Who is with them tonight
Each house has resident houseparents and one adult for every eight boarders. A duty manager is on call across the campus every night.
International boarding school · Lavaux, Lake Geneva · Since 1931
Friday, 20:40. The first call home. Before hello, you hear about the lake.
That morning, at 06:45, your child rowed on it for the first time. Collège Vaurel is a boarding school on Lake Geneva for 260 students aged 11 to 18 from 44 countries, with an Alpine term every winter.
Concept by danielestebanfeo estudio · the brand is imaginary, the work is real
- Admissions 2027–28
- Open. 31 places across all years
- Our reply promise
- A person from admissions answers within 24 working hours, in your language
Start here
What do you need today?
Each guide asks one question at a time and ends with a clear answer. You can go back or close it at any moment, and your answers are kept.
Prefer to talk first?Walk the campus
Chapter I · The first morning
Late August, 09:10. A suitcase on the gravel, and someone already waiting at the steps.
You hope your child will find their place here. You also want to know who will be with them tonight. Both wishes are reasonable, and this page answers both.
The school
Small enough to know every child. Ambitious enough to stretch them.
Aimée Vaurel opened the school in 1931 with eleven pupils and one rule: no child is taught as a number. Ninety-five years later we have 260 boarders, two campuses and the same rule.
Claire DufauxHead of School since 2019
Small on purpose
We cap the school at 260 so that teachers, houseparents and the Head know each student well enough to notice a quiet week.
One year, two campuses
From January to March the whole school moves to our chalets at 1,650 m. Lessons continue every morning; afternoons belong to the mountain.
Languages lived, not studied
English is the language of teaching, French the language of the village and the dining hall. Most students leave fluent in both, many in a third.
Known by name
Every boarder has a personal tutor who meets them each week and writes to parents every Friday, in the family's language.
1:5
teachers to students. Classes of 14 at most, 10 on average.
1:8
resident adults to boarders, every night of term.
24 h
nurses on campus, and a doctor three mornings a week.
36.4
average IB Diploma score, class of 2026.
44
nationalities, none above 12% of the school.
Illustrative figures
A day at Vaurel
Two terms, two rhythms.
Scroll, and the day moves sideways, from the first row at 06:45 to lights out. In winter the same day follows the snow. You can also choose a time.
Chapter II · The distance
The third Wednesday. The quiet bout of homesickness most new boarders have.
Missing home is normal. It is usually short, and we plan for it. What matters to you is who notices, what they do, and how soon you hear.
19:30, house time. The window seat in the common room is the favourite place to call home.
Boarding and care
Care you can see from the other side of the world.
Parents abroad ask us three questions: who is with my child tonight, who notices if something is wrong, and who will tell me. Here are the answers.
Who notices
A personal tutor meets your child every week, and the tutor team reviews every student each Monday. Two counsellors are available without an appointment.
Who tells you
A Friday note from the tutor, in your language. If anything serious happens, a call from the houseparent within the hour, day or night.
Les Tilleuls
Ages 11 to 13 · 48 boarders
Girls' and boys' floors around a shared family kitchen. Phones handed in at 20:30, lights out at 21:15.
La Rive
Girls 14 to 17 · 86 boarders
Twin rooms to 15, single rooms from 16, and a quiet study facing the lake on every floor.
Le Pressoir
Boys 14 to 17 · 86 boarders
Built around the old wine press, with a climbing wall in the vaulted cellar.
Belvédère
Final year · 40 boarders
Single rooms, a shared kitchen and self-managed study: one year to practise university life with a safety net.
Health centre
Open 24 hours, every day of term.
Three nurses cover the health centre around the clock. The school doctor holds a clinic on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, and the university hospital in Lausanne is 25 minutes away. Allergies, medication and dietary needs are recorded before arrival and shared only with the staff who need them.
3nurses, day and night
25′to the university hospital in Lausanne
2counsellors, no appointment needed
“Parents abroad often ask what happens at three in the morning. A nurse is awake, and a houseparent is next door.”
Anne-Sophie Rey, Head Nurse
Virtual visit
Walk the campus before you fly.
Eight places your child will soon know by heart. Tap the numbered points on each photograph for the details parents ask us about most.
What parents ask about here
Programmes
Four pathways, one clear choice for your child.
Each programme has its own entry points and class sizes. Not sure which one fits? The programme finder suggests one in five questions, and admissions confirms it after reading school reports.
Ages 11 to 13 · Years 7 to 9
Foundation Years
A broad bilingual curriculum in English and French, Latin or Mandarin from Year 8, and a weekly day of outdoor learning.
per year, all inclusive
Ages 14 to 16 · Years 10 and 11
IGCSE
Eight to ten subjects, sets in mathematics and languages, and a personal project that prepares for the IB.
per year, all inclusive
Ages 16 to 18 · Years 12 and 13
IB Diploma
Six subjects, the extended essay and theory of knowledge, with university counselling from the first term.
per year, all inclusive
Ages 15 to 18 · French and English
Bilingual Baccalaureate
A baccalaureate pathway taught half in French and half in English, for universities in Switzerland, France or Canada.
per year, all inclusive
Fees 2027–28
Every franc, on one page.
One annual fee covers teaching, boarding, meals, the Alpine term and exams. What it does not cover is listed too, with typical amounts.
Included in the annual fee
- Tuition, books and course materials
- Full board, all meals and laundry
- The Alpine term: travel, chalets, ski pass, lessons and equipment
- Weekend activities and two excursions per term
- Exam fees for IGCSE, IB and baccalaureate
- Health centre, school doctor and Swiss health insurance
- Airport transfers from Geneva on travel days
- University counselling from age 14
- Up to 4 hours a week of English or French support
Not included, with typical cost
- Flights home. Families book them; we meet every flight on travel days.
- Visa D and residence permit. About CHF 300, for non-EU/EFTA passports.
- Individual music lessons. CHF 1,250 per term for ten lessons.
- Private tutoring. CHF 120 per hour, only on request.
- Optional expeditions abroad. From CHF 2,400.
- Specialist medical care not covered by the school insurance.
We pay no agent commissions. Families deal with the school directly, so no part of your fee goes to an intermediary.
Admissions
From first question to first morning.
Most families complete admission in six to ten weeks. Every step has a date, a person responsible and a reply time.
- IEnquire
Ask anything by form, chat, WhatsApp or WeChat. A named person replies within 24 working hours.
- IIVisit or video call
Tour the lake campus, or meet us by video at a time shown in your own time zone.
- IIIApply online
Two years of school reports, one teacher reference and a passport copy. Application fee CHF 500.
- IVAssessment
Ninety minutes online: English, mathematics and a French placement. No preparation needed.
- VInterview
Forty minutes with your child, then twenty with you. On campus or by video.
- VIOffer
A written decision within 10 working days of the interview.
- VIIDeposit
Confirm the place within 14 days with the refundable deposit of CHF 15,000.
- VIIIVisa D, for non-EU/EFTA passports
We send the enrolment, accommodation and guardianship letters within 5 working days and prepare you for the consulate appointment.
- IXArrival
We meet your child at Geneva Airport. Three days of orientation before lessons start.
A word from the Head
“I taught physics for eighteen years before becoming Head. The laboratory taught me what still guides this school: observe carefully, measure honestly, and change what does not work. Come and see us on an ordinary Tuesday. You will learn more than at any open day.”
Claire DufauxHead of School
The people you will speak to
Admissions in your language, by name.
You will not be passed from one inbox to another. One person follows your family from the first question to the first day.
Julien Morand
Director of Admissions · Switzerland and Europe
Français · English · Deutsch
Lin Yao 林瑶
Admissions · Greater China and East Asia
中文 · English · Français
Leïla Benali
Admissions · Middle East and Africa
العربية · Français · English
Rafael Quintero
Admissions · the Americas and Spain
Español · Português · English
Thomas Keller
Director of Boarding and Pastoral Care
Deutsch · Français · English
Matteo Bernasconi
Head of the Alpine Campus · mountain guide
Italiano · Français · Deutsch · English
Chapter III · The return
January, 1,650 m. The whole school follows the snow.
Lessons every morning, the mountain every afternoon. By March, the student who arrived shy is often the one leading the line down the slope.
Results and universities
Results that open the doors your child chooses.
Illustrative figures
We publish where our students go, what they study and how the class performed. Figures for the class of 2026, 38 students.
36.4average IB Diploma score
100%pass rate in the IB and the baccalaureate
81%of IGCSE grades at A* or A
91%admitted to one of their two first-choice universities
Where the class of 2026 went
What they chose to study
Average IB score, last five years
University counselling starts at 14. Two counsellors, one for the UK and Europe and one for North America and Asia, meet each final-year student at least twelve times.
Illustrative figures for this demonstration. Universities are not named; on request, admissions shares the full destination list of the last three years.
Families
What parents tell us a year later.
Fictional testimonials
“We live in Shanghai and worried about the distance. Lin answered in Chinese the same day, and the tutor's Friday note arrives before we wake up.”
“Our son arrived with school French. After the Alpine term he was ordering for the whole table in the village.”
“Theirs was the first fees page that listed what is not included. That honesty decided our visit.”
June · the last evening
No call home tonight. Your child is standing beside you, still talking about the lake.
Diplomas on the lawn at 18:00, families who have flown in from many countries, and one last row at dawn for anyone who wants it.
Visit
Come to Lavaux, or meet us by video.
Choose a time in your own time zone. A member of admissions who speaks your language confirms within two working hours.
Vaurel Summer · ages 8 to 16
Two weeks by the lake or in the mountains.
Our summer camp uses both campuses. Mornings for languages or projects, afternoons for the lake and the Alps. One adult for every five campers, and a nurse on site day and night.
Included: full board, lessons, activities and excursions, Geneva airport transfers on Sundays, laundry and insurance.
Places left are illustrative
Questions
What parents ask us first.
Anything else, the concierge answers at any hour and passes it to a person when needed.
Is every student a boarder?
Yes. All 260 students board, including those whose families live nearby. Weekends have a full programme, and students may go home on three exeat weekends per term.
Which languages are taught?
Lessons are in English, with French every day. The bilingual baccalaureate is taught half in French. We also offer Mandarin, Spanish, German and Italian, and IB literature in 14 mother tongues.
My child's English is not fluent yet. Can they apply?
Yes, up to age 15. Students with intermediate English join with up to four hours a week of support, included in the fee. From 16, IB students need a solid working level of English.
How does the student visa work?
Students from outside the EU and EFTA need a national visa D for study. After the deposit we send the enrolment, accommodation and guardianship letters within five working days. Allow eight to twelve weeks for the consulate.
Who is my child's guardian in Switzerland?
During term, the Director of Boarding acts as the school guardian. Families may also appoint their own guardian, whose details we check before arrival.
What happens during the holidays?
The school closes for Christmas, Easter and summer. We arrange escorted transfers to Geneva Airport; students stay with family or a host the family has approved.
What is the phone policy?
Students up to 13 hand in their phones at 20:30. Older students keep them, but not in lessons or supervised study. Wi-Fi in the houses switches off at lights out.
Are there scholarships?
Each year we award a small number of means-tested bursaries, decided by a committee independent of admissions. Ask us for the criteria.
Can you meet dietary and religious needs?
Yes: halal, vegetarian, vegan and allergen-free menus, kosher on request. Students can attend services of their faith in Lausanne on Sundays, accompanied by staff.
When can my child start?
In August, January or April. January entry begins on the alpine campus, which suits students who love the outdoors.
Enquire
Ask us anything. A person replies within 24 working hours.
In your language, from the person who will follow your family. We ask only what we need to answer you, and no student documents until you decide to apply.
- 1Within 24 working hours
A personal reply from your admissions contact, by email or the channel you prefer.
- 2Within 5 working days
If you wish, a video call at a time that suits your time zone.
- 3When you are ready
An application link, with your dates calculated and the documents listed.
Your details are stored on servers in Switzerland, used only to answer you, and deleted after 12 months if you do not apply.
Contact
Lavaux, on Lake Geneva.
Address
Collège Vaurel
Chemin de Vaurel 1
Lavaux (VD), Switzerland
Admissions office
Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 18:00
Saturday, 09:00 to 12:00
Swiss time
Telephone+41 21 000 19 31
Emailadmissions@vaurel.example
WhatsApp+41 79 000 19 31
WeChat IDVaurelAdmissions
Getting here
Geneva Airport is 50 minutes by car, Lausanne station 20 minutes. On travel days we meet every student at the airport.
