Guided by the K.I.N.D. Framework, taught in English and Italian, from Grade 1 to Grade 12
The K.I.N.D. Framework
Our curriculum is guided by the K.I.N.D. Framework - Kindness, Innovation, Navigation and Discovery. This approach helps students develop strong character, curiosity, and the ability to adapt and think independently.
Through these principles, students build the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to learn effectively, work with others, and navigate an increasingly complex world.
How the curriculum works
Masterclasses
Workshops and special topics led by educators and professionals, exploring subjects in greater depth.
The Discovery Programme
Time for creativity, sports and hands-on learning in areas such as robotics, design and the arts.
Two routes to university
In the final years, students take International A-Levels or the IB Diploma.
The curriculum at a glance
- Grades 1-12
- One curriculum from primary to the diploma years
- EN + IT
- Two languages of instruction, German from Grade 3
- A-Levels + IB
- Two routes to university in the final years
- K.I.N.D.
- Kindness, Innovation, Navigation, Discovery
What makes our curriculum different
Our curriculum combines strong academic foundations with opportunities for students to develop practical skills and explore their interests. Alongside their core studies, students build capabilities such as collaboration, leadership, adaptability and emotional awareness.
Through our Masterclass Programme, students take part in workshops and special topics led by educators and professionals, exploring subjects in greater depth. Our Discovery Programme provides time for creativity, sports and hands-on learning in areas such as robotics, design and the arts.
By connecting academic learning with real-world experiences, students develop the confidence, curiosity and critical thinking needed for university and for life beyond school.
One curriculum, stage by stage
| Stage | Grades and ages | What it is built around |
|---|---|---|
| Primary School | Grades 1 to 5, starting at five | Inquiry-based learning in six transdisciplinary units a year. English as the language of instruction, Italian taught alongside, German from Grade 3. |
| Middle School | Grades 6 to 10, ages ten to fifteen | STEAM, languages, history and geography in the morning. The Discovery Programme in the afternoon, included in tuition. Language classes placed by the Common European Framework, A1 to C2. |
| Grade 10 (Pre-DP) | The final Middle School year | A foundation across the sciences, humanities and the arts, with individual guidance on the choice of diploma path. |
| Grades 11 and 12 | The diploma years | International A-Levels, examined by Pearson Edexcel, or the IB Diploma Programme, which the school is authorized to offer as an IB World School. |
Tuition for each stage is on the fees page.
Two languages, one timetable
English is the language of instruction from the first day of Grade 1, and Italian is taught alongside it, so that a child who starts with neither language grows into both. German starts in Grade 3. In the Middle School, English and Italian are both languages of instruction, and German is an elective in the Discovery Programme. Language classes are placed by level on the Common European Framework, from A1 to C2, not by age.
Which language a child needs on arrival depends on the stage. The language programme describes how each language is taught at each stage, and the Bridge Programme is the route for an older student who needs a year to reach the level the diploma courses ask for.
The curriculum, stage by stage
Each stage builds on the one before it - one school, one path, from the first year of primary school to the diploma.
Curriculum guides to download
The school publishes detailed guides to its programmes. They open on Issuu, a document platform:
International School of Switzerland is a candidate school* for the PYP. This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. IB World Schools share a common philosophy- a commitment to high-quality, challenging, international education- that we believe is important for our students.
International School of Switzerland is a candidate school* for the MYP. This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. IB World Schools share a common philosophy- a commitment to high-quality, challenging, international education- that we believe is important for our students.
* Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme (DP), or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted. For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit www.ibo.org.
See the curriculum in action
A curriculum reads differently on paper than it feels in a classroom. Come and see lessons in progress.
Details and questions
- Year groups
- Grades 1–12
Where the curriculum sits in the Swiss school system
Switzerland has no national curriculum. Schooling is run by the cantons, compulsory education lasts eleven years, and in Ticino it runs through the scuola dell'infanzia, the five-year scuola elementare and the four-year scuola media. The academic route after that is the liceo, which leads to the Swiss Maturità.
The International School of Switzerland follows an international curriculum instead. It leads to International A-Levels or the IB Diploma, not to the Maturità. Both are accepted for admission to Swiss universities on conditions that each university sets and that swissuniversities publishes. For A-Levels that usually means several independent subjects with mathematics or a natural science among them, which is why the subject choice for Grade 11 is discussed with each student in Grade 10.
For a family arriving from Italy, Germany or the United Kingdom, the first practical question is usually which grade a child joins. The school counts Grades 1 to 12; the year-level comparison chart below shows how that lines up with a child's current year, and the final placement is agreed in the admissions conversation.
Sources
- ch.ch, compulsory education in Switzerland: cantonal responsibility, eleven years, the stages
- Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK), the Swiss education system
- swissuniversities, admission with International A-Levels
- International Baccalaureate Organization: the programmes, candidacy and authorization
Checked on 6 September 2026. Official rules change; the linked pages are authoritative.
Questions families ask about our curriculum
What is the K.I.N.D. Framework?
K.I.N.D. stands for Kindness, Innovation, Navigation and Discovery, the four principles that guide how we teach. It is not a subject or a separate programme; it is the way every subject is taught, from Grade 1 to the diploma years.
Which grades does the curriculum cover?
Grades 1 to 12, as one continuous curriculum in three stages: Primary School in Grades 1 to 5, Middle School in Grades 6 to 10 - closing with Grade 10, the Pre-DP year - and the Senior School diploma years in Grades 11 and 12.
What curriculum does the school follow?
Lessons are taught in English and Italian within the K.I.N.D. Framework. In the final years, students work towards A-Levels or the IB Diploma; the school is an IB World School authorized to offer the Diploma Programme, and a candidate school for the Primary Years and Middle Years Programmes.
Is the curriculum British, American or IB?
It is international rather than national. The qualifications at the end are International A-Levels, a British examination set by Pearson Edexcel, and the IB Diploma Programme, which the school is authorized to offer as an IB World School. The primary years are inquiry-based, and no stage follows the curriculum of a single country.
What is the difference between a bilingual school and an international school?
A bilingual school teaches in two languages; an international school prepares students for internationally recognised qualifications in an international community. At ISS the two come together: lessons in English and Italian, leading to A-Levels or the IB Diploma.
Do students have to choose between A-Levels and the IB straight away?
No. The choice belongs to the final years: Grade 10, the Pre-DP year, lays the foundation, and in Grades 11 and 12 students pursue A-Levels or the IB Diploma Programme. The decision is prepared with each student during Grade 10.
How long does the IB Diploma Programme take, and how is it scored?
Two years, in Grades 11 and 12. The IB scores the diploma out of 45 points and awards it from 24 points, subject to its own conditions on the core components. The rules are published by the International Baccalaureate Organization.
Is the IB harder than the Swiss Maturità?
They are different routes rather than easier and harder versions of the same one. The Maturità is the cantonal route through the liceo, taught in Italian in Ticino; the IB Diploma and A-Levels are international qualifications taught here in English. All three lead to Swiss and international universities. ISS does not offer the Maturità.
Can my child go to a Swiss university with A-Levels or the IB?
Yes, on conditions that each university sets and that swissuniversities publishes. For A-Levels the pattern is several independent subjects with mathematics or a natural science among them and minimum grades in each. That is why the subject choice for Grade 11 is planned in Grade 10 with a Swiss university in mind where a family wants one.
My child does not speak English yet. Can they still follow the curriculum?
In the primary years, children grow into English and Italian in the classroom. For an older student, the Bridge Programme offers a year to build language fluency and academic confidence before the diploma courses. Where a child is placed is agreed in the admissions conversation.
How long is the school year, and when are the holidays?
The school year 2026/27 runs from Monday 31 August 2026 to Wednesday 16 June 2027. Holiday dates and events are on the calendar page.
What does the curriculum cost?
Tuition depends on the grade, from CHF 16,000 a year in Grade 1 to CHF 22,000 in Grades 10 to 12. The Discovery Programme and the student's laptop are included; examination fees in the diploma years are charged separately. The full table is on the fees page.
Where can I read the curriculum in detail?
The school publishes an MYP student handbook, a Diploma Programme guide and a year-level comparison chart; the links are above. Each stage also has its own page with a table of confirmed facts.