Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz prompts intellectual and physical development high in the Alps

Founded in 1904, Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz is an international boarding school with around 220 boarding and 120 day-school students aged 12 to 19. The focus at the Lyceum Alpinum is constantly on personal character development and student-centred learning. Defining the school philosophy is “the Spirit of Zuoz”, which conveys a balance of traditional values and modern cosmopolitanism and forms a unique basis for mastering future challenges.

“When I meet the alumni of the school, whether they studied 60 or 10 years ago, they talk about their personal experience in our multi-cultural, open and friendly community and call that the “Spirit of Zuoz”. Our holistic education, where both intellectual and physical development of the child is given equal importance,” says Oliver Hartwright, Head of School at Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz.

The intellectual development happens through the academic programmes that range from the Swiss Matura to the IB Diploma in small class settings, with the teacher student ratio being 1:4. The school follows the most effective teaching practices based on the Visible Learning principles established by the famous education researcher John Hattie. The physical development of the students is influenced by the location of the school. Located at 1750 metres above sea level, the Lyceum Alpinum is the highest boarding school in Switzerland.

“In winter, for example, our students have safe snow conditions right outside their dormitories, whereas children from other boarding schools have to travel in order to ski with a high risk of not finding any snow at all, Due to our unique location, we are able to offer different types of skiing and snowboarding – cross country skiing, ski touring, downhill skiing, free-style and ski racing,” says Hartwright.

“We have a Ski Academy, where our boys and girls, including our students from the Middle East and the Gulf region, in particular, are prepared at all levels from beginner to professional skiing levels including through a FIS-level professional ski coach. On the nearby frozen lake of St. Moritz our students also have the one-of-a-kind opportunity to engage in ice-polo, horse racing and cricket during the winter months.”

Alongside sports, students coming to the Lyceum Alpinum can choose from 70 activities in per week.

“A very important aspect that I would emphasize to parents in the Middle East is that their children are extremely safe at the Lyceum Alpinum and in the St. Moritz region of Switzerland. We are a very secure community located high in the Swiss Alps, away from cities, where students live and learn in a safe and inspiring natural environment and can from 70 activities in per week along,” says Hartwright.