Admission Guidelines and Policy

In this Section

Serving our Community

The International School of Zug and Luzern (ISZL) serves the educational needs of the international communities of Zug, Luzern, Zurich and Central Switzerland. At ISZL, we are committed to meeting each student’s needs to the best of our ability. The final decision on acceptance and placement is taken based on the potential of the applicant to benefit from the programmes and educational services available.

We offer a variety of learning programmes and opportunities, which are inclusive by design. They are: the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP); and for our high school learners, we work with students and families to take advantage of our expanded choices, including the Diploma Programme (IBDP), BTEC, and Advanced Placement options.

ISZL welcomes applications from students who will benefit from a challenging, international English-language education, which prepares them for Higher Education. Whilst our main intake of students is in August, admissions are accepted throughout the year, contingent on a place being available. Prospective students are assessed on their previous school academic record and their potential for growth at our school.

ISZL Inclusion Statement

ISZL supports, respects, and seeks inclusion for all of community members, including but not limited to: Age, Disability, Ethnicity, Gender, Gender Expression, Gender Identity, Health Needs, Languages Spoken, Marital Status, Mental Health, National Origin, Political Affiliation, Race, Religion, Sex, and Sexual Orientation.

Priority Placement Policy

During periods when the capacity of the school is insufficient to accommodate all qualified students who seek enrolment, the school operates a priority placement protocol as follows:

Families with current or past connections to ISZL*
a. Siblings
b. Returning students previously enrolled at ISZL within the last 3 years.
c. Children of alumni
Corporate sponsorship of the student is covered by a Corporate Partnership Agreement (CPA)
(If you or your company are interested in finding out more about CPAs, please contact the Admissions office)
The applicant is an international student not currently schooled in Central Switzerland
All other applicants, including Swiss nationals, based on the availability of educational alternatives and date of application.

* This is subject to a complete set of application papers being submitted by 1st February of the proposed year of entry to ISZL.

Guidelines

Age and Grade Level

It is the policy of ISZL to place a student into their age specific grade based on the age of the pupil on August 31 of the academic year in question. Minimum age requirements for the relevant grade entry are as follows:

ISZL CLASS	USA	UK	AGE ON 31 AUGUST
Early Years 1	Nursery	Nursery	3 years old
Early Years 2	Pre-K	Reception	4 years old
Kindergarten	Kindergarten	Year 1	5 years old
Grade 1	Grade 1	Year 2	6 years old
Grade 2	Grade 2	Year 3	7 years old
Grade 3	Grade 3	Year 4	8 years old
Grade 4	Grade 4	Year 5	9 years old
Grade 5	Grade 5	Year 6	10 years old
Grade 6	Grade 6	Year 7	11 years old
Grade 7	Grade 7	Year 8	12 years old
Grade 8	Grade 8	Year 9	13 years old
Grade 9	Grade 9	Year 10	14 years old
Grade 10	Grade 10	Year 11	15 years old
Grade 11	Grade 11	Year 12	16 years old
Grade 12	Grade 12	Year 13	17 years old

Students 19 years or older are not normally admitted to ISZL

English Language

At ISZL, all of our classes are conducted in English and for entry into mid-year Grade 7 and above there are English Language proficiency admission requirements.

Mid-year Entry Grade 7: Students must be able to demonstrate at least upper beginner proficiency in English (A2 level)
Grades 8: Students must be able to demonstrate at least intermediate proficiency in English (B1 level. Mid-year Grade 8 entry is expected to be B1/B2 level)
Grades 9 & 10: Students must be able to demonstrate at least an advanced intermediate proficiency in English (B2 level)
Grades 11 & 12: Students must give evidence of near-native English proficiency (C1/C2 level)

All new students applying to Grades 8 to 12 and mid-year entry Grade 7, who do not have English as a first language and / or do not have sufficient experience of academic English, may be required to sit an English Language Assessment prior to their confirmation of acceptance at ISZL. It is at the discretion of the school to decide if a student requires English as an Additional Language support.

Learn more about ISZL's English as an Additional Language (EAL) Programme.

Learning Support

All ISZL campuses provide support for students with recognised mild to moderate learning support needs. The school provides in-class or small group instruction for students with identified learning needs. The amount and type of support are outlined in the Student Support Plan.

New students applying to ISZL who have recognised learning support needs are required to submit relevant documentation at time of application, including copies of previous educational psychologist reports and other formal assessments, which need to be translated into English if applicable. Such applications are reviewed by the ISZL Learning Support Department and, if it is deemed that with the designated periods of support a student is unable to successfully access the curriculum, then admission to ISZL may be denied.

Learn more about ISZL's Learning Support Programme.