ELA Basel – The Swiss British School of Basel
Reviews & Information

We’ve been at ELA since our children were babies. The warm, safe environment has been the main reason for our continued association with the school.

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We love this school. We chose ELA over other international schools in the area because of the nurturing atmosphere and the family feel. And it's been great for us. My kids have been there for 3 years, and they love it. Most of the teachers have been there for years, and they are all wonderful. An added bonus is that the academics are really strong. Following both the Swiss and British curriculums also gives us lots of options when the kids age out. My kids are happy to go to school, they feel safe, and they are learning so much. We couldn't ask for more.

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Amazing school, highly recommended. Our Daughter has been there since pre-school and loves it. She literally goes to school singing every day. The teaching staff is amazing, and the curriculum has a great balance between structure and support. Both the early years school and the primary school are located in the middle of Basel in wonderful old (but renovated) Swiss buildings. The primary school is like something out of a fairytale. The school provides extended hours, and also runs vacation programs during school holidays. Highly recommended.

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We have both our children at ELA Basel and are extremely happy with the quality of the care, education, facilities and overall approach. The teachers in particular are wonderfully enthusiastic, experienced and dedicated; they really know our children and provide individualized guidance and inspiration. Both children come home happy and energized each day. They are learning a lot, but there is no pressure to be one thing or the other; the teachers h celebrate the individual needs of each child. We feel very lucky to have found ELa Basel and find the quality of music classes, gym classes, German classes, etc. to be far superior to any of the other schools we visited.

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We have been with ELA Basel since the start of 2018 and are both from a child and parent perspective very, very content. As our daughter graduates from ELA this year, we are confident that her ELA Basel primary school experience stands out as one of the building stones not only of her current confidence, but also of her future success story. To mention just one aspect, the academic level is truly amazing and the dedication of the teachers is outstanding. ELA Basel is an excellent start to a child's academic life. We recommend it warmly.

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Very kind and talented teachers with high-quality traditional buildings!

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My kids joined ELA at the grade of 4, and kindergarten in a comparable U.S. system tow and half years ago. It is not-too-big but not-too-small size of school, with comprising slightly over 200 or so in the entire primary school (reception to year 7, meaning prek4 to grade 6). Teachers are very dedicated, and the academic standard following British curriculum is very high. Coming from the U.S. side, I like their emphasis on traditional way of learning, such as spelling, and phonetics, while at the same time exposing students to the innovative way of teaching, such as STEAM, and extending their inside curriuculum to local cultural facilities. For example, my daughter in the Year 3 (grade 2) is learning about Roman ancient history and they are going to a field trip to local Roman site. There are tons of other things that I love about ELA, but for the space, and the fatigue of the readers, I would like to mention three things: SCALA performance, inclusion programs, and music programs. Each year, ELA students work on their musical performance and stage it on the professional theater. It is amazing to see how kids grow out of their comfort zone and present themselves as an actor. The group dynamic is hard to describe here. They also have a supportive system for students who require individual support. My son had an IEP in the states and thanks to inclusion team at ELA, he's learned how to embrace his difference into strength and is growing each day with more kindness and responsibility. ELA also offers a great music program as an extracurrucula program. My son continues his piano lesson and my daughter has started the violin with a wonderfully talented caring music teacher within the school building. For me, it is a great thing especially considering hit-or-miss experience of hiring music teachers in Basel. Oh, one more thing. The new leadership under Sally is amazing! - sorry, I can't help adding one more. She certainly added more pillars of integrating families into this community with parents-meet-ups, and workshops on the important matters such as cyber education, STEAM education, and etc. I can keep going on......

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I cannot speak highly enough about ELA Basel. From the dedicated teachers to the vibrant learning environment, every aspect of ELA Basel fosters growth and excellence. The curriculum is engaging and tailored to meet individual student needs, while extracurricular activities abound, providing opportunities for students to explore their skillss The supportive community and emphasis on holistic development make ELA Basel truly exceptional and in one of the best location in town!! I wholeheartedly recommend it to any parent seeking an enriching educational experience for their child."

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Private schools generally have an unfavourable reputation in Switzerland and this is precisely why. ELA is a virulent environment for students and staff. The educational practice is rooted in antiquated pedagogy and British imperialism. It is entirely absent of the ethical tenets it purports to possess. ELA invests most of its resources in curating the thinly veiled veneer of professionalism rather than the actual infrastructure and quality of education. It protects problematic (racist, homophobic, and predatory) staff and ostracises those who are brave enough to speak up in the best interest of children’s safety. Keep your children safe and save exorbitant amounts of money by avoiding this toxic place.

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Both my kids go here since they were babies and I can highly recommend everything about it. Teachers are highly qualified and caring and put a lot of effort and detail to the educational approach. My kids look forward to going to school everyday - which in itself is the strongest testimony one can get that we’ve chosen the right place.

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