Aiglon College

Welcome to the Junior School

Welcome to Aiglon’s Junior School, made up of the Wonder Years and Discovery Years. Here on the mountain, we offer a unique education – combining our community ethos with academic rigour and a sense of confidence to develop the skills our children will need to deal with the challenges of the future.

Admissions

Years 3 - 6

Wonder Years

Ages 7 - 11

Years 7 - 8

Discovery Years

Ages 11 - 13

From the Junior School Director

Drawing on our natural setting of outstanding beauty; our diverse and dynamic student body; and our highly experienced staff team, our Junior School seamlessly integrates with the wider Aiglon ethos and community, while offering dedicated living and learning opportunities for our youngest students. Our goal is to lay a robust foundation in the critical early years of education that not only prepares students for the transition to the pathways that follow the Wonder and Discovery Years but also sets the stage for lifelong learning and success.

I look forward to welcoming you to the mountain.

Stuart Hamilton

Introducing our Juniors

Our junior school has been an integral part of the school community since 1991. Nestled in its own corner of upper campus, junior school parents praise the homely and warm environment and the caring residential teams. Students build relationships with friends from all over the world, and most continue on to study at Aiglon for the rest of their school careers.

La Baita is the boy's boarding house as well as the main junior learning and living space. La Casa, the girl's house is just next door. Students have the freedom to play and explore in their own spaces while also benefiting from Aiglon's wider campus and state-of-the-art facilities. Students may begin as day students in Years 3 and 4 and are able to board from Year 5.

House teams

A residential houseparent and assistant, alongside the teaching tutor team, support day and boarding students to make La Baita and La Casa a home away from home.

State of the Art Facilities

Juniors also benefit from Aiglon's wider state-of-the-art campus facilities, and our youngest students will be accompanied by their teachers when moving around campus.

Discovery Music

All junior students in the Discovery Years also learn a musical instrument as part of their normal curriculum.

Technology

All juniors have access to Chromebooks for their classroom learning. These are protected with software to ensure safe access and supervised learning.

Wonder & Discovery

The Curriculum

Wonder Years (3-6)

Key Academic Skills: We teach a high standard of key maths concepts and engage with compelling English literature to develop critical thinking.

Wonder Projects: Through projects addressing real-world challenges, students explore inquiry projects that touch upon history, geography, technology, culture and the environment.

Seasonal Themes: Our curriculum is built around key questions and timely themes that connect students with our ever-changing natural and cultural settings in a dynamic and enriching manner.

French: French is a key part of an Aiglon education, with specialist teachers tailoring their provision for fluent language speakers and beginners alike.

International Benchmarks: Regular spelling and reading assessments ensure tailored academic support and growth in line with international benchmarks that support ongoing development.

Junior School

A Day in the Life

Morning Routines

Lessons

Mealtimes

Morning Break
During the morning break juice and tartines are available

Midday Meal
As is the Swiss way, lunch is the main meal of the day. Junior students enter the School Restaurant first, where a healthy and balanced lunch is always on offer. Before they sit, students choose one of three stations, to be served either a traditional, world or vegetarian menu.

Snacktime
Snack is served afternoon in La Baita. This is an important break for the students, offering the chance to refuel and take a break before afternoon activities.

Dinner
Dinner is served for the juniors in the casual and friendly La Baita dining room. This is always also available for Year 5 and above day students.

Activities

Evenings

Discovery Years (7-8)

Igniting Curiosity: Sparking curiosity and creativity through hands-on activities that enhance critical thinking and collaboration.

Guiding Principles and Trips: Integrating Aiglon's core values with engaging Discovery Trips that connect curriculum to real-world Swiss cultural and historical explorations.

Tailor-Made Learning: Offering personalized education with small classes that combine rigorous academics with experiential learning for comprehensive student development.

Experiential Learning: Emphasizing practical application of knowledge in real-world contexts to deepen understanding and engagement.

A Preparation for Life

Preparation for Senior School: Discovery doesn’t end in the junior school. By moving from junior to senior school as part of Discovery, students connect our values and learning objectives across the years preparing students for what is next in the senior school.

Multilingualism: Language is the bedrock of culture. Home to over 65 nationalities and 23 languages, English is our common tongue, but students need to thrive in their home language, or pick up another one. We develop local knowledge and multicultural learning through dynamic language programmes.

Character Education: Every student is engaged beyond class in programmes like our Manchester City Football School, expeditions, skiing or using our excellent facilities. Also, each student learns an orchestral instrument!

Character Education

Mountain School

“Courage, kindness – and never give up.” That is the motto of survival expert and adventurer Bear Grylls. Like us, he believes that learning is at its most powerful when it is experiential and meaningful, and when it develops character. Which is why we are partnering with the Bear Grylls Survival Academy to create Mountain School, an integrated, value-driven outdoor education programme.

How does Mountain School work?

Each week, Year 3-4 students have a dedicated "mountain day" where knowledge and skills developed in the classroom are taken outdoors. Based in local mountain huts or other nearby rivers and forests, students undertake personal and team challenges which have been developed in collaboration with the Bear Grylls Survival Academy team.

What will students do?

Students will pair curricular knowledge such as soil studies and deforestation with survival skills like shelter building and making fires. Each term focuses on a different set of seasonal skills in the Alps that will be developed as Year 3-4 progress through the Wonder Years.

“Our achievements are generally limited only by the beliefs we impose on ourselves.”

Bear Grylls

Experiential Education

Discovery Trips

Aiglon Discovery Trips (ADTs) are designed for Discovery students (Years 7-8) to deepen curricular understanding in a practical, exciting way. We believe that character education, fused with robust academic learning, provides the best foundation for independent inquiry and lifelong adaptability.

How do Discovery Trips enhance learning?
Year 7-8 students embark on longer trips (7-10 days) each year that extends classroom lessons into real-world applications. These adventures are crafted to complement the curriculum and promote personal growth.

What will students experience?
Year 7 students take off to US Space & Rocket Centre Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, for a two-week course in survival skills, astronaut training, engineering, space flight, and xenobiology, blending scientific theory with hands-on practice.

Year 8 students explore the ancient wonders and cultural depths of Greece, from the historic sites of Athens to sailing training aboard a 15m yacht under the RYA programme.

Why are these trips important?
The Discovery Trips are not just about seeing new places; they are about discovering oneself through diverse experiences that challenge students to push beyond their limits and explore new ideas. Each trip is aligned with our core values of nurturing the mind, body, and spirit, ensuring that every student gains insights that last a lifetime.

Aiglon College

Balanced Development

Mind

Rigorous academic curriculum blending classical and progressive philosophies, emphasising literacy, numeracy, critical thinking, and creativity.

Body

High-quality sports programme with elite partnerships, comprehensive facilities, fostering teamwork, resilience, and excellence in competitive and recreational activities.

Spirit

Creative arts core to ethos, nurturing innovation and passion through music, art, and drama, offering diverse opportunities for expression and skill development.