What is Haut-Lac like?

Set in the hills above Montreux, around an hour from Geneva Airport, Haut-Lac is a medium sized international school with approximately 600 pupils representing more than 60 nationalities. The atmosphere is friendly and unpretentious, with a strong sense of community that comes naturally from its size.

The defining feature is bilingualism. Families can opt for a fully English pathway or, where language proficiency allows, students can mix and match different subjects in English and French, creating a genuinely flexible bilingual education rather than a simple immersion model. Spanish also features within the curriculum for students wishing to develop additional language skills.

Life beyond the classroom is busy. Sport is a particular strength, with skiing firmly embedded into school life alongside football, basketball and tennis. The school’s IB+Sport programme reflects the importance placed on balancing academic study with high level sporting participation. Creative arts, design, environmental projects and an extensive clubs programme provide plenty of opportunities for students to pursue wider interests, with more than 150 extracurricular activities available across the year.

Is Haut-Lac a good school?

Haut-Lac’s greatest strength lies in its bilingual model. Few international schools offer students the opportunity to select individual subjects in either English or French according to their strengths, making it particularly attractive for multilingual families or those hoping to achieve genuine fluency in both languages.

Academically, the school delivers the IB curriculum throughout the secondary years (MYP), and is one of the relatively small number of schools to offer both the IB Diploma Programme and the more vocational IB Career-related Programme. This flexibility allows students to choose an academic pathway that suits their ambitions and learning style rather than following a one-size-fits-all route.

The relatively modest size of both the day school and boarding community creates a more personal environment than many larger international schools. Students are well known by staff, while the international mix ensures a genuinely global outlook.

University guidance is a notable strength, with pupils progressing to universities across Switzerland, the UK, Europe, North America and beyond. Recent leavers have secured places at institutions including Cambridge, Imperial College London, University College London, EPFL, the University of Pennsylvania, UCLA, McGill and the University of Toronto, reflecting the school’s international outlook and the flexibility of its IB pathways. Around 95 per cent of graduates progress directly to higher education.

Is it hard to get into Haut Lac?

The school welcomes students from a wide range of educational backgrounds, although entry into the bilingual pathway requires an appropriate level of proficiency in both English and French. Small class sizes mean places can become limited in popular year groups, so early application is advisable.

What is boarding like at Haut Lac?

Boarding is deliberately boutique rather than large scale. With capacity for around 50 students aged 15+, it offers a close-knit, family atmosphere that will particularly appeal to pupils who prefer a more intimate residential environment.

The co-educational boarding house sits around three minutes away by school minibus, or a pleasant 10 minute walk through the surrounding countryside from the main campus. Accommodation is modern and very well appointed, with mostly double ensuite bedrooms and generous communal spaces.

Boarders are all aged 15 and above, so there is a somewhat mature environment in the house. Evenings are centred around shared meals, supervised study and organised activities.

At weekends, students often take a short train ride to pop down to Montreux, which also offers further access to Lausanne and Geneva. During school holidays boarders currently return home, although the school is introducing greater flexibility for students who may prefer to spend half terms in Switzerland.