Collège Champittet

A Swiss international school with more than a century's roots

Collège Champittet is a day and boarding international school in Lausanne, Switzerland, part of the Nord Anglia Education family. Founded 120 years ago, the school serves internationally mobile families and those relocating to Switzerland. Philippe de Korodi is the Managing Director. The school's own positioning is "THE SWISS SCHOOL, OPEN TO THE WORLD", it combines more than 120 years of Swiss tradition with international innovation and aims to produce "gifted bilingual communicators." This positioning matters for families arriving in Switzerland: they get a school rooted in local standards, staffed by teachers hired partly for their Swiss credentials, yet geared entirely toward a global student body and international university entry. The site emphasises that this combination, Swiss heritage standards with international outlook, is what distinguishes it from both local Swiss schools and purely international alternatives.

What Champittet offers families relocating with school-age children

Families relocating to the Lake Geneva region need placement quickly, often mid-year, and that placement must feed into recognisable university pathways. Champittet addresses both constraints. The school admits students from preschool through secondary (ages roughly 3 to 18), allowing a family with multiple children at different stages to place all of them in one institution. Admissions are described as ongoing with application and enquiry pathways published. The school explicitly recruits expatriate families: the site mentions "more than 120 nationalities" in the community and names its "truly international day and boarding school" as its own description. A child arriving mid-year can enrol through the application process. The curriculum is bilingual, instruction happens in both French and English, which matters for a family relocating from an English-speaking country: children continue in English academics while acquiring French, rather than either switching entirely or remaining isolated in English-only instruction. The school offers three diploma pathways at secondary: the Swiss Maturité, the French Baccalaureate, and the International Baccalaureate (IBDP), meaning a family can choose which credential fits their future plans. The class of 2023 achieved a 100 percent pass rate in the Swiss Maturité, described as "well above the national average of 67 percent." For the IBDP, the school's average points score of 33 was "significantly higher than the global average." That performance record is measurable evidence of academic rigour.

Curriculum, instruction and specialisations across ages

Champittet structures education in stages: Preschool, Primary, Secondary, and specialised offerings. The site emphasises that "learning in both French and English" starts early in the younger years, with pre-school and primary "specifically designed by Champittet teachers for Champittet students." The school names collaborations with world-leading organisations: The Juilliard School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and UNICEF. These partnerships are described as enriching learning, though the site does not detail how, whether they involve student travel, visiting educators, curriculum integration, or something else. At secondary, students choose one of three diploma paths starting at age 14. The bilingual Swiss Maturité is taught in both French and English. The site mentions that higher-level maths is available as a "requirement for selective Swiss and international universities," and specialist French and English language courses exist, though specific titles are not listed. The school describes using "globally respected curricula created by world-leading education experts" and emphasises that teachers are "carefully chosen" for abundant experience and qualifications. The site does not name a boarding house structure, house system, or how boarding and day students integrate. It does not list specific extracurricular activities, sports teams, or the breadth of clubs available.

What remains unclear or unpublished

The site does not state tuition fees, a critical detail for any relocating family budgeting the move. Application requirements and timelines are not specified; a family would need to contact admissions to learn whether mid-year entry at each stage follows a specific process or timeline. The site describes boarding as available but does not explain accommodation, meal provisions, who manages boarding, whether it is mandatory at any stage, or what the daily or weekly boarding routine looks like. It does not name how many students board versus attend day-only, the ratio of boarders to day students, or whether boarding is clustered by age. The 120-year history is cited but the site does not describe the school's founding, how it evolved, what changed when it joined Nord Anglia Education, or whether its Swiss tradition reflects unbroken family ownership or a merger. The site names "strong family values" as part of the mission but does not elaborate what that means in practice. It does not specify class sizes, student-to-teacher ratios, or how many of the teachers teach at each level. Languages offered beyond French and English are not listed. The site does not state whether a student needs prior French proficiency to enrol or what French-language support exists for incoming non-native speakers.

Who the school suits and who might look elsewhere

Champittet appeals to families relocating to the Lake Geneva region (the school is in Lausanne) who want their child in a bilingual environment combining Swiss academic standing with international credentials. The three diploma options make it flexible: a family committed to Switzerland long-term can pursue the Maturité, while one planning onward mobility can choose the IB. The day and boarding mix suits families who want flexibility, some children can board if the family's work situation requires it, while others attend day. The 120-year Swiss heritage appeals to families seeking rootedness and stability, not a transient international-school chain. The size and scale (the site mentions classes across ages 3 to 18) mean older siblings and younger children can attend the same school, reducing logistical strain. The school is less suitable for families committed to only one language (it is bilingual, not English-only), those needing intensive academic remediation, or those arriving with non-resident status and uncertain tenure. The application and admissions process exists but the site does not state competitive criteria; families should enquire directly about their child's eligibility. The boarding option is available but appears ancillary to the day programme rather than the school's identity, unlike pure boarding schools; families for whom boarding structure and house community are paramount may prefer alternatives. Tuition cost is unpublished, which excludes families with limited budgets without clear information on pricing. The Lake Geneva location works for families relocating to Lausanne or the surrounding region but not for those moving to Zurich, Bern, or other parts of Switzerland.

Admissions and contact

Enquiry, application and visit booking pathways are available through the school's website. The site states "Admissions," "Tuition Fees," and "Entry Requirements" as menu topics, suggesting these pages exist but are not shown in the excerpt provided. Families relocating to Lausanne should contact the school directly via the enquiry form or phone to discuss mid-year entry, tuition costs, boarding options, and French-language placement support.