Aiglon College: Meet the Head

For 75 years Aiglon College has pushed beyond the boundaries of traditional education to offer a holistic and inspirational experience in the Swiss Alps. From just six students at its founding, today Aiglon is home to 440 students from 60+ different nationalities ages 7 – 18. Over 85% of students are full- time boarders. Beginning in the 2024-2025 academic year, Aiglon will also welcome students from Year 3 to its junior school. The school’s Guiding Principles – the balanced development of mind, body and spirit underpin every aspect of life at Aiglon.

We had the pleasure of interviewing School Director, Nicola Sparrow, where we learnt about her experiences as an educator, her passion for Aiglon, and her vision going forward.

What inspired you to get into education and how did that journey lead you to Aiglon College?

Initially uncertain about what I wanted to do after finishing school, I decided to follow my passion for history, which led to completing a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in History and Politics and Brunel University in London. I had plans to continue on to a PhD, but in the year it took to sort it all out I was able to have my first experience in the classroom. I knew in that first moment as part of my PGCE in History at the University of Oxford, that I had found my calling.

I worked for three years in the United Kingdom before spending a year in the West Indies. I then had the opportunity to work as Deputy Head for 13 years at an international school in Thailand. I joined Aiglon in 2012 as the deputy head of academics before being appointed School Director.

You have been away from the UK for a long time. What has your experience taught you?

My impression was that teachers who went to international schools did so for a few years for an adventure, and then returned home. Twenty-five years later, my adventure continues!

I think what’s quite unusual about my career is the length of time that I’ve spent at each school. For many international educators, it’s two or three years here, and two or three years there – that is the pattern. In my experience, I believe that you must really get to know a school –you need to know the students, you need to know the staff. Spending these longer periods really gives me the ability to connect to the school, to understand its culture and why that matters.

When you’re not at school what sorts of things do you do to relax and maintain work-life balance?

Young people are inspiring, and in particular, being able to have a real impact on young lives inspires me to continue in this work. I have such a fabulous job where no two days are the same! That might not be the typical expectation in a world governed by timetables and school bells, yet not a single day is alike, and I think this also helps in the work-life balance.

I also live at the edge of the campus sandwiched between two senior boys’ boarding houses and two football pitches. You can hear the vibrant energy of young people enjoying themselves, playing and learning which is quite nice. For me, this proximity to campus actually helps in that work-life balance. If I hear a football match outside, I’ll often go out and see what’s going on. You feel like you are living life alongside the students; education is more than just a day job, it’s a way of life, and I think you can really feel that on Aiglon’s campus.

I have three children. Two of them graduated from Aiglon, and the youngest is here at the school. They live at home, but it’s almost like they are at boarding school. They go off in the morning and often don’t come home until ten at night. This means the holidays are important for us; we spend valuable time together as a family outside the normal school routines.

How does Aiglon College differentiate itself from the other international boarding schools, in terms of philosophy and also overall experience?

Aiglon was founded on the belief that education extends beyond the classroom. John Corlette, the school’s founder, described the goal of education as the development of the whole person and understanding one’s true self. For us, learning remains this balanced development of mind, body and spirit through challenge, respect, responsibility, diversity and service.

In our mountain village, there are three other boarding schools. This means the question of differentiation is tremendously important. Part of our distinct character
is rooted in our status as a not-for-profit educational institution. Aiglon is owned by its community. This means we have the freedom to always be investing back into the lives of our students and the school. Our scholarship programme is a testament to this community-focused approach.

I have been in schools that have guiding principles or a mission statement – it is there on paper and on the website, but that is all. At Aiglon the philosophy of maintaining this balance between the mind, body, and spirit, is something that we live by – that goes for students, staff and alumni. If a decision has to be made, even at a leadership level, and we are not sure what to do, we go back to these principles.

The idea of community is something that’s very important to us, both our on-campus community and our global community including our alumni. Keeping in touch with alumni is crucial. Recently I participated in regional events with students who had graduated from Aiglon over many generations. It’s amazing to see former students with such diverse experiences be connected by a common thread. They share common experiences, they have a common vocabulary, for example, they talk about their expeditions, boarding life and meditations. They have led very different lives, but all follow a very distinctive philosophy.

What unique extracurricular activities do you provide students to enrich their experience at Aiglon?

Rather than extracurricular activities, we talk about our co-curricular programme and character education. We try not to make a distinction between the value of the learning that is happening in the classroom versus learning in the boarding house or on the mountain. One aspect is not more important than the other; it’s this well-rounded approach in everything from academics to service that develops young people of character who can make a difference in the world.

We also start the day in a pretty unique way. Meditation has resided at the core of Aiglon’s life since the school’s inception. By beginning the day with a period of silence and a thought for the day, this tradition is a driving aspect of our daily activities and is rooted in our guiding principles. Four times a week students come together as a community, and either a teacher or a senior student leads a meditation, assembly or faith group.

This coming together is an important theme for us that runs through the entire school year. In addition to these daily assemblies, we also host an event called The Gathering, where students and staff come together to sing, enjoy drama performances and listen to other student performances. The event is kind of like a giant talent show, but one that is rooted in community rather than the individual. It’s become a really special time for us.

We also build this camaraderie on the mountain. Whether it’s ski touring to a high alpine peak or learning to snowshoe through one of our magical forests, we value the inherent learning that happens in mountain challenges and adventure. While we know the outdoors aren’t for everyone, we believe that a connection to this mountain environment helps you to succeed and grow across all the other areas of life. However, we do also leave our mountain.

Cultural learning experiences and service trips are also core to our programme. Junior school students travel to Swiss and European cultural capitals, and in senior school, students broaden their horizons and travel to places such as Cambodia, Peru, Thailand, and Guatemala. Participating in a service project is an unforgettable experience for Aiglon students.

There are also many opportunities for students to pursue their sporting passions. Students at Aiglon take part in a range of physical activities, from basketball and tennis to fitness and alpine running. We recently established a unique partnership with Manchester City Football Club that looks to both improve an individual’s football skills and instil the wider skills of team sport, leadership, motivation and an appreciation of nutrition and personal development. In parallel, we have launched a partnership with Lindsey Vonn, the Olympic champion ski racer, to enhance our winter ski and ski racing programme.

How does Aiglon College prepare students for success in higher education and beyond?

Our success doesn’t come from being in a high-pressure, purely academically driven environment. Whether it’s as part of the IB Diploma or scaling a mountain, we help students get out of their comfort zone and challenge themselves; they develop independence, leadership, and tenacity. But it’s all done in a safe and supportive environment where students can trust their experiences because, without that, you’re not going to learn.

Boarding also really helps prepare students for life. They have to be independent and organised. Of course, they have houseparents and wellbeing staff who are always there to help them, but they learn to take responsibility for themselves. We have ten boarding houses in total: five for girls and five for boys, with eight in the senior school and two in the junior school. Each term students are assigned to a new bedroom with a new group of friends. You must learn how to get on with other people no matter the personality or cultural differences, and I think that is unique to the boarding experience.

After their time at Aiglon, do your students stay in Switzerland or do they scatter for tertiary education?

Around 36% of our students head to the USA, followed by 34% to the UK, 16% worldwide and then 14% take a gap year. We consistently have a cohort of students opting to remain in Switzerland, and I have observed a discernible trend towards the Netherlands, indicating its growing popularity among our student body.

What can students study at Aiglon?

Each year group is part of a cohort that helps to shape the Aiglon experience.
From junior school through to graduation, students are on a journey that is exciting and distinct and yet faithful to a rhythm that reflects Aiglon’s ethos. The Wonder Years is for years three to six; for these students, the new Mountain School programme will play a huge part in their development. In Discovery (Years 7-9) students follow a bespoke curriculum designed to offer a broad range of experiential learning opportunities framed by exciting trips each summer term. In Exploration (Years 10-11) students can follow the IGCSE curriculum or our special Pre-IB programme designed to prepare students for the IB. Inspiration (Years 12-13) is built around the IB Diploma Programme, but students can also have the opportunity to follow a passion pathway allowing them to specialise in other areas and graduate with the Aiglon Diploma.

Tell us about your student body…

Over 65 nationalities are represented at Aiglon. However, we try to avoid talking just about nationality groups. So many students have multiple passports or multiple ethnicities – it’s a difficult question as the answer can be complex. Instead, we ask “Which languages do you speak?” We find this to be a more uniting question.

As a school located in a mountain resort, we value actively engaging with members
of the local community. We have a strong sense of service and community spirit. We take pride in receiving positive comments from the community. Our students are our best ambassadors. We often get reports from local shops and people saying “An Aiglon student helped me with this or that”. It’s very important that we are well-perceived within the community.

We hosted an extraordinary event last year, marking what we plan to be a new annual tradition, Community Learning Week. Students from years ten and eleven – engaged with the community for a whole week. They supported local farmers to tend the land and build fences, as well as playing games of petanque with members of the local club.

We take every opportunity to be part of the wider community. All four boarding schools in the vicinity, host an elderly lunch where students spend a lunchtime interacting with local seniors. Each school organises a delightful lunch event once per term to ensure that there are regular local activities taking place.

What is next for Aiglon?

Aiglon is in a transformation phase: from campus infrastructure, expansion of the cohorts, partnerships and so much more.

Our challenge is to think about how we can reimagine education in the digital age. The discourse surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) is undeniably intriguing, presenting us with a unique opportunity that demands our proactive engagement instead of outright banning. We have accepted that young people are going to use AI and so we need to get the best out of it. Students will try their hand at using Chat GPT to do their work, but I think our classes are small enough and our teachers know our students well enough to ask questions when needed.

And, that’s not just within the classroom. Aiglon has recently stepped into the world of esports, participating in a Europe-wide competition organised by Daigon Esports. In friendly matches, our students faced teams from Poland in Rocket League and London in FIFA.

We also have an ambitious campus master plan. In February 2023, we completed a brand new boarding house. Then, in March we broke ground on our next project, the Moghadam Campus Hub, which will be unveiled in August 2025. This project encompasses new dining and assembly rooms. This is the largest and most ambitious project in our school’s history. By keeping the campus and students in mind, our designs prioritise the unique needs not just of today’s Aiglon students, but the next generation.

If we want our students to be ambitious and to be proactive we need to model this for them. We try to involve students in the campus development building process. They look at the plans and provide input, particularly for their own boarding houses. There is nothing more exciting than when a student makes a suggestion and then sees it implemented.

You have an exceptional scholarship programme, could you please tell us a little about it?

For over 30 years we have been honoured to welcome scholars. This is again thanks to our community. In fact, 50% of scholarship funding comes from philanthropy, while the remaining half is invested by Aiglon from its operating surplus since this cause is so important to us.

Scholarships are awarded to students of outstanding promise and potential who would not otherwise have the financial means to access the world-class education offered at Aiglon.

Many educational institutions frequently discuss diversity, often emphasising the importance of a diverse student body in terms of nationalities but seldom is socioeconomic diversity discussed. Socioeconomic diversity is intrinsic. We have eighteen scholars this academic year, and this will grow to twenty scholars next academic year.

We have links to schools in Bhutan, Cambodia, Kenya and Somaliland and an academic programme in Palestine. However, we have independent scholars as well. In fact, one of our very first scholars is now a member of the Aiglon College Association (ACA) board.

Finding our scholars is a complex process, and we greatly value the support of our partner institutions, based across the world from Asia to Africa, to guide us to the right candidates.

About Aiglon:

Aiglon College is a private international boarding school located in Switzerland offering a distinctive, world class education in a stunning alpine setting. www.aiglon.ch