Secondary School

The Secondary School comprises a Middle School (Years 7 to 9) and a High School (Years 10 to 13).

The Middle School - Years 7 to 9

In the Middle School, there are two homeroom groups of twenty-two students in each year. Each homeroom group has two homeroom teachers who provide the first level of pastoral care for the Middle School students. The homeroom teachers teach their homeroom students for at least one of their timetabled subjects and therefore get to know them very well, forming close relationships over the year. The homeroom teachers are sensitive to the particular needs of Middle School students as they negotiate the early years of adolescence.

The High School - Years 10 to 13

In the High School, there are three homeroom groups of seventeen students in Year 10, and two homeroom groups of twenty-four students in Year 11. Each homeroom group has two homeroom teachers who provide the first level of pastoral care. Year 10 and 11 homeroom teachers teach their homeroom students for at least one of their timetabled subjects and therefore get to know them very well, forming close relationships over the year.

There are 106 students in total in Years 12 and 13; these students are assigned to small tutor groups. This enables the homeroom teachers to provide targeted pastoral guidance during the last years of school as the students prepare for their final IBDP examinations.

The Secondary School Curriculum

In the Middle School (Years 7 to 9), the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IBMYP) is well established as the curriculum of choice. The overall philosophy of the programme is expressed through three fundamental concepts that support and strengthen all areas of the curriculum. These concepts are based on: intercultural awareness, holistic learning and communication.

In the High School, Years 10 and 11 students follow the IBMYP.

In the final two years of the High School (Years 12 and 13) the students follow the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) which is a challenging two-year curriculum, primarily aimed at students aged 16 to 19. It leads to a qualification that is widely recognized by the world's leading universities.

The aims of these programmes are fully reflected in the Mission and Aims of the International School of Lausanne. We wish our students to become life-long learners who develop the necessary attitudes to become productive and caring individuals in the global society. The characteristics of the learners that the IB programmes develop are summarised in the IB Learner Profile.

The Secondary School Leadership Team

The Secondary School Leadership Team consists of the Secondary School Principal (who also takes direct responsibility for the Middle School), the High School Principal, the IBDP Coordinator and the IBMYP Coordinator. They meet regularly with the School Director.

The curriculum is developed, reviewed, refined and coordinated by the Heads of Subject Departments and the IB Coordinators.

The Student Counselor and the Academic Guidance Counselor support the homeroom teachers and the Leadership Team in the overall pastoral care of the students.

Pastoral Care

In the Secondary School, the Assistant Director and the principals are responsible for the coordination of pastoral care. However, pastoral care is centred on the homeroom teachers. The homeroom teachers provide a point of contact for the student, parents and other teachers. Small classes and individual attention ensure that student progress and welfare are carefully monitored.

Parents are provided with detailed information on the academic progress and social development of their child. Regular Learning Reviews, interim and semester reports, and open evenings help ensure that communication is open and constructive.

A part-time Student Counselor and a school nurse are also very much part of the pastoral care system. They may be consulted by students, parents and teachers.

An Academic Guidance Counselor helps and encourages students to examine their hopes and future options. He is also very active in the college and course selection process for students as well as supporting them with their college applications.

Fieldtrips

An exciting and varied fieldtrip programme is used for educational, recreational and social development.

Fieldtrips at ISL serve many purposes, some of which are to:

• enable students to study a region within or outside of Switzerland, using skills learned in their studies
• enable students to explore and gain insight into histories, cultures, customs and beliefs different from their own
• engage in a service activity and gain insight into the social and economic issues of less developed regions
• provide an experience of living together in a community
• participate in an outdoor recreational and/or educational programme
• participate in activities that promote team-building, reflection and leadership skills

Cultural visits have included London, Florence, Venice, Cortona, Paris and Provence, where art, architecture and history have been studied.

Outdoor activity trips have included sailing, surfing, skiing, hiking, climbing, mountain-biking, canoeing and rafting in the Swiss Alps.

We are also well placed for environmental, geography and science-based field studies locally and in France.

Service trips have included school-building projects in India, Tanzania and Zambia.