A Day in the Life
Junior School
Welcome
from the Junior School Director In 2024, Aiglon College is thrilled to extend a warm invitation to a new group of students—the Wonder Years. This marks an exciting expansion of our programme, the most significant since the establishment of the Junior School in 1991. We are delighted to welcome students as young as seven years old into our community, embracing them in a nurturing environment that harmoniously combines the best of our campus facilities with the beauty of our inspirational setting. Our Junior School offers two distinct, but connected curriculum. The Wonder Years (3-6) is about opening young students to a world of awe and wonder through a mixture of classroom learning and mountainbased experiences. Discovery Years (7 -9) is an experiential curriculum that provides a high level of academic rigour culminating in adventurous travel experiences where classroom learning is applied in the real world.
Morning Routines & Breakfast Club Boarders in Years 5 - 8 wake up at 7am. Day students in Years 3 and 4 may arrive from 07:30 to join the morning breakfast club; everyone eats together with a supervising member of staff before the day begins. Morning Lessons Lessons with a dedicated classroom teacher. During Mountain Days Years 3 and 4 leave campus all day for their lessons on the mountain.
Afternoon Lessons Students have specialist teachers for the following subjects: Music, Physical Education, French, Home Language and Computer Science. The Wonder Years will always be accompanied moving around campus.
We look forward to welcoming you here on the mountain.
Stuart
Stuart Hamilton Junior School Director
Pickup and Snack Time The school day ends at 15:05. Parents can pickup from the classroom, or students can stay on campus for afternoon activities.
www.aiglon.ch/apply admissions@aiglon.ch +41 24 496 61 77 Avenue Centrale, 61 1885 Chesières • Switzerland 01/12/23
Weekend Life For boarding students in the Discovery Years, the weekend programme embraces a sense of fun and adventure. From expeditions into our mountain environment to local trips and excursions –there is something for everyone. Day students are always welcome to join the weekend programme.
Classroom Time Students are dropped off directly with their classroom teachers to begin the day. All the juniors gather daily for meditation or singing.
Lunch On campus students have lunch in the School Restaurant; on Mountain Days, Years 3 and 4 have lunch brought to them.
Evening Routines Boarders in Years 5 - 8 enjoy free time in their houses gathering together for dinner in La Baita. All the classroom teachers are also tutors supporting students in their prep and evening routines.
Experiential Learning
Aiglon Junior School
Inquiry Learning Nature, creativity, passion, culture –these are the learning pillars on which the Wonder Years are built. Looking at traditional subjects alongside cutting edge domains like artificial intelligence and robotics, we nurture a love for learning that considers important, global issues through a project-based approach that is engaging and personal.
YEARS 3-6 AGES 7-11
Character Education
Wonder Years This new cohort welcomes our youngest learners to begin their Aiglon journey in an inspiring environment; rooted in holistic, balanced education coupled with a caring and multilingual culture, the Wonder Years give children the freedom to grow.
Discovery Years Learners progressing through the junior school are welcomed into Discovery. Boarders and day students learn together while building intercultural relationships. Discovery offers an innovative approach to learning and assessment that unites curricular learning with house life, co-curricular programmes, expeditions and trips.
Mountain School We respond to the call of our stunning alpine environment. The forests and streams that surround our village campus are the classroom. Students spend at least one day per week outside in nature, integrating their studies with practical outdoor learning and experience.
Classrooms are not isolated spaces and neither is our curriculum. Discovery breaks down barriers between subjects to embrace a transdisciplinary approach empowering students in today’s integrated, fast-paced world.
YEARS 7-9 AGES 11-14
Home Beginning as day students in Years 3 and 4 and able to board from Year 5, all Wonder Year students are welcomed into our La Baita and La Casa houses. Nestled in Aiglon’s upper campus, students have the freedom to play and explore with easy access to all Aiglon’s campus has to offer. The houses are supported by caring, residential teams and the Health Centre is always staffed.
Discovery trips each spring unite learning and adventure, but 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!
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.
Preparation 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.