Geneva English School

GES is an academically successful, popular and all through school (3 to 18) based just outside of Geneva on the shores of Lake Leman overlooking Mt Blanc. We are a not-for-profit school and our stunning location, first-class facilities and wonderful teachers ensure that our students are happy and successful. As parents often tell us ‘you never see an unhappy child at GES’.

Our school is a welcoming and thriving community with students following the British National Curriculum from ages 3 to 18 with a wide number of GCSE and IGCSE courses between ages 15 and 16 followed by A Levels from age 17 to 18. We believe that the rigorous and demanding UK curriculum is second to none. It gives students a broad exposure to learning when they are younger and then allows specialisation in areas of interest as they get older. A Levels are recognised worldwide and are a passport to an outstanding university education. Please see the curriculum pages for more information on what we teach and when.

Our community is as diverse as the Geneva area we serve. We have students and families from the local missions, the UN, and NGO’s as well as families that work in the corporate sector and those that live locally. At the last count, we had 48 languages spoken at the school. All of our lessons are taught in English and we offer a bilingual nursery. We ensure that our students are taught French throughout their time with us and are supported in gaining formal qualifications in languages that they may speak at home. Our A Level programme includes the requirement for students to reach a high level of French or German so that they can study in Switzerland, France or Germany as well as the UK, US and other countries.

We are deliberately a smaller school, focused on getting to know our students and their families to ensure that students are challenged and supported through their childhood and teenage years. We understand that young people are under more and more pressure and recognise that adolescent mental health is an issue in society as a whole. At GES we ensure that students are not over tested and that they get to experience the world around them, are exposed to theatre and music, and excel in individual and team sports. We offer a large variety of clubs and after-school activities to develop our students, make sure that they know what is right and wrong as well as understand and celebrate different perspectives and diversity as a whole.

Families who join GES are immediately made to feel welcome and become part of our warm and friendly community. We are passionate about the importance of a strong partnership between school and home. Parents are encouraged to support their children’s education and to contribute their ideas and expertise to enrich the life of the school.

Our teaching is expert, active, engaging and flexible, responding to the needs of individuals. We break down the barriers between different areas of the curriculum, helping pupils to connect their learning across subjects and encouraging them to think critically and creatively. We believe in building a collaborative community of enquiry in which children appreciate the relevance of study and become self-motivated, confident and inquisitive learners.

As Head, Matt Williams, puts it: “I am very proud to lead such a wonderful and energetic school. Every day I go into lessons and see happy students being challenged by excellent teachers. I speak to students at break and lunchtime who are polite and enthusiastic about learning and have a strong sense of right and wrong. As truly international citizens, our students have the ability and experience to become the leaders of tomorrow.”