Coaching Team

Our supervisors come from different backgrounds and different parts of the world, but they all have in common their dedication to make our boarding students feel at home.
Our “Head of Boarding” Ken, together with his friendly and committed team, act as mediators, counsellors, comforters and friends to students from many different nationalities, to create a thriving and harmonious community.
The boarding team helps to ensure that our boarders succeed, not only on an academic level but also as young adults. The team will always be there if one of the boarders needs them, from supporting through homesickness to just being there for a quick chat or piece of advice.
Living so close together our carers can be the most significant person in our students’ lives, and like a parent, our team will do their utmost to make everyone feel welcome and at home, whatever is going on in their lives.

Ken Russell - Head of Boarding

Who are you?
My name is Ken Russell and I am the Head of Boarding for the ISSH Boarding House.

Where are you from and how did you get to work in the Boarding House?
I am from Ireland. I went to two boarding schools in Ireland – the first when I was in “sixth class” aged 11-12, and then a second for “first – sixth class” aged 12-18. All of my family attended boarding schools, including both parents and my grandfather. My first boarding job was as a house-parent at the Ecole d’Humanite in Hasliberg (Switzerland). I moved from there to ISSH.

What is your background?  (school, job, etc.)
First boarding school – Colaiste na Rinne (an Irish language school where no English was allowed), Second boarding school – The King’s Hospital in Dublin. I did a three-year degree in Economics and Finance in Dublin before working as an investment banker for Credit Suisse in London and then Zurich. I resigned from banking in 2011, went travelling, read some long books, and then retrained as a math teacher in the UK before returning to Switzerland.

Do you live alone or do you have family here in Schaffhausen?
I live with my wife, my 4-month-old son, and our two dogs.

How would the boarders describe you?
I hope they would describe me as strict but fair. I am also friendly, understanding and have a sense of humour. Typically, the students which I also teach get to see a more rounded aspect to my character (I also teach Economics in the Diploma Programme)

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
I like it when I get to do fun things with the boarders – playing board games or going on trips. This aspect of my job feels much less work, and also lets me enjoy the students’ many other skills and personal characteristics without considering academic performance.

What is the biggest challenge of working as a carer?
Being a carer is much like being a parent. We feel the ups and downs of students’ lives just as parents do. 

2 words to describe the ISSH Boarding house?
Responsibility and independence. 

What do you do when you are not at work?
I spend hours walking our dogs. They need a lot of exercise 🙂   I like to work on wood and metal projects, and am an active member of a local workshop in Schaffhausen. Increasingly, I am getting involved with garden work… now that we have a garden… though I tend to verge toward building compost bins, gates, fences, etc and leave the planting to my wife 🙂

Coaching team

Kirsi Pignault

I’m originally from Finland but lived in France for 20 years. For the last 7 years my french husband, 3 teenagers, my 2 cats and myself have been living in Switzerland.  I speak fluent Finish, English, French and little bit of German.

In my spare time, I like skiing, hiking and travelling. I also enjoy reading. My favourite writers right now are Ken Follett, Liane Moriarty, Arnaldur Indridason and Camilla Läckberg.

My other passion is cooking and for the last 3 years, while I have worked at the Boarding House, I have tried my best to teach the students all my knowledge. Hopefully, many of them have learned some basic things and some improved their already exciting skills.

Elizabeth Muller

I was born in Peru but I have lived and worked in Malaysia, Belgium, the UK and Switzerland.  I hold a BA in European Politics and Languages with a 1st Class honours award complemented by a PGCE in Modern Languages. I speak Spanish, French, and English, currently I am learning German.  My work experience includes diplomatic missions, international organisations and British secondary schools prior to working at the ISSH boarding house.  I enjoy interacting with young people as they are full of energy and enthusiasm. Having travelled extensively in Asia and Europe, I am familiar with being part of a multicultural environment, which helps when we consider that my colleagues and students come from so many different backgrounds.  I enjoy listening to the boarders and encouraging them with their ideas, from baking, clothes, make up, language practicing, personal matters to essay checking.  Possibly they do not think my cake making is the best but I will always be there ready to support, crack jokes and forget the rules when playing, particularly roleplay games. My aim is to make their lives as pleasant as possible since they -like me- are far from their families. Having a positive bond with everyone is very important as it makes the whole ISSH experience unforgettable.

Inna Barker

I was born in Russia, moved to the United States, later then France and now I live in Switzerland.

I have a bachelor’s degree in Special Education and speech therapy, and I have been working with children for over 20 years. I have been working at the ISSH boarding houses as a caretaker since it first opened. I also work at the afterschool care as well.

When students come over to our boarding houses, it is sometimes their first time away from home, away from their family and away from their country. My goal is to help them feel at home here, to give them a sense of security and companionship and to teach them daily life skills that will prepare them for a future of independent life. It is my greatest joy to see my students grow and I am happy to be part of this unique program that guides future generations to success.

In my free time I like reading many different genres, my favorite author is Fyodor Dostoevsky. I like crocheting and knitting and I like to teach my students at the boarding house how to knit scarves, hats and socks. I enjoy cooking and trying out new and interesting recipes often.

A typical day as a boarder
Tuition Fees
Questions and Answers
Information Material
Previous
Next