High School Profile

Accreditation

Since 1981 ISL has been accredited by the European Council of International Schools and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The date of the most recent accreditation for both elementary and secondary was October 2006.

The Students

The student population is approximately 600, of whom 200 are high school students (Years 10 - 13), including 52 Seniors (Year 13), 53 Juniors (Year 12), 51 Sophomores (Year 11), and 50 Freshmen (Year 10). Although 54 countries are represented and approximately 40 per cent of students claim English as their mother tongue, all high school graduates are fluent in English.

The School

The International School of Lausanne is a non-profit, English language day school established in 1962. The school is situated in Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, a suburb of Lausanne, overlooking Lac Léman and the Alps. The secondary section at ISL has twenty classrooms, three science laboratories, library, two computer rooms, two art studios, drama & music facilities, eight tennis courts, football pitch and sports facilities.

The Faculty

The high school faculty (for Years 10-13) consists of approximately 50 teachers who originate from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The student/teacher ratio in the high school is 5:1 and the average class size is approximately 13.

International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE)

Current Year 12 and 13 students followed a curriculum based on the Cambridge University International General Certificate of Secondary Education examination syllabuses during Years 10 and 11 at ISL.

Each subject is studied for two years with the option of a final, externally marked examination in each course. *Mathematics Levels 1 to 4 (lowest to highest)

International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IBMYP)

Current Year 10 and 11 students are following the International Baccalaureate Middle Years curriculum.

IB admission requirements

Admission to the final two years of high school is based on the student’s academic record over the previous two years, letters of recommendation, and a personal interview.

Graduation requirements

The course requirements for graduation with the ISL High School Diploma are as follows:

In order to receive an ISL High School Diploma, students must achieve an average ISL semester achievement grade of 3.0 each year, in each of the above subjects. In addition, students must successfully complete 2 years of creativity, action (sports) and service as part of the IB CAS programme.

Under special circumstances, a request for exemption from the above requirements may be considered.

Most students exceed the stated requirements for graduation.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP)

The IB Diploma program is a two-year pre-university program leading to either an IB Diploma or certificates in one or more subjects. Currently 99% of students in Years 12 and 13 (Juniors and Seniors) follow the demanding full IB Diploma program.

Grading system

Students in the IB Diploma program are graded on a seven-point scale. GPA is not calculated at ISL.

Class rank

ISL does not rank. We feel there is no appropriate ranking system that would adequately account for transitory, international students, many of whom have relocated from countries with different grading systems.

IB course offerings

Students are expected to take six subjects; three at Higher Level (HL) and three at Standard Level (SL). Some students may request and be granted permission to study four courses at higher level. Each student elects one course from each of six groups. Students take each course for two years.  At ISL the following choices are available for the 2008 graduating class:

In general, subjects studied at Higher Level reflect the student’s area of interest and specialization, and are covered in greater depth and breadth than subjects studied at Standard Level.  In addition to its academic requirements, the IB Diploma Program includes three fundamental features that contribute to the curriculum.

Extra-curricular and Co-curricular Activities

The International School of Lausanne places great emphasis on activities beyond the classroom. ISL encourages students to have a diverse range of activities to enhance their academic curriculum, equipping them with skills that will prepare them for the challenges of the 21^st century. Students throughout the secondary school willingly participate in a wide variety of extra-curricular and co-curricular projects.

Service Activities - La Soupe Populaire, Refugee Center of Lausanne, Tanzania Mali-Sita School, Zambezi Environmental Centre, Women of India Network, Cecily’s Fund, and Terre des Hommes, Amnesty International, &  Micro financing - ISL Mi-Fi.

Creative Activities - Model United Nations, Forensics & Debate, Student Council, French & English Theatre productions, School Newspaper, Yearbook, Literary Magazine, &  ISL Stage Band.

Action Activities – ISL Sport teams include: Basketball, Football, Uni-hockey, Volleyball, Tennis, Athletics, Swimming and Skiing; ISL Clubs include: Football, Basketball, Dance, Netball, Gymnastics, Rugby, Swimming, & Badminton.

ISL Transcript

Each student’s application to a school, college or university comes with a full transcript detailing achievement grades awarded in all subjects, which should be read in conjunction with the above grade comparison tables.

ISL International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Result

ISL International Baccalaureate Statistics

College Matriculation History

Approximately 40% attend university in the UK

Approximately 25% attend university in the US

Approximately 15% attend university in Switzerland

Approximately 10% attend university in Canada

Approximately 5% attend university in Scandinavia

Approximately 5% attend university elsewhere

College matriculation statistics in 2009

Connecticut College, USA

Dartmouth College, USA

Emerson College, USA

Georgetown University, USA

Ithaca College, USA

University of Colorado - Boulder, USA

University of Pennsylvania, USA

University of Miami, USA

Villanova University, USA

McGill University, Canada- 3

American University of Paris, France

Parsons Paris -School of Art & Design, France

Technical University of Munich, Germany

Bocconi University, Italy

Erasmus University, Netherlands

Fontys Hogeschool-Eindhoven, Netherlands

Ecole Hotelière de Lausanne, Switzerland

Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland- 2

Institute of Glion, Switzerland

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Switzerland

Université de Geneve, Switzerland

Université de Lausanne, Switzerland - 3

Hull York Medical School, UK

Imperial College London-University of London, UK

Lancaster University, UK- 2

Oxford University, UK

University of Aberdeen, UK- 2

University of Bath, UK- 2

University of Birmingham, UK

University of Brighton, UK

University of Bristol, UK- 2

University of Durham, UK- 3

University of Leeds, UK

University of Sussex, UK

University of York, UK

This eighth graduating IB Diploma class consisted of 51 students.

      High School Profile