North America
La Garenne International School is a well-established Swiss boarding and day school in Villars-sur-Ollon, welcoming students from age 3 to 18 in a close-knit international environment. Founded in 1947 and run by the Méan family, the school combines a warm “family away from home” ethos with a structured academic pathway from Reception and Primary through MYP, IGCSE, and then either the IB Diploma Programme or the High School Diploma.
Founded in 1947, La Garenne International School has built a distinctive position among Swiss boarding schools by combining a family-run culture with a fully international student community. Set in Villars-sur-Ollon in the Vaud Alps, the school offers a safe, structured and highly personal environment where children and teenagers can grow academically, socially and emotionally.
One of La Garenne’s strongest differentiators is the coherence of its educational journey. Rather than presenting unrelated programmes side by side, the school offers a clear progression from Reception and Primary into MYP, then IGCSE, and finally either the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme or the High School Diploma. This makes it especially relevant for families seeking long-term continuity rather than a short-stop international placement.
The boarding experience is equally important to the school’s identity. With two campuses a short walk apart, modern facilities, strong safeguarding and a smaller community than many larger Swiss institutions, La Garenne appeals to families who value close supervision, pastoral depth and a more reassuring “family away from home” atmosphere in the mountains.
A clearer and more accurate overview of the key details families usually want first when comparing La Garenne with other leading Swiss boarding schools.
Villars-sur-Ollon / Chesières, in the Swiss Alps, Canton of Vaud
Private international day and boarding school
From 3 to 18 years old
Boarding available across Primary, Middle and Senior sections
Reception, Primary, MYP, IGCSE, then IB Diploma Programme or High School Diploma
English-led international schooling with French teaching and language support options
Around 200 students from more than 40 countries in a human-scale community
August
Summer Camps, Winter Camps, Integration Programme, academies and expeditions
Application fee: CHF 1,800. Day: CHF 47,000 to CHF 94,000. Boarding: CHF 85,000 to CHF 129,000.
This is the section that needed the most correction. La Garenne is best understood as a coherent academic journey rather than a simple list of disconnected acronyms.
La Garenne welcomes children from age 3 in a warm early years environment designed to build confidence, curiosity and strong foundations. This stage focuses on guided exploration, wellbeing, social development and a smooth transition into Primary school within a highly supervised setting.
In Primary, La Garenne combines the English National Curriculum with the International Primary Curriculum. This gives families a structured academic framework while preserving creativity, personal development and a more individualised pace of learning than many larger schools can offer.
From ages 11 to 14, students follow the IB Middle Years Programme, then move into IGCSE courses in Years 10 and 11. This combination creates a serious academic transition phase, helping students build analytical habits, exam readiness and international academic fluency before post-16 study.
After IGCSE, students choose between two distinct routes: the IB Diploma Programme or the High School Diploma. University guidance starts as early as Year 9, which is strategically important for families who want earlier planning around subject choices, profile building and university direction.
La Garenne is particularly attractive to families looking for a premium Swiss mountain environment, stronger pastoral closeness, and a more reassuring human-scale boarding culture than some larger institutions.
La Garenne’s “family away from home” positioning is not just branding. The school’s family ownership and long-standing continuity create a warmer, more personal atmosphere than many more corporate-feeling institutions.
The progression from Reception to Primary, then MYP, IGCSE and finally IB Diploma or High School Diploma gives families a logical long-term pathway, which is especially valuable for internationally mobile students.
For younger boarders or families who are nervous about boarding, La Garenne often feels more intimate and more closely supervised than larger Swiss schools, while still maintaining international ambition.
The Villars setting supports much more than scenic appeal. Outdoor life, ski culture, mountain activities and wellbeing all shape a distinctive student experience that becomes part of the school’s educational identity.
With around 200 students from over 40 countries, the school offers genuine international diversity without the impersonality that sometimes comes with much larger campuses.
La Garenne’s Summer Camps, Winter Camps, integration programmes and specialist academies make the school appealing not only for full-year students, but also for families exploring trial experiences or short-term immersion.
La Garenne students progress to universities in North America, the United Kingdom and Europe. Some destinations highlighted on this page include:
Student life at La Garenne is built around a strong boarding rhythm, Alpine outdoor culture, arts, personal development and a wide extracurricular offer designed to help students grow far beyond the classroom.
This official school video gives a strong overview of the La Garenne experience, including campus life, boarding atmosphere, academic culture and the Alpine setting in Villars.
“Be happy, and never, never, never give up.”
La Garenne International School mottoPractical answers to some of the questions families most often ask when exploring La Garenne International School in Switzerland.
La Garenne offers a structured progression from Reception and Primary into MYP, then IGCSE, followed by either the IB Diploma Programme or the High School Diploma.
La Garenne is both a day school and a boarding school, with boarding available across Primary, Middle and Senior sections.
The school welcomes students from age 3 to age 18.
La Garenne follows an English-led international academic pathway while also offering French teaching and language support options, including intensive English and French pathways where relevant.
Yes. The school offers Summer Camps for ages 6 to 16, Winter Camps for ages 5 to 14, and integration-style short stays for families who want a trial experience.
The application fee is CHF 1,800. Annual day fees range from CHF 47,000 to CHF 94,000, while annual boarding fees range from CHF 85,000 to CHF 129,000.
We do more than introduce the school. We help families assess whether La Garenne is truly the right fit in terms of age, boarding readiness, academic pathway, personality and long-term objectives.
We help determine whether La Garenne is the right match for families seeking a smaller, more pastoral Alpine boarding environment with a family-run culture.
We help families understand the pathway from Primary to MYP, IGCSE and then IB Diploma or High School Diploma, and compare it with other Swiss options.
We support the timing, communication and preparation of the application process, helping families move forward with more clarity and confidence.
We help compare La Garenne with schools such as VIS, Brillantmont or Saint-Charles when families are deciding between Alpine setting, city environment, school scale and curriculum style.
Choose the contact option that suits you best. We can help you assess academic fit, boarding suitability, school culture, age appropriateness and the best next admissions steps.
Schedule a short consultation to discuss your child’s profile and whether La Garenne could be a relevant option in Switzerland.
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You can also visit La Garenne’s official website for further information.
Families considering La Garenne also often compare other Swiss schools depending on whether they prioritise Alpine boarding life, city environment, curriculum architecture, multilingualism or school scale.
VIS is a useful comparison for families who like the idea of a mountain-based international school with strong outdoor identity, but want to compare a different Alpine environment and a different academic mix.
Brillantmont is relevant for families who prefer an urban Swiss setting in Lausanne, with a smaller upper-school community and a different academic framework built around IGCSE, A-Level and the American Diploma.
Saint-Charles is a strong comparison for families who are interested in a human-scale boarding school with multilingual culture and an IB-oriented academic environment in a different Swiss region.