We are a community of learners determined to make the world – or our corner of it – a
better, kinder place. We reflect our values in everything we do so that we make the most
of opportunities and challenges in a spirit of enthusiastic inquiry.
We help every student turn their learning into action, creating the opportunity to stretch
themselves further and achieve more than they believe possible.
Founded in 1961, the International School of Zug and Luzern (ISZL) is a leading International
Baccalaureate (IB) World School for students ages 3 to 18. A warm and welcoming school located
on two campuses, it is a world-class learning community that combines strong pedagogical beliefs,
centred on the child, with the anchoring of its Mission and Vision.
An International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, ISZL offers four IB Programmes and the American
College Board-approved Advanced Placement exams. Examination results sit well above international
school averages. The School is distinct for its pastoral care of students, strong outdoor education
programmes, commitment to inquiry-based learning, and a strong international community that connects
students with the greater world around them.
ISZL is seeking a new Primary School Principal effective from July 2021. Reporting to the School
Director, the next Principal will work with a strong leadership team and a dedicated group of nurturing,
hard-working and talented teachers, who serve as leaders for students in the classroom and beyond.
ISZL has a very high retention rate among teachers and administrators. This reflects the School’s ethos
of community and collaboration, and the high level of professional growth opportunities provided.
This is an exciting time for an experienced leader in international education to take the reins of a highly
respected school in the incomparably beautiful setting of central Switzerland. The successful candidate
will be a talented leader, a dynamic, forward-thinking presence at ISZL, and a truly international educator
who is sensitive to ISZL’s Mission and Vision.
CARNEYSANDOE.COM 2
Fast Facts
Founded in 1961
Coeducational, not-for-profit day school with
an open admissions policy
1,200 students from 60+ nationalities;
7% from local population
436 Primary School students
Over 200 faculty from over 30 countries
Staff turnover of 7%
IB World School offering PYP, MYP, and DP;
plus College Board APs
Accredited by CIS and NEASC
ISZL is the result of a merger between two international schools in 2008. The oldest of these, The
International School of Zug, was founded in 1961. It opened a campus in Luzern in 2006 in response
to growing demand from the expatriate community in that area. The Riverside School was founded in
1990 as a High School, offering the American College Board’s Advanced Placement programme and
the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme.
Joining these schools together resulted in a seamless programme, from Early Years through to Grade
12. From the first cohort of just 14 students in 1961, the International School of Zug and Luzern now
educates around 1,200 students from over 60 different nationalities. The School has become a vibrant
community with an innovative vision that celebrates its past, focuses on its present, and prepares for
its future.
ISZL is an outward-looking school, constantly striving to reflect and improve upon best practices. Its
current Strategic Plan outlines several goals, based on the following central idea, that as a world leader
in international education, its motivated students will have the skills, empathy, resilience, and ambition
to embrace the challenges and opportunities of a changing world.
An IB World School, ISZL offers the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme
(MYP), Careers Programme (CP), and Diploma Programme (DP), as well as AP courses. Differentiated
instruction and well-resourced Learning Support and EAL Departments help teachers meet the
CARNEYSANDOE.COM 3
individual needs of all students at the School. The academic programme is intentionally designed to be
a continual journey of self-discovery and development from the Early Years through to Grade 12. Small
class sizes in a supportive, encouraging, and challenging learning environment facilitate a student-
centred approach to education.
The School recognises that its most important asset is its faculty and staff. ISZL is a community where
positive relationships are central to the mission of the School. Practices that establish and nurture
relationships between staff, students, and parents are embedded in school life. There is a culture
of mutual respect that supports ISZL’s global community to learn and live together in harmony. With
employees from more than 30 countries, ISZL is international in every sense, and has a vast array of
world experiences to share.
ISZL is a non-profit institution accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New
England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). ISZL is supervised by the Educational
Authorities of the Cantons of Zug and Luzern and operates with their approval. The School is a member
of the Swiss Group of International Schools, the Educational Collaborative for International Schools,
and the Association for the Advancement of International Education.
Learning begins in our Early Years with a commitment to the inquiry-based approach of the IB Primary
Years Programme and reflects the philosophies of Reggio Emilia. It is centred upon the belief that
young children learn best through play and that learning in the early years is most effective when there
is a balance of child-initiated play and adult-initiated learning engagements. Play and learning are
supported in all areas of the school environment and all times of the students’ day. Student learning
throughout the Primary Years is characterised by an inquiry-based and trans-disciplinary approach and
is reflective of the standards and practices of the Primary Years Programme. All teachers plan and
work in a collaborative environment to support the learning needs of all students.
CARNEYSANDOE.COM 4
The Middle Years Programme is delivered across two campuses: Grades 6 to 8 at the Zug Campus
in Middle School and Grades 9 and 10 at the High School campus in Hünenberg. Students study at
least two languages while studying the MYP. The Middle Years Programme culminates in two projects,
one submitted at the end of Middle School in Grade 8, the other at the completion of the programme in
Grade 10.
ISZL’s High School provides an academically challenging and balanced programme that prepares
students for success at university and in life beyond ISZL. In Grades 11 and 12, they can select between
the IB Diploma Programme, the IB Careers Programme and the Advanced Placement programme.
Students who choose the AP have access to college-level classes in over 20 subjects.
At all levels, students are exposed to a wide range of academic opportunities beyond the classroom,
including residential weeks, major stage productions, sporting and creative opportunities, and learning
retreats in the School’s mountain chalet.
ISZL’s Pastoral Programme ensures that the School provides an atmosphere conducive not only to
academic excellence and success, but also to the development of social skills and a well-rounded
character. The School believes that compassion and a risk-taking approach to learning are just as
important as critical and creative thinking skills. The School’s Personal Development Programme
fosters a climate of respect, in which students are encouraged to develop self-confidence, positive
relationships, and the motivation to learn. A large part of this programme is the Personal Development
Week, where students from Grade 3 upwards go to locations around Switzerland and abroad. During
that time, students learn more about themselves, develop teamwork and interpersonal skills and push
themselves to, in the words of ISZL’s Vision, “stretch themselves further and achieve more than they
believe possible” - whether that is by abseiling or forging new friendships.
CARNEYSANDOE.COM 5
ISZL is an inspiring learning environment. Its aim is to enthuse, engage, and inspire a generation of
critically aware, creative, and knowledgeable global citizens ready for the challenges and changes
that lie ahead. ISZL offers a programme already rich in the arts and sports, complemented by many
student clubs, which make the most of its unique location in the forests and hills of Central Switzerland.
Students are encouraged to participate in visual and performing arts, which provide a foundation for
imagination, risk-taking, and creative expression.
The School’s various studios, music rooms, and theatres allow students to pursue their interests and
passions in state-of-the-art facilities. Students also play on a variety of sports teams, including soccer,
basketball, tennis, rugby, volleyball, track, swimming, and skiing.
A wide range of clubs and activities match the diverse personalities and interests of the student body
and encourage them to have fun together and make new friends. Many of the activities are offered to
a range of grade levels, and students can pursue leadership roles in the later grades. Students have
access to a wide range of clubs, varying from art and design and drama, to construction and computer
coding in the Primary School, with Student Council, athletics, musical clubs, rock-climbing, sports and
craft in the Middle and High School.
The School promotes participation in the Duke of Edinburgh Award, the world’s leading youth
achievement award, giving children the opportunity to be the very best they can be. ISZL students also
host the annual Youth Forum Switzerland event.
ISZL also believes that an understanding of communities, the way we relate to them, and the effects
we can have upon them, are important components in the education of students. The School actively
CARNEYSANDOE.COM 6
embraces every opportunity to connect students through the development of authentic, age-appropriate,
and sustainable partnerships with local communities. These partnerships are rich in their breadth and
diversity and include engagement through community service and action, cultural exchanges, sporting
engagement, trips and excursions, educational partnerships, and curriculum-led initiatives.
The current facilities of ISZL are situated in three different locations and include a Chalet in Wengen,
a village in the Alps. The Zug Campus in Baar houses the Primary and Middle Schools. The main
building, the Wettinger House, was constructed in the late 17th century and is surrounded by modern
buildings. The Middle School building is a new, purpose-built facility comprising classrooms, offices, and
dedicated science laboratories. Adjacent is a theatre with a full-size stage and seating for 450 people,
enabling the School to hold assemblies and special events on site. There is a full-size gymnasium, a
smaller gymnasium that is used for Early Years, and a synthetic grass sports field. The Middle School
uses off-site sports facilities extensively.
The High School campus, located in Hünenberg, is home to over 420 high school students. This new
campus has three principal facilities: the main building, which comprises modern classrooms, state-
of-the-art science labs, a library and music rooms, and also the triple gymnasium built in 2013, which
includes a dance studio, techno gym fitness-centre, and a climbing wall. The School also boasts its Art
Factory, a dedicated modern space for visual arts.
ISZL owns and runs an outdoor education centre in Wengen, in the Swiss Alps. It has 86 beds in en-
suite bedrooms as well as a kitchen and dining area. It is used for the academic programme, the School
sports programme, and musical, leadership, and academic retreats, such as the inspiring Mountain
Maths programme for Primary students.
CARNEYSANDOE.COM 7
ISZL is fortunate to be situated in one of the most beautiful and safe countries in the world. With four
national languages and a history of attracting talent from around the world, it is a truly global country.
Switzerland ranks at or near to the top of several international surveys relating to quality of life.
The Cantons of Central Switzerland, including Zug, Luzern, and Zürich, are located in the very heart
of Switzerland and offer an exceptionally high quality of life. Surrounded by mountains and alpine
lakes, the region offers easy access to some of the world’s most glorious natural environments and an
almost limitless array of associated activities and pastimes. German is the official language of Central
Switzerland, with English widely spoken.
Zug is a beautiful lakeside town in Central Switzerland and derives its name from a fishing tradition; in the
Middle Ages, the word translated to the right to “pull up” fishing nets. Residents speak Swiss German,
with over a quarter of the population comprising foreign nationals, making Zug a truly international
location, with around 126,000 people resident in the Canton. Central Switzerland’s geography is diverse,
including an impressive moraine landscape resulting from the Reuss glacier. Some of the best hiking
and mountain sports in the world are on ISZL’s doorstep, with many skiing resorts under an hour’s drive
away.
Zug is 40 minutes from Zürich International Airport and 20 minutes from the cosmopolitan city of Zürich.
Its location in the centre of Europe allows for easy opportunities to explore some of the most loved
cultural sites in the world. Zug provides an exceptional quality of life in the haven of Switzerland. It is
a paragon of efficiency, cleanliness, and security, and remains a short journey from major European
cities.
CARNEYSANDOE.COM 8
The next Primary School Principal is expected to:
The Primary School Principal leads and manages all aspects of the Primary School (EY1 - Grade 5)
to optimise teaching and learning towards realising ISZL’s mission and vision. The Principal provides
an environment conducive to learning, growth, and wellness for all members of the Primary School
community. The Primary Principal should:
Interested and qualified candidates are invited to contact the consultants in confidence. Candidates will
ultimately need to submit the following materials as one PDF document:
Art Charles
Managing Associate, International Schools Practice
art.charles@carneysandoe.com
John Chandler
Senior Consultant
john.chandler@carneysandoe.com
Deborah Welch
Senior Consultant
deb.welch@carneysandoe.com
ISZL supports, respects, and seeks inclusion for all of community members, including but not limited
to: Age, Disability, Ethnicity, Gender, Gender Expression, Gender Identity, Health Needs, Languages
Spoken, Marital Status, Mental Health, National Origin, Political Affiliation, Race, Religion, Sex, and
Sexual Orientation.
CARNEYSANDOE.COM 11