Switzerland's top boarding school in a beautiful location!
Aiglon College is both independent and non-profit boarding school located in the Swiss Alps in the village of Chesieres.
Aiglon College was founded in 1949 as the living manifestation of John Corlette’s pioneering educational vision. As Founder of the school and its Head Master for 23 years, he established a set of values and educational priorities which remain at the very core of Aiglon’s identity.
We are committed to ensuring that these founding values and priorities continue to provide a strong and coherent foundation for the school. We do not see this as an obligation to resist change and evolution; rather we are dedicated to ensuring that an Aiglon education remains relevant and appropriate for the young men and women of today, preparing them for tomorrow and a world in constant motion.
Our environment is vital to development. Aiglonians discover that our unique mountaintop position provides a fresh perspective while offering continual opportunities for challenge. Mountains have always represented ambition to humanity, a call to push harder, higher than we could have imagined possible. Our students and faculty only have to look out of the window to be inspired.
Our life here is inherently healthy, invigorating and inspiring — just on their way to the next classroom, Aiglonians climb hills and gaze at views that would impress seasoned hikers. That helps us to create an atmosphere not just of achievement, but also of challenge. We occupy a place where staff and students — together — push themselves to ever greater heights.
At Aiglon there are ten houses in total: five for girls and five for boys, with eight in the senior school and two in the junior school.
Most houses in the senior school are home to around 50 students, and up to 30 in the junior school. Each house has its own particular personality, influenced by its houseparent and bolstered by the house’s own distinctive traditions and identity.
Within each house, students occupy a study bedroom shared with no more than three others (the oldest students are in single or double rooms). There is also a common room, a dining room and other communal spaces, such as a kitchen and a games room. Houseparents live on site, supported by assistant houseparents and the tutors who are assigned to each student.
Girls | Boys | Total | |
---|---|---|---|
Boarding School: | 160 | 166 | 326 |
Day School: | 20 | 20 | 40 |
Our school was founded on a distinctive ethos: the balanced development of mind, body and spirit. This philosophy underpins everything we do at Aiglon, both inside and outside the classroom.
In 1949 John Corlette conceived Aiglon on foundations that have ensured our school and its students continue to evolve and thrive.
For over seventy years Aiglon has benefitted from a founder whose classical ideas, joined with progressive philosophies, continue to inspire our development. From the school’s very beginning with just six pupils to the thriving school we are today, John Corlette is the creative and committed root from which each of our individual journeys has grown.
Mr Corlette’s own formative years placed him in an excellent position to relate to the students he would go on to teach and the school he would found. Born in London in 1911, at the age of 16 ill health brought him to Switzerland to recuperate and continue his education at Alpine College in nearby Arveyes. Much like present-day Aiglonians who have followed him up the mountain, Mr Corlette came to understand how the mountainous environment of Villars and the inspiring vistas hold the potential to influence not only each day of our education but impact our wider understanding of the world.
Though he followed his father’s footsteps and trained as an architect, Mr Corlette discovered a passion for inspiring young minds. He taught at various schools, but it was at Gordonstoun School in Scotland that he connected with the experiential education philosophy promoted by Kurt Hahn.
Mr Corlette then struck out to create an educational experience of his own - blending this radical philosophical approach with traditional English boarding school structure, hosted in an incredible mountain location. To Mr Corlette, this was an opportunity to craft an approach that wasn’t completely reliant upon textbooks yet supported the merits of classical education. His commitment to the curious minds of students is maintained today through Aiglon’s dedication to experiential learning alongside its robust programme of expeditions and service activities.
Life at Aiglon College is busy and may be quiet a challenge even for the most dedicated and hard working students. The study programme is based on academic curriculum in order to make each student the best, we provide pastoral care and many attractions which are carried out outside the classrooms. At Aiglon we think internationally and we are based on a long tradition British educational model. Switzerland is really welcoming for international students, and Aiglon College gives them an opportunity to study in this great country. At Aiglon we combine English language based curriculum with multi national approach to education in order to give the world tomorrow’s best leaders.
Our remarkable setting and modern facilities enable us to offer a range of both competitive and noncompetitive sporting opportunities. There is something for everyone to discover, love and learn to excel.
In addition to participation in physical education lessons, there are many opportunities for students to pursue their sporting passions. Students at Aiglon take part in a range of physical activities, from basketball and tennis to fitness and alpine running.
Aiglon College is pleased to now be a Manchester City Football School, the first in Europe! We are thrilled about what this important partnership will offer our students, both in terms of our football programme, but also our wider approach to holistic education.
Gareth Whalley is the full-time Manchester City football coach, trained and qualified to deliver their world-leading programme. This offers a deep and broad football curriculum focusing on children's individual and collective needs, regardless of their level or gender.
The programme — the only one of its kind in Europe — offers every Aiglonian the opportunity to get a world-class football education on campus, tailored to their specific needs and interests.It starts with what we call Move to Play, which is the very basics for those who have maybe never kicked a ball before, and it goes all the way up to Play to Perform, aimed at more experienced players who understand the nuances of the game.
Football, Volleyball, Basketball, Badminton, Tennis, Golf, Water Sports, Grass Hockey, Rugby, Swimming, Skating, Skiing and Athletics
The Aiglon Arts Faculty works across the domains of visual art, drama and music to offer students an immersive experience in both appreciating and producing art.
Students can be involved with the Arts Faculty through academic programmes in all years, or they can enjoy our range of co-curricular art activities. We have students who go on to study artistic subjects at top institutions and many others who simply enjoy creative expression for years to come.
Through inspirational teaching and exceptional music-making we enable our students to fulfil their musical potential and provide them with the requisite skills for a lifetime filled with the boundless joy of music.
In the junior school, every child plays an orchestral instrument, taught in an individual weekly lesson. In addition, they have a weekly curricular music lesson, which focuses on singing, learning to read music and the application of the musical elements through composition and improvisation. Students also have a weekly whole-school singing session on a Friday morning which is used as preparation for the singing in Junior Chapel omni-faith services. The final piece of their music jigsaw is the weekly instrumental ensembles which brings the Juniors together as a wind band or string group to experience the joy of making music together.
Senior school students have the opportunity to continue the work done in the junior school, but through GCSE and IB music. At this point, curricular music becomes optional. However, with almost half of Aiglon's students learning an instrument, it remains a popular choice. The curriculum is enriched by a busy calendar of events, musical activities, concerts, competitions and trips, so those students whose academic education has moved away from music still get access to high-quality music outside of the curriculum.
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