ITSmove Privatschule Winterthur

What ITSmove is

ITSmove is a canton-recognized private school (kantonal anerkannte Privatschule) based in Winterthur, serving students from primary through secondary level. The school describes itself as offering individualized education in small groups, with a pedagogical approach centered on self-directed learning and personal development rather than traditional classroom structure.

The school's motto for the 2026-27 school year is "It's time to shine," positioning itself as a place where each student's individual strengths are recognised and developed. Unlike the mainstream Swiss school system, which follows a standardised cantonal curriculum, ITSmove explicitly offers an alternative pathway for families seeking a different learning environment for their children.

The school is located at Rudolf-Diesel-Strasse 24 in Winterthur and is reached by contacting Claudia Augstburger directly at 076 355 77 02 or office@itsmove.ch. It operates Monday to Thursday from 08:00 to 17:00, with abbreviated Wednesday and Friday hours from 08:00 to 12:15.

For arriving families seeking school alternatives

Arriving families in Winterthur and the surrounding Zurich area face the standard Swiss decision: the state school system operating in German, with its rigid structure and canton-specific curriculum, or private alternatives. ITSmove explicitly markets itself to families who are "not happy with the current school situation" and positions itself as "the right solution for you and your child."

This orientation is useful for families arriving from systems very different from the Swiss Lehrplan 21 (the 21st-century learning plan adopted across most Swiss cantons). Families arriving from project-based or Montessori backgrounds, or from schools emphasising emotional intelligence and self-directed learning, may find the state system a poor fit. ITSmove offers a concrete alternative.

The school states it "has free school places" available, suggesting ongoing admission throughout the year rather than only at standard intake points. For families arriving mid-year, this flexibility is a practical advantage.

What ITSmove's approach offers

ITSmove's core offering is individualized education in "small groups" rather than the larger classes typical of Swiss state schools. The school emphasises personal relationships as a foundation: their stated values are "LAB: lösungsorientiert, achtsam und beziehungsstark" (solution-oriented, mindful, and relationship-strong). This framing suggests counselling and emotional support are integral rather than add-ons.

The school organises students in mixed-age groups (altersdurchmischt), a departure from the age-based progression of traditional schools. Mixed-age learning is intended to foster peer teaching and a broader range of social relationships within the student body.

A distinctive feature is the "Reiseschule" (traveling school) model. The school describes itself as "a travel school for a cosmopolitan horizon" that offers families "traveling as a family" the option to attend school while on the road. This is not a remote-only option but a physical program where students and teachers travel together. The school frames this as developing "future skills: collaboration, communication, creativity" and understanding "the world together and discover."

Another unusual feature is the explicit promise of no homework (keine Hausaufgaben). The site states "we guarantee no homework" on the secondary level via "HomeDays," where students work independently during school days rather than taking assignments home. This is a significant departure from Swiss schools, which routinely assign homework.

The school's curriculum is built on Lehrplan 21, the official Swiss cantonal plan, but the pedagogical delivery is student-centred. The site emphasises "strong relationships" as the basis for effective learning and highlights investment in "personality development" and fostering "good values and potential in your child."

Language learning is part of the offering. The school mentions teaching French using the Birkenbihl Method, described as a "brain-appropriate" approach, since the 2022-23 school year. The site links to a video demonstrating this method but does not detail language requirements for admission or fluency expectations.

What the school does not clarify

ITSmove does not publish tuition fees or the structure of costs. The site has a section titled "Aktuelle Schultarife" (current school fees) but the actual figures are not visible in the publicly available pages. For families making a relocation decision, cost is a primary constraint, and the absence of published fees requires a direct inquiry.

The exact age range served is not specified. The site refers to "Unterstufe, Mittelstufe, Oberstufe" (lower, middle, upper levels) but does not state the ages these correspond to. In Swiss terminology, these typically span ages 5-18, but confirmation is needed.

The school does not explain its admissions process beyond stating it has open places. How selective is entry? Are there aptitude assessments or interviews? Are language fluency thresholds required (particularly for German)? These questions are left unanswered in the visible materials.

The traveling school concept is intriguing but underspecified. How often do these travel experiences happen? Who leads them? What is the cost differential? What educational outcomes does the school expect? The site hints at the concept but does not detail its operation.

Who ITSmove suits

ITSmove is well-suited to families seeking a fundamentally different approach to education than Swiss state schools offer. This includes families arriving from alternative pedagogical backgrounds: Montessori, Waldorf, Reggio Emilia, or project-based schools.

Families valuing emotional development and relationship-based learning over traditional academic progression may find ITSmove's emphasis on "strong relationships" and "personality development" compelling.

Parents who prize travel and cross-cultural experience will be drawn to the Reiseschule model and the school's explicit commitment to developing a "cosmopolitan horizon."

Families arriving with children struggling in traditional school settings, or those who were home-schooled or in alternative education prior to relocation, may find ITSmove's individualised structure easier to integrate into than Swiss state schools.

Families less well-suited to ITSmove include those arriving with limited German fluency and seeking English-language schooling (the school operates in German, though mixed-age learning and alternative pedagogy may provide some support). Families expecting a conventionally structured, academically rigorous pathway aligned with Swiss or international standards (IGCSE, A-Levels, IB) will find ITSmove less aligned with those outcomes. Those with tight budgets unable to absorb unknown private-school fees should wait to see published costs before committing to an application.

Verdict

ITSmove fills a specific niche: a canton-recognized alternative to Swiss state schools for families with philosophical commitments to experiential, relationship-based, or mixed-age learning. The Reiseschule concept is distinctive and suggests a school genuinely different from mainstream options.

The school's stated availability of open places and flexible hours suggest genuine openness to arriving families. Testimonials from families emphasise transformation and belonging ("our son has truly flourished," "the best decision we could have made"), which speaks to the school's strength in supporting students who struggled elsewhere.

The main barriers to decision-making are the absence of published fees and the limited detail on how the school serves students arriving from other curricula or language backgrounds. For families already philosophically aligned with alternative pedagogy and able to afford private tuition, ITSmove merits a site visit and conversation with Claudia Augstburger. For families seeking English-language or conventionally structured international education, it is less of a fit.