What makes the ISSH Boarding Programme distinctive is that boarding is part of our overall educational concept. It is intentionally designed to develop core skills, expanding on the IB’s commitment to develop students not only academically, but also ethically, personally, and socially.  Boarding is not simply student accommodation. Rather, it is a safe and nurturing environment where students develop confidence, responsibility, autonomy, integrity, and strong interpersonal abilities.

Our small boarding groups of 10 students create an individualised and nurturing setting where students develop at their own pace. Our structured yet flexible framework allows students to naturally develop personal responsibility not through strict regulations, but rather through real-life experience. Through meaningful conversations with our boarding team, students develop essential skills. They learn to plan study schedules and meet academic deadlines. They practice responsible media usage. They consider the needs of housemates while maintaining shared living spaces.

Our international atmosphere fosters cultural adaptability and understanding. A student from China might learn how to celebrate Fasnacht, the Swiss version of carnival, while a student from Turkey might teach their housemates to make ayran. At meal times, we often discuss different norms of etiquette, or the ways body language and problem solving can vary across cultures. These daily cultural exchanges enhance the global-mindedness at the core of the IB Programme.