Tandem International Multilingual School (Early Years/Pre-school, Kindergarten, Primary School, Gymmasium)

Multilingualism

Tandem IMS has developed a unique concept of multi­lingualism in the education of the very young through to Gymnasium. English and German are spoken simultaneously from the Early Years. French becomes a fixed component of our curriculum from 1st Primary onwards, yet can also be included as an optional subject in Kindergarten. Teachers of each language regularly co-teach in the classroom. This unique feature of Tandem IMS develops the “translanguaging” skills of our children; the ability to rapid-ly switch from one language to another and exchange thoughts in different languages. This is an essential part of our well grounded and progressive multilingual curriculum. The multilingual communication skills learned in this way enable each child to enhance their linguistic ­repertoire, strengthen their academic and cognitive skills and deepen their social and global understanding.

High Quality Education

Tandem IMS aims to provide a high quality school education leading to a variety of excellent offers at secondary and Gymnasium level within Switzerland and abroad. Our Tandem IMS pupils work intensively towards the Zurich Gymnasium exams and other international school entrance requirements. Our multilingual curriculum prepares the children for a variety of school choices and opens many educational opportunities to them.

Children

Over 300 children of over 30 nationalities attend Tandem IMS. More than half of them communicate in three or more languages. Tandem IMS children benefit daily from our passion for education, our enthusiasm for multilingualism and our deep knowledge of the international and Swiss education systems. Our families are from both Swiss and international backgrounds. They all value international education as well as integration into the ­local Swiss community.

School Life

The school day at Tandem IMS is vibrant and full of positive energy, shaped by our diverse and international community of families. As a day school, we offer extended hours, school lunches, a homework club, extracurricular activities, holiday care, and holiday camps. These offerings not only enrich pupils’ experiences but also allow families to organise their schedules flexibly to meet their individual needs.

Settling-In

For the younger children, Tandem IMS has a detailed settling-in programme, which is extensively discussed with parents upon enrolment. For the older children in Kindergarten, Primary and Gymnasium levels, trial days and a welcome morning are organised for all new children in a class. This time gives the parents and the child an opportunity to meet the teacher and learn more about the class environment.

Teacher Staff

Our highly qualified teaching staff brings extensive experience in both Swiss-German and international curricula. With a strong foundation in multiple languages, our educators exemplify the multilingualism they inspire in the children. Excellent team teaching, professional development, and career growth are central to our values, ensuring we remain at the forefront of the evolving education system.

Parents and Tandem IMS

Tandem IMS greatly values the home-school partnership in educating and caring for our pupils. We foster positive relationships with our parents through strong communication and collaboration. Each of our Tandem IMS locations has its own Parent Teacher Association (PTA). This is an active link between teachers and parents in order to support the school and to positively promote school life.

History

Sonya Maechler-Dent founded Tandem IMS in 2004, first as a Pre-School which extended into a Kindergarten in 2006 and a Primary School in 2010. Sonya holds a Master in Education Management with a focus on multilingualism and organisational culture. She has led training programmes for teachers and has taught in different school systems in Switzerland and abroad. She lives with her husband and their three sons in the canton of Zurich.