Geneva International School has 3 campuses and you apply to a primary one. I have experience with two of them (let me know if you need details). My son currently attends Institute International de Lancy. A lot depends on where you are going to live. Do you know yet?
Maplady, Feb 27, 2008 @ 10:44

Maplady, thanks for your reply. 40 views and only one reply...perhaps most of the people who use this forum don't have children? Anyway we don't know yet where we're going to live. We were thinking to live near the children's schools, rather than try to get them into a school where we live. It seemed easier that way. But then again, we've heard a lot of stories about how tight the real estate market is in the Geneva area too.



If you would prefer to answer us offline so that your replies are not public, please feel free to e-mail us at kattler at bigfoot.com



Thank you and regards,

Kattler
Kattler, Feb 28, 2008 @ 17:29

Thought just add 2 cents of my view about schools in Geneva. If you want your kids to study in Frnech progamme but still continue English class as English Speaking, you should consider IIL. If you want to your children to have more social life, then go to LGB, CDL.

If you want free education but well organised system, then go to suisse school. My children are in IIL and they have English Mother tone English classes since they were 5. Among 50 plus kids, there are only 7 of them in the class. The teacher is great. Meantime, they are in French education system.

Good luck.
GVAInfo, Feb 29, 2008 @ 00:30

Kattler,

Welcome (soon) to Geneva. Contact member Swiss: she did deep research about schools in the area, as she has a daughter who's about the same age as yours.

I am also forwarding this post to Swiss, and hope she'll reply.

Nir
Nir Ofek, Feb 29, 2008 @ 01:23

Hi Kattler,

Welcome to glocals and hopefully soon welcome to GVA. This is what I can tell you from my own experience; my daughter startet off at LGB, the International School in the english section. She did grade 5 and 6 there, the school is great, in other words the teachers are wonderful and really, really helpful. I'm sure you have seen the prices, and lots of things are not incl. pro year you have to add around another sfr 1500.- for outings, and so on.

I have changed my daughter's life a year ago, as we are intending to stay in GVA, I feelt it was really important that she knows french. I just threw her into the cold water, she goes to Florimont now, in the french section. Ok, I must admit, it was a huge change, ...we had lots of hard times at home, ...she  was so unhappy at the beginning with being in a french environment, ...and guess what she is doing fine now, has become top of her class, speaks french at home and is really happy now.  There is an english section there too. Cost: Less than the International School

Depending where you live, College du Leman is good too, friends children go there, but they live nearby. Price again similiar to the International School. Institute de Lancy is good too, again friends of mine have children there, they have a small english section too, price similar to Florimont.

One thing is really important, there is a huge demand on the private schools, so sign up as soon as possible...or your children have to go on to the waiting list.

Something else, there is a great way to learn french as well, let the children join the local scouts groups;)

I'm more than happy to give you more info, just send me a mail. Good luck and have a lovely weekend.

...and I'm more than happy to put you in touch with my friends ;)
SWISS, Feb 29, 2008 @ 16:08

One more point: It's a well known fact in GVA and across Switzerland that academically Florimont is the best you can get.

The International School offers the best activities outside of school hours (extra cost, depending what activities your children choose) Also, a well known fact is that the kids from the International Schools have often a better social life then the parents ;)

Most schools offer a Bus shuttle service (but thats an extra couple of 1000's francs a year)
SWISS, Mar 1, 2008 @ 11:20

I have also a ten year old daughter and am desperately looking for schools.  We have been here since Christmas, and I have just received my permit which will allow me to put her in to school.  She is very bored at the moment, and desperate to meet other children her age.  I am glad you posted this forum because I was wondering the same things.  If you would like to stay in contact so when you arrive your girls can have a friend to play with feel free to stay in touch via email.

[email protected]
damore, Mar 1, 2008 @ 12:30

Damore:

Another thing you can do is to post, on Member Activities, a call for parents with kids around 10 years old to get together. I am pretty sure you'll get replies.

I myself have a boy of 8 (speaks only french tho). If your daughter is willing to give it a shot (and likes boy's games like PS3's "killer soldier"), they we're on...

Nir 
Nir Ofek, Mar 1, 2008 @ 12:48

Thanks much for all your help! You've given us a lot of ideas, #1 of which is that we apparently have to be much more aggressive in applying to schools than we have been as it may not be easy to get in anywhere. I"m off on a business trip for a few days but will be in touch when I get back.



Danmore, I really appreciate the offer to get our daughters together when we get there. That's very kind of you. We'll be in touch after the family arrives in late May. Nir, your offer was kind too but I'm afraid my daughter is much more the dolls-and-origami type than cowboys-and-Indians.



Thanks and regards,

Mr Kattler
Kattler, Mar 1, 2008 @ 14:58

Hi Kattler



I've only been here a short while and had the same question before we moved here. We looked at and had interviews with Lancy, Geneva International and Leman. It was really difficult making a decision because I wanted the best school academically and the best school to suit the kid's personalities.



The decision where to live depended on where they went to school. I sought opinions and felt that academically all three schools were just about equal. After visiting the schools it was clear to me that College du Leman was the best choice for us.



Geneva International seemed too big and impersonal. A sort of learning factory feeling about it and the size alone of the campus seemed daunting especially after both children had gone to a much smaller international school previously. I couldn't imagine them, especially my 4 year old navigating through such a massive place. Not to mention the highly impersonal tour that was offered.



Lancy. When we arrived for our scheduled tour they had double booked and couldn't show us through. Our relocation agent ended up taking us around. Nothing horrible to say against the school but the lack of a proper tour left a bad taste in our mouths. One thing though, the preschool was in a new building and on a higher floor. The huge concrete stairwell and thinking of a 4 year old tumbling down them during the recess rush outside didn't help. Again, perhaps a small thing but when you can't decide..



Leman. The tour was very good and very personal. The classroom teachers welcomed us into their classes and told us what the kids were doing and allowed us to speak to the children. While it is still a large school the division of campuses made it feel quite homey and secure.



They have been attending Leman since September and both are very happy and content. Their teachers are so kind and the students there have welcomed them and they found fitting in so easy.



I know how difficult it is to choose when they are all such good schools. Good luck with your decision.







cigbar, Mar 26, 2008 @ 16:43

Thanks for your advice! We really appreciate it. We now have a much better idea of which school to choose, or at least where to start looking.

I suspect though that unfortunately, it may be the school that chooses us, not the other way around.



Regards,

Kattler
Kattler, Mar 27, 2008 @ 16:15

We were told of long waiting lists and were quite concerned about them getting a placement especially since we didn't know we were moving here until June and applied to the schools quite late in the year.



It took about a month but we received favourable responses from all three. Obviously the sooner you apply the sooner you can breathe that big sigh of relief :)







cigbar, Mar 27, 2008 @ 18:18

Hi Everyone

My wife is going to be relocating To Geneva from India by the middle of December 2011. We are Indian citizens and have two children a daughter aged 16 in India Grade 11 and a son aged 13 in India Grade 9.

I wanted to know what are the reviews of the various schools Ecole, CDL and IIL. My kids only have an english background and thus will need to join only a school which has a curriculum in English 

Ashutosh Chadha, Sep 23, 2011 @ 18:18

I would like to ask you few questions, maybe I can ask you your private email?

i have a 4year daughter, she was born in geneve and has done the crèche here. I would like  her to be able to:

- become bilingual (French and English)

- but I was not convinced by the bilingual schools I visited (ecolint, CDl). On the other hand, I liked the inst lancy but it is not truly bilingual and I am not really sure whether the English section prepares enough to be proficient in French to be able to potentially have access to university here in gva. 

- .   

silvia b, Jan 13, 2013 @ 22:07

I have a 15 yr old son at IIL (in his second year) and have absolutley no complaints what so ever. We were accepted on the tour ! Coming from down under the only drawback perhaps is the lack of organised sport (I beleive this is true for most international schools ?) but academically they appear to be very strong. Cheers and good luck.

Jeffery S, Jan 14, 2013 @ 09:13

Dear Jeffery

thanks for your reply

Does your son go to the english section?

If so, do you think the written and oral french level tought at the school in the English section would allow him to move to the french section or the swiss system without problems, in case he wanted? 

 

Thanks

 

silvia b, Jan 14, 2013 @ 10:13

Hi Silvia

Yes he is in the English section and from what I have seen the French level is very high - his French has improved immeasurably. We actually enrolled him in extra lessons which they ran over lunch hours so they are very flexible in wah tthey provide. Hope this helps.

Jeffery S, Jan 14, 2013 @ 11:36

Hi

It's always question of personal preferences and experience. But I definitely wouldn't recommend IIL. It's not that its dramatic, but there are way better schools out there.

 

IIL made a good impression on us initially, but my core issues with their system is the ammount of education they are putting on kids, starting from 3-4 year old ones. And every years its getting worse and heavier. My son indeed was getting some good start of education, but loosing its childhood, ability to play and enjoy. Instead he was spending days in the classroom still. 

 

Additionally when some small education problems appear most likely you would be left alone, because apparently school doesnt have psychologist or any experience teacher support group / centre. Everything is your responsibility as a parent or your fault.

 

After a year we have moved to International School of Geneva and we are fascinated. And our son especially. He learns a lot but also enjoys his time BIG TIME. Opened up, started speaking French and quickly made lots of new friends.

 

 

Karol C, Sep 6, 2014 @ 22:10

All international school parents here should follow our magazine Facebook page: www.facebook.com/internationalschoolparent

nickg_44, Sep 10, 2014 @ 10:28

Hello,

I've just visited (nice tour, personal, friendly) IIL with husband and kids (12, 9 and 5) last August. Yes, building, classrooms, etc. are nice and it seems well structured but...neither my husband, preteen daughter or myself where convinced by this option...we all got the impression that it's a school "fermée sur elle même", turned into itself...it's catholic, half of the kids do communion, etc., it seems isolated in a not very pretty area...My kids would be doing the French system so in the end...I would be paying 17000 chf for my teen to do the Academie de Grenoble programme...yes, she would have more English than in a school from the French system (a couple thousand more to add subjects in English) but...is it worth? not really for us.

I think when we are back they'll just go to a good French school and get into Bell school and English camps.

ah, my only experience at LGB was a multisport summer camp...not good at all, it was supposed to be bilingual and it wasn't (my oldest had Mustapha and Silvie, who couldn't speak Eng), my little one, an Argentinian teacher, the same. Facilities are great and my kids loved the self at lunch time but...I was looking for English :( the week was around 1500 Chf...

 

Sorry I can't be more helpful

 

lots of luck!

 

Beatriz Gómez, Sep 10, 2014 @ 11:05

Horses for course really...I have a 16 yr old son beginning year 12 at IIL and we couldn't be more happy. This is his 4th year and starting IB. The plus for us was the emphasis on the academic side - they are very strong but if your child is to suceed in this world then this is what they need. My son still gets to play sport and all those other things and has a very close knit group of friends but he is learning at a very early age the value of hard work and endeavour. 

Jeffery S, Sep 10, 2014 @ 12:35