Ages 
A school with a clear purpose and a winning formula: to provide a structured, nurturing, inclusive environment with high calibre teaching to support a diverse range of students.
Would suit families who want their children to gain internationally recognised British qualifications after already spending some time in the local Swiss education system, as well as those newer to Zurich who are looking for a more ‘international Swiss’ experience for their secondary-aged children. It is the only school in central Zurich offering IGCSEs and A levels and, as a result, is the only real choice for families living centrally and looking for these options within easy and convenient public transport routes.
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Overview
- Student numbers
- 395
- Curricula
- British
- SEN provision
- SEN considered case by case
- Religion
- Non-denominational
- Fees
- CHF 29,400- CHF 30,600
- Ownership
- Privately owned
Head of school
Principal
James Cunningham MA BA H-Dip in Ed
Since August 2021, James Cunningham BA PGCE MA. Previously vice principal since 2019, having originally joined the school in 2011 as a history teacher. Before that, he taught at an international school in Tripoli, Libya for six years. Grew up in
Entrance
Waitlists are in operation, although due to growing demand two extra classes have recently been created in the first year. Priority is given to siblings and alumni.
Positive feedback from parents regarding the open information evenings for
Exit
In 2025 most students headed to Swiss universities (eg University of Zurich, University of St Gallen and ETH) and to universities in the UK (eg LSE, ICL and KCL in London and to Universities of Edinburgh, Bath, Durham and Bristol). Others spread out
Latest results
In 2025, 90 per cent of all grades were A*-C and nine students (13 per cent of cohort) gained three A*/As
IGCSE results are also consistently good; in 2025, 33 students achieved an A in four or more subjects and 95 per cent of all grades awarded
Teaching & learning
Hull's offers a four-year college programme for teenagers that focuses solely on the exam years (IGCSE and A level).
Parents like the small class sizes – usually around 16 students per class in the first two years (years 10 and 11) with a maximum
- Curricula & qualifications
- British - A levels
- British - International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE)
Learning support & SEN
For more serious SEN issues, learning support is outsourced to an external provider (who conveniently has an office in one of the school buildings) and comes at an extra cost to parents. Agreements in place for reduced price assessments and support
Language support
Students are expected to have a proficient level of English (B1 CEFRL level or above). Apart from the lunchtime booster sessions, the school does not offer a specific EAL programme.
There is currently no mother tongue programme on offer.
Arts & extracurricular
A variety of clubs are available eg chess, debating, literature, art, music etc, with some students taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh International Award (not a common thing in Switzerland). Students are encouraged to run clubs themselves (with
Sport
Apart from compulsory PE in the first year (year 10), there is no core sport or sports teams, and the school has no sports facilities or grounds. This does not seem to bother some parents whose children are either not into sports or who play in local
Ethos & heritage
The first school in Zurich to offer A levels and IGCSEs and still one of only three schools to do so. Founded in 1945 by Englishman Dr James Hull, the school was originally established as a language school before reinventing itself as an adult
Pastoral care, inclusivity & discipline
The school is open and inclusive, does not tolerate bullying and has a process in place for the rare instances when issues do occur.
Parents feel that the school has high expectations of behaviour for its students, but that they do really care
Classroom & community
A good mixture of families from a variety of different backgrounds, with approximately 20 nationalities represented. Over 85 per cent of students are Swiss or have one parent who is Swiss, but families also originate from elsewhere in Europe, UK, US,
- School year
- Mid August – End June
- School hours
- 8:45am – 4:45pm
- Student nationalities
- 85% Swiss
- Uniform requirements
- No
Money matters
School fees cover all running costs and overall, compare well (given the generally expensive Swiss context), being slightly lower than other schools in the area, which seems appropriate given the reduced facilities on offer. However, as the school
- Annual fee range
- CHF 29,400- CHF 30,600
- Fee information
- Application fee: CHF 750
Year 10/EC1: CHF 29’400 per year, or 12 monthly instalments of CHF 2’450
Year 11/EC2: CHF 30’000 per year, or 12 monthly instalments of CHF 2’500
Year 12/EC3:CHF 30’600 per year, or 12 monthly instalments of CHF 2’550
Year 13: EC4: CHF 30’600 per year, or 12 monthly instalments of CHF 2’550
Misc. fees (annual): CHF 1,400 (years 1 & 2); CHF 1,400 (year 3); CHF 1,300 (year 4).
Exam fees not included in the fees.
The last word
A school with a clear purpose and a winning formula: to provide a structured, nurturing, inclusive environment with high calibre teaching to support a diverse range of students.
Would suit families who want their children to gain internationally
Accreditations, inspections & memberships
- Accreditations/Inspections
- None (school may be licensed, or may be "inspected" by its own owner, but it is not independently accredited or inspected by recognised agency or organisation)
- Memberships
- SGIS, VZP, Pearson Edexcel, Cambridge International
