Learning
Swiss Education in Beijing
The Swiss School Beijing is the first “Swiss School Abroad” in China and offers a unique window onto the Swiss education system. This system was built on the pedagogical principles introduced by J.H. Pestalozzi in the 18th century, and has contributed significantly towards Switzerland’s present-day ranking as the most innovative country worldwide. Education has always played a central role in the social, cultural and economic growth of Switzerland.
Classes in a Swiss School Abroad are taught in at least one of Switzerland’s national languages. At the Swiss School Beijing, this will initially be German. In addition, education in the Swiss School Beijing is based on a Swiss curriculum, adapted to benefit from the school’s culturally rich Chinese and international context. The quality assurance for the school is carried out by educational experts from the Canton of Zurich.
As a section of the Western Academy of Beijing (WAB), the Swiss School Beijing benefits of the excellent infrastructure of this reputed international school.
Our Values
How do we prepare our children for the opportunities and challenges of tomorrow? We believe that this is best achieved by letting them discover the fun of learning and allowing them to grow up in a truly multicultural setting.
Our school nurtures:
- A spirit of exploration and the motivation to learn
- Creativity and innovation
- Self-confidence and empathy
- Responsibility and reliability
- Respect for others and the environment
- The ability to learn and the willingness to perform
Our Approach
Children are at the centre of the learning process. Our main goal is to make sure that their learning is successful.
We recognise that every child is different and we therefore use a differentiated approach to teaching and learning.
We believe that education should be holistic, that it should develop academic knowledge as well as creative, sportive and social skills.
We recognize that our location in Beijing is a unique opportunity to learn from many different cultures.
We recruit highly qualified and experienced teachers. Our class teachers have educational qualifications that are recognized by the Swiss government.
We provide an environment that is friendly, healthy, safe and in general conducive to learning.
We value a constructive collaboration with parents. In particular, we inform them regularly of the School’s educational goals and their child’s progress.
We foster a culture of continuous improvement in all areas of our school.
Our Teachers
Linda Ninio is a graduate from the Zurich University of Teacher Education (Pädagogische Hochschule Zürich). She worked as a primary school teacher in various schools in Switzerland before joining the Swiss School Beijing in 2020. She lived in Beijing previously and can speak basic Mandarin, in addition to being fluent in German, English and French. Linda Ninio is also the School Principal of the Swiss School Beijing.
Carla Frehner holds a Bachelor in Primary Education from the University of Teacher Education of Graubünden (Pädagogische Hochschule Graubünden). She also has training in zoological education and studied veterinary medicine for two years. Prior to joining the Swiss School Beijing as a Pedagogical Coordinator and Teacher, Carla Frehner worked during eight years as a primary school teacher in Zurich. Carla Frehner is fluent in German, English, French and Italian and has some basic knowledge of Spanish.
Rahel Sutter holds a Bachelor in Primary Education from the Thurgau University of Teacher Education (Pädagogische Hochschule Thurgau) and worked as a primary school teacher in various schools in Switzerland. She is fluent in German, English and French and has a good conversational level in Mandarin.
Susann Jakob has a Bachelor in English Linguistics and Literature and a Masters in History from the University of Bern, as well as a teaching diploma from the Bern University of Teacher Education (Pädagogische Hochschule Bern). She gained teaching experience in Switzerland before moving to China in 2021, where she worked at the Haidian Foreign Language Academy in Beijing and taught German as a foreign language. Susann is fluent in German, English and French and has some basic knowledge of Russian and Afrikaans.
Candice Lv is a teaching assistant for the Primary section, as well as our Textile and technical design subject teacher. She is Chinese and holds a Bachelor of Primary Education. She is also fluent in German and worked as a Teaching Assistant in the Kindergarten of the German Embassy School and in House of Knowledge before joining the Swiss School.
Dan Bai is a teaching assistant for the Early Years and Kindergarten group. She is Chinese and has a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Martin Luther University in Halle-Wittenberg, Germany. She is fluent in German and lived in Germany for eight years, where she completed her studies and gathered experience in the education of young children through various internships.
XinYi Chen is a teaching assistant for the Primary section. She is Chinese and has a Master degree in German language and literature. She participated in student exchanges with the Thurgau University of Teacher Education (Switzerland) and the University of Erfurt (Germany) and did several internships in Swiss and German primary schools.
Stella Jiang teaches Chinese culture (from Early Years onwards) and English (from Pre-Primary/KG2 onwards). She has more than 12 years of experience working as a substitute teacher, Chinese teacher and homeroom teacher in various international schools in Shanghai. Stella is Chinese and has a master’s degree in teaching Chinese as a second language. She is fluent in Mandarin and English and has basic knowledge of German.
Early Years and Kindergarten
The Swiss School Beijing welcomes children that are 3 and 4 years old on 31st of August into its Early Years and Kindergarten (KG1) class. The classroom teacher is an experienced teacher with Swiss teaching qualification.
Our school hours are as follows:
Monday: 8:30am to 3:20pm
Tuesday: 8:30am to 3:20pm
Wednesday: 8:30am to 11:40am
Thursday: 8:30am to 3:20pm
Friday: 8:30am to 3:20pm
A typical school day may look as follows:
8:30am Classes commence
10:15am-10:35am Morning break
11:55am-12:55pm Lunch
3:20pm Classes end (11:40am on Wednesdays)
Pre-Primary and Primary
The Swiss School Beijing welcomes children that are 5 to 10 years old on 31st of August into its Pre-Primary (KG2) and Primary section. The classroom teachers are experienced teachers with Swiss or German teaching qualification. Students of the Swiss School Beijing can also join WAB‘s Chinese language program. This program caters for beginners through to native speakers and recognizes the diverse learning needs of WAB’s students.
School begins at 8:30am and ends at 3:20pm.
Middle School
The Swiss School Beijing welcomes children that are 11 to 14 years old on 31st of August into its Middle School (Grade 6 to 9). Teaching and learning takes place jointly with Western Academy of Beijing, with selected subject being taught by experienced Swiss teachers.
School begins at 8:30am and ends at 3:20pm.
