure.

The human scale of ENSR, along with its multiculturalism and multilingualism (English is taught from the kindergarden onwards), are major assets that allow all students to gain a rich experience alongside and from their peers.

Our first priority is to enable students to enjoy learning. The quality of teaching is ensured via appropriate class sizes, enthusiastic and experienced teaching staff, effective teaching methods and a sound infrastructure.

The very pleasant environement in which ENSR is located allows each student to develop their moral values and to flourish in their studies and in their physical well-being thanks to the many sports activities on offer. Sport plays a major role in student life at ENSR and the campus has many sports fixtures.

A brief overview of what’s on offer at ENSR

• 1. Complete schooling from Kindergarten (with a Montessori section) to Senior school
• 2. Swiss Maturity in French
• 3. International Baccalaureate Diploma programme in French, English or bilingual French-English
• 4. All Alliance française, Cambridge, Goethe-Institut and Cervantes examinations
• 5. Boarding facilities
• 6. Summer camps

Location

• Chemin de Rovéréaz 20
• 1012 Lausanne
• Switzerland

ENSR offers a College Counselling service that provides advice to students with regard to their higher education choices and applications for instituitions both in Switzerland and abroad. The School regularly informs students about university open days and information sessions taking place locally and also organises university presentations and ‘mini-fairs’ within the School.

Such events give students the opportunity to speak directly with admissions tutors from a variety of Swiss and European instituitions. The College Counsellor, Miss Emilie Armstrong, is available to speak to students on an individual basis throughout the school year.

The College Counselling service aims to:

respond to questions students may have about different university systems, instituitions and programmes,

suggest instituitions and/or programmes that may be of interest to students,

communicate to students key deadlines and procedures to follow for university applications,

provide help, upon request, with applications (for example the proof-reading of a personal essay),

provide the necessary documentation (school reports and reference letters, for example) to instituitions,

provide support material for aptitude/language tests that students must take if applying to anglophone instituitions,

encourage students to assist relevant presentations, information sessions and open days,

encourage students to speak to admissions tutors who visit the School.

The College Counselling service is not responsible for:

choosing a higher education instituition or programme for students,

completing university applications on behalf of a student unless the student requests this and respects the internal deadlines provided.

The first 45 minute consultation period in the College Counselling service is included in the School fees. Parents are informed that thereafter, time spent in consultation with the student or researching information for the student is billed at the same rate as a private lesson, namely CHF 74.-

Kindergarten

• “No human being experiences the same education as another”, Maria Montessori.
• The Montessori program is offered to students from the ages of 3 to 6. It encourages the development of the child, while respecting the rhythm and personality of each individual and developing autonomy and self-discipline. Specifically designed material, adapted to each child’s needs, is used to develop psychomotor skills.
• The Kindergarten introduces fundamental concepts, leading to the progressive development of social skills and kinesthetic activities.
• Kindergarten from age 3 (choice between morning or full day for the children of the “petite section”)
• Early introduction to English (4 periods per week)
• Extended Day activities, compulsory during lunch break and optional after school
• Child care provided before school from 7:30 am until 6:30 pm
• Meals, Kindergarten and Montessori (French)

Primary

• To Accompany Children in the Exploration of Speaking and Listening, to Develop Skills in Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, Undertaken in a Spirit of Discovery.
• Specificities
• Daily English lessons
• Introduction of German from Year 4
• Personalised guidance and bi-monthly assessments
• Extended Day activities, compulsory during lunch break and optional after school
• Child care provided before school
• Use of computers and multimedia tools
• Meals, Primary school (French)

Middle School

• To facilitate the important transition from childhood to adolescence by optimising the potential of each student through constant personalised follow-up by the teaching staff.
• Specificities
• Common-core syllabus of 13 subjects
• English taught in ability groups and Geography taught in English
• Introduction to Latin in Year 7 and to Greek in Year 8
• Continued study of German
• Monthly student reports
• Optional extended day activities after school
• Meals, Middle school (French)

Senior School

An alternative to the Swiss Maturity, the IB allows students to:

, Develop an international and open mind

, Study a challenging programme via a flexibile and modern approach

, Work autonomously and on individual project

, Acquire academic knowledge but also develop as individuals

, Study over a two-year academic cycle that ENSR has offered since 1971

, Obtain a highly respected diploma that is recognized by universities world-wide

The IB is first of all the desire to offer to students of different linguistic, cultural and pedagogical origins intellectual, social and critical skills that will be necessary to them in the adult world that awaits them.

A hostistic education is more and more important when facing an often disconcertingly large amount of choices.

, Some educational systems prefer to emphasize the learning of a few subject. Others prefer a wider and therefore less specialized, knowledge.

, The IB is a compromise that has well succeeded between these two extremes.

“To learn how to learn is as important as to learn content.”

, The necessity of a wide general culture giving the student a solid mastery of the intellectual tools that he will need.

, The necessity to offer a range of options that will allow the student to choose those which correspond best to his interests and skills.

The structure of the programme

, The diploma is schematically represented by a hexagon, with specific academic fields. The disciplines are taught conjointly and each student studies the three big pedagogical areas: languages, individuals and societies, as well as experimental sciences.

, The diploma candidates must choose a discipline in each field. Three of these disciplines must be presented as higher level (HL) options and three as standard level (SL) options. Throughout the two-year educational cycle, this task division allows the student to study certain subjects in depth and others more widely, which is where its originality comes from.

, To conclude, each student has the opportunity to deepen their knowledge in a subject that is of a particular interest in a chosen discipline.

• To develop each student’s capacity of reflection and the acquisition of knowledge necessary to attain one of the two diplomas: either the Swiss Maturity or the International Baccalaureate.
• Specificities
• Multilingualism whichever choice of diploma
• 6 reports per year and termly exams
• Preparation courses for the International Baccalaureate and the Swiss Maturity
• Meals, Senior school (French)
• Schedule, Senior school (French)

We offer

1. Languages A (French, English, German, Italian, Spanish and Russian), HL + SL, or another language to be defined on request:

2. Languages B, HL + SL or ab initio SL:

3. Individuals and societies:

6. Visual Arts, HL + SL or another subject from group 1 to 4:

• Mother tongue, also including the study of world literature.
• Learning of a foreign language (English, French, German, Spanish, Italian) or another language to be defined.
• a) History (HL + SL)
• b) Geography (HL + SL)
• c) Economics (HL + SL): 2 courses (in French or in English)
• a) Biology (HL + SL) in French or in English
• b) Chemistry (HL + SL) in French or in English
• c) Physics (SL) in English
• a) Mathematical Studies (SL) in French
• b) Mathematics (SL) in English
• For example:
• , 2nd foreign language
• , 2nd human science
• , 2nd experimental science
• Although some classes are taught in French or English, the exam can be taken in either language.

Convivial Surroundings:

• Welcomed from year 6 of the Middle school for 5 or 7 days a week, the students are under the attentive supervision of teachers and boarding school staff who take care of their well-being, their school follow-up and their personal development.
• Placed in double or triple rooms, the boarders enjoy a safe and convivial environment.
• A broad range of cultural, entertaining and sporting activities is suggested during free time.

Boarding school:

• harmonious surroundings in which to study
• Boarding 5 or 7 days
• Co-educational
• Accommodation available for 54 students
• Individual, twin or triple rooms
• Admission: year 6 of the Middle school
• Facilities located in the main building, on three floors
• Splendid view
• Set amongst spacious grounds of 2.5 ha
• Regular contact between boarding school staff and teachers
• Gymnasium and weight room, recently renovated
• Tennis, volley-ball and basketball courts
• Football field
• Cultural and sporting activities

Stay Length & Dates

• From 1 Week Up to 7 Weeks
• Winter: 12.2.2017-24.2.2017
• Summer: 2.7.2017-5.8.2017

Summer Camp

• Our summer camp is based in Champéry, a little village in the midst of the Alps with the largest ski and mountain bike domain in Europe. It is for the students of our school as well as for young people from 9 to 18 from all over the world.
• For some people such as our students’ parents, summer time is the opportunity to entrust us with their child during a part of the long summer holiday, knowing that they will be well taken care of and that the range of available activities will fill their need to move and let off steam.
• For others who do not know us yet, it is an opportunity to let their child have a good time and relax in the unique environment of the Alps of the canton of Valais where the pure air of the resort guarantees an invigorating stay.
• We organize 22 periods of French or English lessons per week. Classes are kept small, between 4 to 7 students, to allow the teacher to offer an individualised programme. Students stay in a chalet ideally situated in the heart of Champéry, in nice rooms with 2 to 5 beds. Afternoons and weekends are dedicated to sports activities and excursions.
• Our school celebretad its 100th anniversary in 2006, a period during which it developed a close relationship with Champéry and its environment. Knowledge of the place and a rich pedagogical experience: are two important factors that we leave at your disposal for successful summer holidays for your child.

Winter Camp

• Since its foundation, Ecole Nouvelle de la Suisse Romande has encouraged practising sports and in particular winter sports. Thanks to the ski camps that we organize each winter, skiing has become accessible at ENSR.
• Thus, Ecole Nouvelle organizes two ski camps each year: one camp for the Primary school classes and one for the Middle and Senior school classes. In addition to the daily ski programme, other activities are also organized during the evenings in order to make the camp unforgettable.

Ski camp for the Primary classes

20 till 24th February at Gstaad

• This camp can welcome 42 children from the Primary classes 2, 3 and 4. Throughout the day, it offers ski lessons and other winter activities (sleighing and snowman making).
• The participants of the snow camp are split up in groups of 6 students at the most. During the whole week, each group is under the supervision of a teacher.

Ski camp for the Middle and Senior school classes

12 till 18 February at Les Crosets

• This camp can welcome 80 children, and is open to the students of classes 5 to 12/IB. Throughout the day, it offers ski lessons at any level (beginner, medium or advanced, as well as preparation for the ADISR slaloms competition.
• The participants of the snow camp are split up in groups of 10 students at the most. During the whole week, each group is under the supervision of an ENSR teacher.

Our annual Sports Programmes for the different institutes at our campus is based on 3 basic principles:

1. Physical Education in relation to “Age” and “Development” of the human body.

In most countries around the world, governing instituitions of education have elaborated clear and well-balanced sports programmes to be thought to different age groups in the school system. If we take a close look at these programmes in the different countries in Northern Europe we will find a great similarity in terms of approach, concept and content.

The sports programmes at ENSR are based on the same philosophy, enriched by the “multi-nationality” of the teaching-staff of the Sports Department. Each of the 6 members (full/part-time and project engagements) have their specialities and skills in the different sports disciplines and are personally involved in the elaboration and constant up-dating of the programmes offered to our students.

2. Integration of inter-private school sports tournaments according to an annual calendar of sport-specific competitions based on 5 different age categories.

For many years, ENSR has been member of the organisation of private schools in the French-speaking cantons of Switzerland (AVDEP). One of the tasks of this organization is the creation of a yearly calendar of inter-school sports competitions where students of all the member schools have the opportunity to “meet and compete”.

Altogether, the calendar consist of 15 different disciplines which are divided up into 5 different age categories covering all students from 7 to 18 years old.

ENSR is extremely proud of the fact that we manage to participate with usually more than one team (football, volley-ball, basket-ball, dodge-ball, uni-hockey, etc.) and with groups of individuals (in competitions like swimming, badminton, cross-country, track and field, horse-back riding, skiing, etc.) in almost every discipline in the annual programme.

We strongly believe that it is important for students to get used to competitive situation and feel at easy during these since they will have to face competitive situations at many moments in their life. Sports competitions can help them to get prepared for those situations.

This means that we use sports competitions to learn about the phenomenon “competition”. By organizing special practice programmes during the months before the different competitions, we try to prepare our teams and individual athletes in an efficient way in order to have the most positive experience during the competitions (in both “making the effort” and “increasing personal performance”).

3. Presentation of new/special sports organized in extra curriculum activites

Sport is a lifetime activity and therefore of key-importance in the life of our students. It is common sense that being involved in sports activities on a regular basis has a positive impact on the quality of life.

At ENSR Sports Department, we are convinced of the fact that it is our duty to ensure a positive experience in sports in general and to present the biggest possible “bouquet” of different sports to our student in order to help them discover and find “their favourites”.

The majority of disciplines are integrated in our annual sport programmes during class, but besides that we organize many additional incentives in sports that are slightly “out” of the regular school sports programmes.

On Wednesday afternoons, Saturdays and even during school holidays, we organize camps (skiing, windsurfing, etc.), courses and incentives (golf, horse-back riding, etc.) for our students to try to give them as many different sports experiences as possible.

We are convinced that by “proposing” and “presenting” as many different disciplines in sports as possible to our students we can help them explore and discover the sports activities that might help them stay fit and healthy during there life.

As many other things, the basis for an active, sports-oriented life-style is built when children and teenagers are at school. We do our very best to provide that basis.