Cities / Geneva / Swedish International School of Geneva
Swedish International School of Geneva
A small bilingual primary and preschool in Meyrin, close to CERN, founded in 1974 and now in the Les Vergers neighbourhood. Around 90 pupils across the full primary range, working in English-French or Swedish-French streams.
In brief
A small bilingual primary and preschool in Meyrin, close to CERN, founded in 1974 and now in the Les Vergers neighbourhood. Around 90 pupils across the full primary range, working in English-French or Swedish-French streams.
The pedagogy follows Sweden's Lgr22 curriculum overlaid with Montessori-influenced practice: no homework, no rote memorising, lots of exploration. Five values frame the school: love of learning, empathy, commitment, community, equality. Families looking for a soft-edged, nature-leaning primary with a Scandinavian flavour land here, and the small numbers mean teachers know every child.
Parent voice splits along expected lines. The warmth, low pressure and inclusive feel get strong praise, with words like cocoon, community and bilingual recurring at open days. The harder critiques are about academic level, particularly French outcomes, with some families running parallel tutoring to keep pace with the Swiss system. Worth being clear-eyed about what this school is and is not: a small alternative primary, not a feeder to a competitive secondary. Plan the next step early.
Fees
| Fee | Age | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crèche/Preschool 4 days part-time (1-2 yrs) | 1 | Annual | CHF 27,780 |
| Crèche/Preschool 4 days full-time (1-2 yrs) | 1 | Annual | CHF 31,200 |
| Crèche/Preschool 5 days part-time (1-2 yrs) | 1 | Annual | CHF 34,740 |
| Crèche/Preschool 5 days full-time (1-2 yrs) | 1 | Annual | CHF 39,000 |
| Crèche/Preschool 4 days part-time (2+ yrs) | 2 | Annual | CHF 24,360 |
| Crèche/Preschool 4 days full-time (2+ yrs) | 2 | Annual | CHF 27,360 |
| Crèche/Preschool 5 days part-time (2+ yrs) | 2 | Annual | CHF 30,480 |
| Crèche/Preschool 5 days full-time (2+ yrs) | 2 | Annual | CHF 34,200 |
| Primary School | 4 | Annual | CHF 26,845 |
| Application Fee | One-time | CHF 250 | |
| Enrollment Fee | One-time | CHF 750 |
Reviews
- Bilingual Swedish-curriculum primary and pre-school in Meyrin, Geneva, marketed as a small alternative to mainstream international and French-system schools.
- Parent reviews split clearly: most describe a child-centred environment with Swedish pedagogy, no homework or rote learning, strong outdoor and exploratory focus, and a welcoming community.
- One parent framed it as the right fit for children with potential who struggle in conventional school structures, cautioning that families wanting daily homework and strict discipline should look elsewhere.
- A minority of parents are sharply critical: stressed teachers, weak leadership and structure, marking errors, and what one parent called substandard French instruction with progress only after switching to outside literacy classes.
- A 2021 review reported bullying that the school did not stop, leading the parent to withdraw a younger child.
- Independent forum discussion outside school directories is effectively absent; treat the directory pool as the primary signal.